People like to hop on the newest diet trends, no matter what it may be. From « low carb » diets to « gluten-free fads », the truth is that neither is a cure for your problems. A healthy diet requires many factors that people tend to cut out, including fat and carbs.

Forget all of the miracle fruits and foods you’ve heard about lately- the number one thing that people tend to undervalue is fiber. This is not a passing trend. A high fiber diet is the best way to lose weight, cleanse your digestive system, and increase your longevity.

WHAT IS FIBER?

Dietary fiber is known as “roughage”, and is made up of plant parts that human bodies can’t absorb. Because it cannot be digested, it serves as a vacuum machine for insides, dragging out impurities and wastes. Fiber comes in two forms, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber attracts water and turns into an absorptive gel during digestion. Insoluble fiber is made of solid plant parts.

Doctors recommend that for every 1,000 calories you consume in a day, you should make sure to attain at least 13 grams of fiber. This means that men should eat about 38 grams of fiber every day, and women should eat about 26 grams per day.

Fiber can be found in : un-refined whole grains, brown rice, vegetables and beans, fruits, and nuts.

DID YOU KNOW?

•  Fiber helps you lose weight! I’m sure this comes as a pleasant revelation to many people. Fiber-rich foods like oatmeal help increase your feeling of fullness, causing you to snack less.

•  Fiber lowers cholesterol levels. The soluble fiber that you can find in foods like beans and oats can help lower your LDL cholesterol. This happens because soluble fiber clings to the bad cholesterol as it passes through your body, dragging it out of your system.

•  Fiber helps to slow down your body’s breakdown of carbs as well as the absorption of sugar. This helps to prevent spikes and dips in your blood sugar levels. This fact is especially important for people suffering from Diabetes, but is something we all should be aware of.

•  Got high blood pressure? Fiber has been shown to benefit your heart by effectively reducing blood pressure.

•  An inverse association has been found between your intake of fiber and your risk of heart attacks. In fact, research shows that people who eat a high-fiber diet have a 40% lower risk of all types of heart disease. Additionally, for every seven grams more of fiber you eat daily, your risk of stroke decreases by 7 percent.

•  High fiber diets decrease your risk of hemorrhoids by moving things easily through your system- allowing you to strain less when trying to relieve yourself. Additionally, fiber tends to provide relief from those suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

•  Perhaps the most well-known and most important benefit of fiber is that is normalizes your bowel movements! Although some of us may think we have no issues using the restroom, the truth is that the more fiber you eat now, the less likely you are to develop issues like constipation and hemorrhoids later in life.

All of these benefits together don’t only help you live better- they also help you live longer! Studies have shown that eating lots of fiber has been linked to a lower risk of early death amongst both genders.

Now remember to drink plenty of water and get to steppin’ on your way to happier, healthy living!

By Destiny Kanu