The Top High Fiber Foods and Health Drinks are not in Stores

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Home Page > Health > The Top High Fiber Foods and Health Drinks are not in Stores

The Top High Fiber Foods and Health Drinks are not in Stores

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The Top High Fiber Foods and Health Drinks are not in Stores

By: Cliff Smith

About the Author

Cliff Smith is a contributing writer to BestHealthFoodStore.net He freely shares his knowledge of all natural, low carb, high fiber foods and health drinks to those interested.

(ArticlesBase SC #261276)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – The Top High Fiber Foods and Health Drinks are not in Stores

Consuming fruits, vegetables and water every day is important, and now, superior fitness can be achieved with high fiber foods and health drinks not found in grocery stores. Even if you can digest the recommended 25-35 grams of fiber in food and half your body weight in ounces of water every day, as experts recommend, you may not be getting the best nutrition available. Most people find this prospect hard to swallow, and give up quickly on ever reaching perfect health and fitness. It takes too much time, effort and energy to buy, prepare, and devour that much produce, and who can guzzle that much water every day without craving some kind of flavor or enhancement?

The good news is that there are now some very beneficial high fiber foods and health drinks, which are concentrated, so that small amounts help you reach those powerful fiber and water amounts. You won’t find these concentrated health foods and drinks on the shelves at your local grocery store, and certainly not in the refrigerator section of the convenience store. We’re not talking about so-called “enhanced vitamin water” beverages that are filled with fructose and isolated vitamins, or energy drinks boosted with caffeine and sugar. Instead, we are referring to naturally produced health drinks, concentrated with real whole food sources such as cocoa, strawberry, lemons, peaches and raspberries. These health drinks are loaded with natural antioxidants, complex carbohydrates, and some have several grams of soluble fiber, plus protein from plants. Your body understands how to process these natural drinks better than man-made chemically produced, artificial drinks being sold in stores, and you achieve better results.

The best way to get ample amounts of fiber each day is to eat raw fruits and vegetables. The challenge, though, is how to eat 25-35 grams of fiber in five servings of raw fruits and vegetables every day. Fortunately, you don’t have to consume mass quantities of plants to achieve the results that high fiber can offer for keeping your digestive system running smoothly. There are now some delicious high fiber foods available in natural, tasty shakes that you can mix with water or other liquids for much of the fiber you need. Throw in a few frozen banana pieces or berries to mix with the powdered shakes and you are quickly on your way to the fiber and nutrients you need each day with all the complex carbohydrates and essential vitamins and minerals from fruits and vegetables Best of all, the shakes taste good, and some contain FOS, fructooligasacharides, a pro biotic soluble fiber found in foods like garlic, onions or barley. Who wants to have garlic or onions for breakfast when it is easier to have a quick, tasty low carb, high fiber shake made with real strawberries or cocoa? That makes it so easy to get more essential fiber, complex carbohydrates and natural antioxidants for breakfast than most people get all day.

Drinking diet sodas or high fructose, caffeine and sugary energy drinks to get fit is like lifting 12 oz cans of beer to build muscle up. Those types of drinks only tear your body down, while health drink formulas made from all natural ingredients give your body the nutrients it needs to keep going strong. Water is good, but if you find it incredibly tasteless and boring to drink half your body weight in ounces of plain water every day, look for some new ways to make your water wetter and better. When you can drink a quart of water enhanced with all natural antioxidants and complex carbohydrates for better taste and more benefits, why wouldn’t you? It makes no sense to spend more than a dollar for a bottle of sugar water when you can spend the same to super boost that water with natural energy, fat flushing and anti aging properties. Again, we’re not referring to loading up on caffeine, sugar, or vitamin water beverages with isolated vitamins and minerals. Instead, we are talking about enhancing your beverages with natural fruits and whole vitamins and minerals from real foods found in nature. It is so easy now to find these carefully produced, powerfully charged health drink formulas that you don’t need to shop every health food store or

Like anything in life when you understand and apply the basics of something you can begin to achieve stellar results. As far as weight loss is concerned and optimal digestive health here are some important fundamentals that you nned to know about.

1. Fiber helps control weight – Research by Dr. Janis Jibrin, RD with the University of California at Davis showed those who consume more fiber in their daily diet lose more weight than others who eat the same amount of daily calories, but less fiber. (Amer Jrnl Clinical Nut Sep 2002; 76: 659 )

2. Eat More Fiber, Less Constipation – Once ingested, fiber can promote the muscular contraction in the bowels, peristalsis, help in forming stools and working with the body to clean out the colon and eliminate all the waste within. (J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 1999;29:132)

3. More Fiber means lower risk of Type II Diabetes – Studies have found that those who make sure to have a diet full of low glycemic and high fiber foods such as bran, oats, beans, whole grain cereals and fruits can use those foods to regulate their blood sugar levels. (Am J Clin Nutr 2002; 76:535)

4. High Fiber – Low Heart Disease – A June 1999 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed the results of fiber in the diet through a 10-year study of 68,000 women. The study found that the more fiber they took in, the lower their risk of heart disease. It was even more evident if they fiber they ingested was from cereal grains.

5. High Fiber May Cut the Risk of Breast Cancer. Research has found that flax and other fibers may aid in limiting the role of estrogens in breast cancer. – (Amer Chem Soc Meeting, 8/9/01)

6. Fiber Versus Metabolic Syndrome -It’s known as syndrome X, and with symptoms including high blood pressure and high blood fat and insulin levels it’s believed to increase risk of diabetes and heart disease. A diet high in fiber may be able to help lessen the cases.

These are the important fundamentals of optimal digestive health.

Even if you don’t have an overweight problem, you need to manage your weight on a daily basis lest it gets out of control. And, the best and safest way to do it is to introduce high fiber foods in your daily diet. If you do have a weight problem, you must not look for short cuts or quick-fix remedies, and avoid even thinking of things like gastric bypass, or tummy tuck surgery which can lead to sepsis or scarring

According to 2006 statistics, nearly 200,000 bariatric procedures were done in the United States alone. Doctors will tell you that these extreme measures should be taken as a life saving choice, in order to control increased incidence of cardiovascular disease, elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes. These measures should be reserved for individuals suffering from morbid obesity.

It is common sense to exhaust all forms of safe weight loss measures before seeking an invasive solution. The truth is that weight problems occur when you are doing something wrong in your lifestyle. So, it is best to correct that and see the effect. You will realize that mild problems of excess weight can be corrected by a commitment to simple changes in diet and lifestyle.

No matter which method you choose, you must consult your doctor and take his advice on your proposed diet. A dietitian or nutritionist will evaluate what may be needed to achieve the greatest success on your program. A smart diet, moderate exercise, and the use of safe weight loss aides are undoubtedly the safest way to lose weight.

A smart diet includes high fiber foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Fiber is well known for its benefits to the cardiovascular system. Fiber stimulates a hormone called CCK, which addresses the appetite; it gives you the feeling of fullness so that you automatically eat less and reduce weight. There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble. The water-soluble type of fiber provides the greatest benefit for weight loss.

Soluble fiber is found in foods such as fruit pectin, oats, and acacia. As it dissolves in water, it forms a gel by swelling and absorbing water soluble materials such as cholesterol. Then it traps them and escorts them out of the colon. According to recent studies every gram of this soluble fiber flushes out seven calories.
It was Audrey Eyton who first recommended high fiber foods for natural weight loss in her book The F-Plan Diet, in the early 1980s. Now, a well known digestive care nutritionist Brenda Watson calls this “The Fiber Flush Effect,’ in her new book, The Fiber35 Diet. She says that as you increase your consumption of fiber, you naturally eliminate extra calories in your stool.

The daily consumption of 20-35 grams of fiber is recommended by the National Institutes of Health. It is seen that majority of Americans don’t even consume half of that. The daily intake of 35 grams of fiber has the potential of eliminating 245 calories per day, or 7595 calories per month! This means you can lose 2 pounds of weight in a month because you need a deficit of 3,500 calories for a one pound weight loss. This is a safe natural weight loss option, which is neither invasive nor extreme.

Therefore, it is best to try the natural way of losing weight before you think of drastic measures such as surgery

Fiber is considered a necessary part of diet mainly because it is good for intestine. Its deficiency could cause constipation. Medical researchers have begun to find additional important reasons for including enough foods in everyday meals that are high in fiber. Relaxation seems such an easy thing to do yet for many people the meaning of the word is lost. Relaxation is important part of one’s life and one needs wonders why.

High-fiber in food is important because recent research shows low-fiber diet may be a cause in the high occurrence of certain diseases like cancer of the colon. Regarding the illnesses due to low-fiber diet, a cancer of the colon can be caused. A British study has found that this type of cancer is very rare among those people whose diet consists of large amounts of whole grain cereals, fresh fruits and vegetables; they are all high-fiber foods. Others in the same country who eat the traditional Western diet which is high in meat and refined flours and sugars, all low in fiber have a higher incidence of the disease.

If a excessively emotional person copes better with tension, then it could be that he is living in a society that is emotional but if one is emotional and lives in a society that is intellectual that one doesn’t fit in, then it would be very difficult to cope there. Relaxation is necessary to release tensions, stress and strain. It is one way of being gentle with oneself. It is the only solution that has no side effects that loses tension permanently.

The research regarding high-fiber food concludes that because low-fiber foods move so slowly through the digestive system, any cancer-causing agents have a longer time to react with the colon and to cause cancer.

At least it is recommended that a person should try each day to have about eight servings of foods that contain some fiber such as most fruits and vegetables as well as wholegrain breads and cereals. One easy way of being sure of getting enough is to eat a normal well-balanced diet and include a daily serving of cereal.

It begins with the unexplained longer hours at the grocery store. You peruse every nutritional label for the fiber count. There is a sense of smugness as you reach for one loaf after another of high-fiber whole-wheat bread so you can check which one has the highest gram count of dietary fiber. The clerks suspiciously glance your way as you inadvertently rearrange the stock on the shelves. There is an irresistible impulse to be the shopper who “knows”.

You openly recite the top ten high fiber foods and their subsequent fiber count while stalking the produce section.
Ready or not.

Fiber count for 1/2 cup servings:
Blackberries, Raspberries, Strawberries : 4-5 grams
Broccoli: 4-5 grams
Peas: 7-9 grams
Sweet Corn: 5 grams
Medium Apple: 4 grams
Medium Pear: 4 grams
Medium Idaho Potato: 4-5 grams
3 Dried Figs: 10 grams
Beans: 6-10 grams
Greens: 4-6 grams

The daily minimum requirement for reaching a high fiber standard is 25-30 grams. It is a goal that few Americans meet. The average fiber consumption is about 11 grams daily. There really is no excuse for the deficit other than lack of awareness. Our society emphasizes fast food and fast eating as we rush about our lives trying to stretch out the minutes in a day. All we are stretching is our waistbands.

Here are some of the leading chronic diseases and conditions of our time: diabetes, obesity, diverticulitis, colon cancer and polyps, colitis, high cholesterol, Crohn’s disease, IBS, and hemorrhoids. Every one of these conditions can be dramatically affected by choosing foods high in fiber as part of the daily diet. The risks are greatly reduced. Isn’t it time you confessed your desire for better health?

It’s not easy being green.

Who is out there to spread the high fiber word to others and their children? Who can reveal without judgment the importance of a high-fiber diet? Somebody must be responsible for the masses. Yes…the celery stalker, Fiberlady. Here is one of Fiberlady’s favorite summertime dishes. The secret ingredient makes this potato salad different from all the rest!

South African Potato Salad
15 servings
Ingredients:

10 eggs
12 medium white potatoes with skin
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Preparations:

1. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Add whole potatoes to the water and boil until a knife is easily inserted, but they are not too soft. Drain and cool.

2. Peel and chop the eggs and place them in a large serving bowl. Stir in the green onions. When the potatoes have cooled, peel and chop then add them to the bowl. Pour in the sweetened condensed milk and stir in the mayonnaise. Sprinkle parley over the top. Chill until serving. This is best served chilled.

Per Serving: Calories: 349; Total Fat: 23.1 grams
Fiber: 4.7 grams

Opt for high fiber foods. St. Patrick’s Day is the ideal time to offer all of those green foods that you know are so beneficial to all of the leprechauns in your life. Besides the obvious green lettuce, share some broccoli, Swiss chard, spinach, green beans, asparagus and green peas. Not only are these green foods enormously healthy, many of them help curb heart disease, lower cholesterol and inhibit some cancers.

Heart disease is the leading factor of death for American men and women today. To add salt to the wound, more than 95 million Americans have high cholesterol, a major contributor to heart disease.

Saturated fats are the major culprit in raising blood cholesterol. Those who have high cholesterol levels should be watching their entire diet, not just the meat portion. Reducing the amount of fatty foods is as important as choosing leaner cuts of red meat when trying to lower cholesterol. Protect yourself and those you love against heart disease and high cholesterol by eating more fruits and vegetables.

Exercising regularly, maintaining a normal body weight, choosing unsaturated fats and including 20-35 grams of high fiber in your daily diet will all contribute to a healthier you, whether you are Irish or not so Irish.

Preparing the ever popular corned beef supper this season can be less damaging to the arteries if you reduce your portion of fatty corned beef. No need to eliminate it entirely, just include more accompaniments such as fiber-rich cabbage and turnips. Whole grain Irish soda bread can be served to round out a high fiber menu for the St. Patrick’s meal.

Fiberlady wonders how many grams of fiber there are in a four leaf clover. No matter. It’s the quest to find that four leaf clover that makes all of the difference. If you find one, enjoy the promise of good luck and continue the quest for good health.

Corned Beef with Cabbage and Boiled Vegetables
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

1¼ pounds corned beef, trimmed of all visible fat
1 small head green cabbage, cored and cut into 6 wedges
18 baby carrots
6 small purple-top turnips, peeled and halved
1 cup pearl onions or small pickling onions
6 small red potatoes, scrubbed and left whole

Preparation:

1. Bring the corned beef and enough water to cover to a boil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until almost tender, about 1½ hours.

2. Add the cabbage, carrots, turnips, onions, and potatoes to the pan; return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the vegetables and corned beef are fork tender, about 45 minutes.

3. Transfer the corned beef to a platter and carve into slices. Lift the vegetables from the broth with a slotted spoon and serve with the corned beef.

Per serving (1/6 of dinner): Calories: 320; Total Fat: 12 grams;
Fiber: 7 grams

Irish Brown Soda Bread
12 Servings

Ingredients:

4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup bread flour
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease two baking sheets.

2. In a large bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, white flour, rolled oats, baking soda and salt. Gently mix in the buttermilk until a soft dough is formed. Knead very lightly. Divide dough into 4 pieces; form into rounded flat loaves. Mark each loaf with an ‘X’ and place on prepared baking sheets.

3. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Per serving: Calories: 206; Total Fat: 1.5 grams;
Fiber: 5.4 grams

What is Fiber?

Fiber is made up of the indigestible parts of plants which pass through the stomach and intestines. Its main role is to keep the digestive system healthy. Fiber is a carbohydrate and can help to stabilise glucose and cholesterol levels.

Not enough high fiber food in your diet may result in you getting one of the following disorders:

Constipation; this is a difficulty in passing hard faeces and in some cases can be extremely painful. In later stages of constipation, the abdomen may become distended and tender.

Irritable bowel syndrome; you may experience some pain, flatulence and bloating of the abdomen.

Diverticulitis; these are small hernias of the digestive tract.

Heart disease, a narrowing of the arteries caused by high cholesterol

Colorectal cancer also called colon or bowel cancer; includes cancerous growths in the colon and rectum.

Haemorrhoids, also commonly known as piles; are varicose veins or swelling and inflammation of the rectum and anus.

It is also worth mentioning that the digestive system slows down with age so a high fiber diet is more important for older people.

Insoluble Fiber

Insoluble fiber can be found in a variety of foods; vegetables such as carrot, celery, green beans, cauliflower and potato skins, whole grain foods, bran, nuts and seeds, and the skins of some fruit (including tomatoes)

Their major role is to bulk faeces and prevent constipation and associated problems. It provides bulk to the diet and speeds everything through the bowel and may help to prevent bowel cancer.

Soluble Fiber

Soluble fiber can be found in fruits such as apples, bananas and berries, vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, potatoes and yams, peas and beans, oats, rye and barley.

Soluble fiber also lowers cholesterol levels and helps to prevent heart disease. It can also help to prevent constipation.

Resistant Starch

This is found in many foods like grains, firm bananas, lentils and potatoes. It helps to improve bowel health.

How Much Do You Need?

Opinion varies around the world, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) ranges from 12 to 30 grams per day for adults. Children should eat 10 grams plus 1 gram per year of their age. For example, a 4 year old should eat 14 grams per day.

Tips To Help Boost Your Intake:-

*Change to wholemeal or wholegrain breads or rolls; these contain all 3 parts of the grain.

*Eat breakfast cereals which are wholegrain or contain wheat, bran or oats.

*Eat wholemeal pasta and brown rice.

*Eat fresh fruit rather than drinking fruit juice because fruit juice is often sweetened and contains artificial colors and flavors but fresh fruit has natural sugars and is full of essential vitamins and minerals.

*Add beans, barley and lentils into your soups and casseroles.

*Eat a variety of fruit and vegetables. They are low in fat, salt and sugar and a good source of dietary fiber.

*Make sure that you drink lots of fluid to enable your body to digest the fiber.

Fiber can help in weight loss because foods high in fiber are often bulky and more filling. Therefore, you will get fuller quicker and will not eat as much.

Fiber slows glucose absorption from the small intestine into the blood and therefore reduces the possibility of a surge of insulin.

Although fiber is an important factor in your diet, it is also important to gradually increase your fiber intake, a sudden increase could cause increased flatulence and abdominal pains.

Always remember to contact your Family Practitioner, Dietician or Child Health Nurse for further advice before making any changes to your diet and health program.

Doctors and nutritionists tout the benefits of high fiber foods for everything from cholesterol to regularity. Here are some quick tips to make sure you get the daily 25-30 grams recommended by the experts:

1.Have Oatmeal for Breakfast – A cup of cooked oatmeal has 4 grams of fiber per serving and the complex carbohydrates will keep your energy high till lunchtime.

2.Wrap it up – Mediterranean style wraps are all the rage. Chop or grate fiber rich vegetables and prepare them in a convenient wrap sandwich dressed with hummus or bean dip.

3.Relish a Relish! – Fiber rich foods needn’t be tasteless like cardboard! Enjoy savory appetizers or sauces on your vegetables or grains to improve their flavor.

4.The Whiz – Your blender or food processor can be a handy tool to improve your child’s fiber consumption too. Finely grind or blend your favorite veggies and hide them in soups and salads.

5.Substitute Spaghetti Squash – Replace those refined flour noodles with fiber rich spaghetti squash. Tastes great with tomato sauce, meatballs and a dash of parmesan cheese!

6.Toss a Salad – The old standby has gotten a facelift. Choose fibrous veggies to mix in, such as broccoli and grated summer squash. Replace iceberg lettuce with deep greens like cabbage.

7.Try Crispy Crudités – Chop up carrots, celery, green peppers and broccoli and dip into tasty low fat dips for a popular snack.

8.Sprinkle On! – Supplement companies are now offering handy shaker bottles of sprinkle fibers. These dissolve instantly, have no taste and are an easy way to add additional fiber to your dish! Sprinkle on cereal, salad and soups.

9.Go Organic – Jump on the green bandwagon and try organic produce. Support sustainable agriculture and in turn you will receive products known for greater flavor and quality than many grown conventionally.

10.Opt for Pulp – When choosing juices or using your juicer at home, add the pulp! The fiber full parts of the fruits and veggies will be lost if you toss it out.

11.Bread of Life – Whole grain breads are becoming increasingly more common at the grocer. Try 100% whole wheat, or be adventurous and add one with alternative grains such as spelt or millet.

12.Simple Supplements – Nowadays you can find supplemental fiber in powder, capsules, wafers and tablets. Look for organic sources with no added ingredients or fillers.

13.Try a Fiber Bar – There are plenty of snack bars on the market, but read the labels. Some can provide you up to half your daily recommended dose of fiber in one serving! Tasty, and nutritious.

14.Whole Grain Goodness – Grocers are currently stocking whole grain products, from pasta to crackers. Even the snack food industry is catching on. Look for the whole grain label and count those fiber grams!

15.Jumping Beans – A great side dish, beans are a great high fiber choice. Low in fat with no cholesterol, add them to soups, casseroles, and salads.

16.100% Scores an A+ in Health! – Look for the 100% whole grain or 100% whole wheat label. The statement Made with Whole Grains can be misleading, so be sure to check those nutrition facts stickers!

17.Skinny Dip – Low fat bean dips such as those made with garbanzos or white beans taste great and pack a fiber punch. Perfect with crackers or crudités.

18.Prepare a Pilaf – Although typically made with rice, you can use any whole grain to make a pilaf. Great choices are buckwheat, millet and cracked wheat.

19.Soup it Up – Soups are the perfect vehicle for pouring on the fiber. Stir in extra vegetables or whole grains to your favorite canned soups. Take blended squash or asparagus and make a creamy base for your next homemade chowder.

20.Brown Rice is Best – Processed white rice has had the nutrient dense outer bran removed. Try brown rice for a greater dose of fiber and a nuttier robust flavor for your next dish.

Despite oodles of advice touting the next best thing in weight loss, one thing remains certain: high-fiber foods can help. In addition to promoting healthy blood sugar levels and even eliminating calories from the foods we eat, fiber interacts with a hormone called cholecystokinin (CCK) to provide some pretty neat benefits to those who want to shed the pounds.

Many people are unaware that the small intestine produces this nifty little hormone that actually increases satiety (the feeling of fullness after a meal). Essentially, CCK is a messenger that tells the body that you are full and that it is time to stop eating. When you eat a diet high in fiber, that fiber helps promote and prolong the elevation of CCK in the blood, which in turn allows you to feel full for longer periods of time.

CCK is a gastrointestinal hormone responsible for stimulating the digestion of fat and protein. It is secreted by the duodenum (the first segment of your small intestine), which then stimulates the release of enzymes from the pancreas and bile from the gallbladder to aid in digestion. In fact, CCK mediates a number of physiological processes.

Among the first scientists to discover the effects of CCK was a team of researchers from the University of California, Davis. They found that women who ate a high-fiber meal released more CCK into their bloodstream than women who ate a low-fiber meal. The same was true of those who ate a high-fat meal as opposed to a low-fat meal. Have you ever noticed that when you eat a lot of fat, as with a big juicy steak, you feel satisfied? That’s because fat releases the same hormone. Those who ate the high-fat and high-fiber meals reported a greater feeling of fullness, which was attributed to higher levels of CCK in their bodies. And what about men?

Another study confirmed that the same results applied to men. A group of male subjects was tested using a high-fiber meal and a low-fiber meal in random order. Both the test meal and the control meal included eggs, bread, jelly, orange juice, milk, and margarine. The high-fiber meal contained white beans, whereas the low-fiber meal contained rice and dry milk. The researchers measured the subjects’ levels of CCK before the meals and then for six hours afterward. Not surprisingly, the results indicated a CCK response that was twice as high after the high-fiber meal as after the low-fiber meal.

So whether you’re set on shedding a few pounds or you simply want to help curb your appetite throughout the day, be sure to stock up on fiber-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds. You’ll soon see why a little fiber goes a long way!

Everybody knows this one. That nasty burning feeling in your throat after you unwisely devour just one more helping of Grandma Betty’s double layer praline pumpkin chiffon pie. Indigestion is what most people know as heartburn. Burping, bloating and excess gas are all typical and socially challenging symptoms of common indigestion. And the holidays are challenging enough.

Don’t think you have to avoid the festive gatherings of friends and family. Simply eat early, eat less, and stay away from foods that are the culprits of your discomfort. A fiber-rich diet that includes soluble and insoluble fibers like vegetables, legumes and whole grains is a mainstay for subduing holiday overeating.

Including high fiber foods, not only during your holiday meals but in your everyday menus, is your strongest bet for conquering digestive ills and maintaining good health. Fiber not only reduces your risk for certain diseases and conditions such as high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and colon cancer, but your body is better able to detoxify all that you dump into it. There is less stress on your immune system.

Fiber’s greatest (and longest, if you are measuring your colon) benefit is assisting your 30-foot digestive system in improving its speed and efficiency. By speeding up the digestive process, constipation becomes a word less uttered. Naturally, sticking to a high fiber diet has many more substantial health benefits.

For starters, high fiber foods soak up fats. You eliminate most fiber without it being totally digested or absorbed into your bloodstream. That means no calories. Your high fiber meal soaks up water like a sponge and gives you that “full” feeling. While your intestines roll merrily along, the soluble fiber is truly curbing your appetite as your stomach slows down its emptying time. Your digestive system has more needed time to absorb the good nutrients from the fiber-rich food you just ate.

Fiber also binds with some carbohydrates to slow down their rate of absorption and digestion. If you suffer much from mood and energy swings, a high fiber diet around the holidays will keep your blood sugar level more balanced. This might just help you tolerate listening to Uncle Harry’s fishing stories again this season.

The continuous debate and analysis about nutritional guidelines rings clearly like Santa’s sleigh bells all year long. But there remains one very important factor that everyone knows to be crucial to overall health. Fiber. We need to include more high fiber foods on our plate.

Try to monitor how much you stuff into your mouth this holiday season. The only thing that should be stuffed is the stocking hanging from the mantelpiece.