In this article I will reveal some little known facts about the fibres and the beneficial effect they have over your body.
First of all let me explain what fibre is…
Fibre is an indigestible part of all plant foods. It is found in fruits, vegetables, grains and beans. Your digestive system cannot stomach fibre, so it is excreted undigested. Well, you may think you don’t need fiber, because it’s excreted undigested, but that’s not true.
Let's imagine the following picture...
You overeat at least once or twice a week, more often at weekends, and your regular menu doesn't include much fibre. Well, this might be your lifestyle, however you should consider that it may cause you lots of health problems like...
Indigestion
Discomfort stomach aches
Gases in the digestive tract
Constipation
Hemorrhoids
You get tired faster
Concentration
I mean you become less productive at work and more irritable at home. Besides all this, you gain weight and that’s the moment when you realize you have a problem.
In order to solve a problem, you should first find the reason for it. In this case it’s the lowered intake of fibre rich foods and respectively - the higher intake of foods containing no fibre (like meat).
The average amount of fibre intake is about 25-30 grams per day. Unfortunately most people's regular diets include less than 10-15 grams daily.
You should start consuming more fibre rich foods:
- all bran cereal
- beans
- peas
- spinach
- sweet corn
- wholemeal brown bread
- red cabbage
- carrots
- baked potato with skin
- apples, bananas, oranges and all fruits
There are two types of fibre - soluble and insoluble. If you start eating more food rich in fibre, you’ll be amazed by its beneficial effects over your body, health and way of life.
Soluble fibre forms glue like gel in the intestinal tract. The gel softens stools (no more constipation) and improves your digestion (no more indigestion).
Fibre slows down stomach emptying and you feel fuller longer. This effect helps you eat less, your body burns additional calories to digest fiber and you can lose weight.
Insoluble fibre is an excellent natural laxative, because of its abilities to hold onto water and to push waste faster along the intestines - this way fibre decreases the risk of colon cancer.