Welcome

Welcome to Eat The Right Way a discussion on nutrition and food and how they pertain to your health.
The goal is to help you maintain optimal health and well-being.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Fiber the right way.

Keep your GI pipes running smooth.  Get your "dietary fiber the right way".

Fiber is a carbohydrate that is unable to be digested by our GI tracts.  The reason we can not digest these fibers is because we do not have the enzymes which break the bonds holding the fiber molecule together. If we can not break the molecule then it is to large to be absorbed into our bodies.  This means that fiber stays in, and moves through the GI tract until it comes out the same molecule that went in.

Fiber keeps the intestinal muscles strong preventing against polyps, cancer, high cholesterol, and heart disease to name just a few.

Fiber comes from plants only.  Fruits vegetables legumes and whole grain.

You can find the most fiber in:

Wheat bran
Oat bran
Kidney beans
Pinto beans
Lima beans
Kale

The recommended fiber intake is 38g per day for men and 25g per day for women.
The average american intake is only 14-15 grams per day, half the recommended amount!

By switching to whole grains and consuming 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables, the recommended 25-38 grams per day is not difficult to reach.

Don't forget, increasing your fiber means you need to increase your water intake to avoid constipation, cramping, and dehydration.

So to keep your GI pipes running smooth.  Get your "dietary fiber the right way".

No comments: