How to Make Fiber Foods Work for You
By Sandy Schroeder If you love avocados, cauliflower, nuts or raspberries, you are on the right track, eating foods that are full of fiber and healthy for you. Drs. Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen spotlighted all of the benefits of fiber foods recently. If you are eating all kinds of beans, such as lima, black or pinto, plus oats, apples, carrots, green beans, whole grains, collard, turnip and beet greens, you have a healthy fiber diet that will help to lower your cholesterol and handle your glucose levels. You need a mix of soluble and insoluble fiber and almost all edible plants can deliver the fiber that is needed. The colon digests soluble fiber which helps your gut biome, regulates cholesterol and glucose, and keeps the heart healthy. Insoluble fiber moves through the gut and helps to prevent constipation. New Zealand researchers have found dietary fiber can be especially powerful if you have pre-diabetes or diabetes. They found increasing dietary fiber by 15 grams a day and getting 35 grams total daily can lower your risk of premature death from diabetes and related issues such as cancer, stroke and heart disease. A half cup of chickpeas or a cup of raspberries and one cup of whole wheat pasta will give you 15 grams of fiber. Shopping for Fiber Add these fruits and vegetables to your shopping list.
Add dry and canned goods. Start with beans. Navy and white have the most fiber. Garbanzo, kidney, lima an pinto beans make great dips, soups an chilis. Choose Bread and Graines Look for cereals with five or more grams of fiber and whole grain breads such as dark rye, cracked wheat and pumpernickel. Add brown and wild rice and barley. Pick the Right Snacks Look for nuts and seeds such as pistachios or almonds and sunflower or pumpkin seeds and buy popcorn. Add these to your shopping list
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Keep adding healthy fiber choices to your diet and watch for improvements in energy, weight, and overall health.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Spring, Tex.