How a High Fiber Diet Can Save Your Life

For many years now we have been hearing about how a high fiber diet has many health benefits.Although there are many that do follow a high fiber diet the majority of people do not I believe the reason why many people do not follow a high fiber diet is that they truly don't realize what the fiber does within the body and how beneficial it is in keep them healthy.

It is a known fact that fiber is necessity for an effective digestive system and for the elimination of waste products.The coarseness of fiber, and the fact that it is not digestible, gives it the capacity to cleanse the internal digestive track.

Some people do not get enough fiber and this could be the reason for many diseases and the problem of obesity in the world. So what is enough fiber? Well through extensive research scientist have determine on an average a person should consume approximately 30 gram of fiber per day. Do you know how much fiber is in your diet? Well if you are a typical person you probably consume approximately 15 grams of fiber per day. Now it does vary from diet to diet and culture to culture, but if your diet is not one that consist of 5 to 6 serving of fruits and vegetables per day and if you are not consuming whole wheats and whole grain cereals and breads chances are you are not getting the recommended daily amount of fiber in your diet

Some may think that it's not a big concern. We have all heard this for years that we need to consume more fiber and even though we may not be, we are all still living, right? This is true but are you as healthy as you could be?Are you really consuming the diet that will actually keep you healthy for years to come,or will the lack of fiber in your diet contribute, and maybe its currently contributing, to a level of health that is below optimal levels.

Most people have no idea what fiber is.Fiber is actually the part of our food that cannot be fully digested. There are two type of fiber, soluble and insoluble fiber. The two different types of fiber perform differently within your digestive track and help the body in different ways.

Soluble fiber is the type of fiber that dissolves in water.
As it dissolves it forms a jelly like substance creating bulk. When this bulk or jelly
is in the small intestine it has the qualities that will absorb the cholesterol from your digestive
track and eliminate it from your body through your waste. When the cholesterol is eliminated from your digestive track the body reacts by pulling cholesterol from your blood system to regulate the digestive system and lowers the levels of cholesterol in your blood. Soluble fiber can reduce your serum cholesterol and LDL (bad cholesterol) by as much as 15%. You can consume your soluble fibers through oat bran, apples, citrus, pears , beans and psyllum.

The other type of fiber, insoluble fiber, does not dissolve in water, it is actually the more course and bulky fiber that moves through and cleanses your digestive system.Insoluble fiber has the qualities to slow down the speed in which sugar is absorbed into your blood stream and is also great in treating constipation. People who are diabetics can benefit from consuming insoluble fiber since it regulates the blood sugar levels and curbs sugar spike overloads.
Insoluble fiber can be found in such foods as wheat bran, cabbage and root vegetables.

Weight management is another sometimes overlooked benefit of a high fiber diet. Because of the bulk of fibrous food they will make you feel fuller faster which typically leads to eating less and in turn you consume less calories. There is also the benefit of weight loss due to the fewer calories and the efficiency of waste elimination. Some additional health benefits of a high fiber diet include the reduced risk of cancer, alleviates hemorrhoids, reduces or cures constipation, and the reduction of glucose levels.

So the benefits of a high fiber diet can not only help you feel better and avoid diseases but fiber can also help you look better by reducing weight and eliminating waste faster. So eat your green leafy vegetable, consume your fresh and dried fruits and read labels to observe the amounts of insoluble and soluble fiber to aid your body in staying healthy.