What comes to mind when you think of the health benefits of fibre? If you are like most people, you may think of the role it plays in keeping you ‘regular’. However fibre does a lot more than just keep the digestive system running smoothly.

There are two main types of fibre: soluble and insoluble. These two types of fibre work quite differently in the body and both are important for good health. Soluble fibre is mostly found in dried peas, beans, lentils, oat bran and some fruits and vegetables.

Insoluble fibre is the kind that promotes ‘regularity’ and is mostly found in wheat bran and products containing wheat bran as well as some vegetables and skins of fruits.

Try some of these easy tips for increasing fibre in your diet:

. Start your day with a high fibre cereal. In order to be called “high fibre” a food product must have at least 4 grams of fibre per serving. Read food labels. You’ll see that the delicious varieties of Fibre 1 cereals have from 11 to 14 grams of fibre per serving. That’s half of the Daily Value in one bowl.

. Sprinkle a high fibre cereal like Fibre 1 on your applesauce and yogurt.

. Add crushed high fibre cereals to foods you make such as muffins, pancakes, cookies and breads.

. Be berry wild. Choose raspberries, blackberries and others to add variety to your cereals. These berries have twice the fibre of many other fruit selections. (1/2 cup of fresh raspberries= 4 grams fibre)

. Go nuts. Jazz up salads, vegetables, snacks and desserts with almonds, sunflower seed or soy nuts. (1/4 cup of roasted almonds = 4 grams fibre)

. Savour the skins. Eat fruits and vegetables with the skin on. ( a medium baked potato with skin on = 4 grams fibre)

. Bring on the brown. Use brown rice instead of white. Switch to whole wheat pasta, whole wheat flour, whole wheat breads and whole wheat crackers.

Here is a great high fibre muffin recipe from http://www.everydaycelebrations.ca:

Fibre 1 Flax Seed Morning Glory Muffins

Prep time: 30 minutes

Total time: 52 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup (250 mL) Fibre 1* Original cereal, crushed

2/3 cup (150 mL) skim milk

1 cup (250 mL) flour

3/4 cup (175 mL) ground flax seed

3/4 cup (175 mL) chopped apple

1/2 cup (125 mL) packed brown sugar

1/2 cup (125 mL) finely shredded carrot

1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar

1/4 cup ( 50 mL) flaked coconut

1 tbsp (15 mL) canola or soybean oil

1 tbsp (15 mL) baking powder

2 tsp (10 mL) cinnamon

1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla

1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

2 eggs, slightly beaten

Method:

. Heat oven to 375?F (190?C). Grease 12 regular size muffin cups, or place a paper baking cup in each.

. In large bowl, stir together cereal and milk; let stand about 5 minutes or until cereal is softened. Stir in remaining ingredients. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.

. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove from pan and serve warm.

Makes: 12 muffins

Tip: Did You Know? Flax seeds are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. Eating foods rich in omega-3s will contribute to overall health and wellness.

As you increase your fibre intake make sure you drink more fluids. Your body will need more fluid to help process the added fibre. To save calories, focus on water. Make sure you are getting all the nutritious benefits fibre has to offer.

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“While most people are aware fibre helps to promote regularity, this powerful dietary component has other benefits. Soluble fibre, for example, can actually help lower LDL cholesterol or ‘bad’ cholesterol in the blood stream – another great reason to make sure you are getting enough of it,” says Gurjinder Gill, MHSc., RD, with external relation for Proctor and Gamble, Canada. “Even small changes, like building meals around whole grains, can make a big difference in reaching the recommended level of fibre intake.”

“For those that are finding it a challenge to get enough fibre from food sources, consider adding a soluble fibre supplement like Metamucil powders or capsules plus calcium,” adds dietitian Gill. “They are an easy and efficient way to help increase your daily fibre intake, and can help lower mild to moderately elevated cholesterol levels when used as directed.”

More information on this topic can be found online at http://www.metamucil.ca.

----------------
About The Author

News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web.

News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial "fill" items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

High fiber food can help the digestive system to run smoothly. In order to digest food effectively and pass waste through the system in as short a time as possible, it is essential that you get a good amount of fiber in your diet every day. Without fiber, the movements of the system can actually be very sluggish and prevent all waste being expelled from it. High fiber food will collect water whilst it is being digested so that it is easy to pass it out at the other end.

Digestive system disorders are commonplace today but could easily be prevented with high fiber food in your diet. The disorders range from the minor to the major. The former category includes problems like gas, constipation, bloating and diarrhea. The latter, however, includes colon cancer, diverticulosis and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). All three of those conditions are serious and can cause a lot of pain and discomfort. You would also have to undergo treatment for the former, although the latter two are almost impossible to get rid of. High fiber food can help to prevent all of these ailments and ease symptoms if you already have any of them. It requires no complicated regime because it is easy to include high fiber food in your diet, and only a few moments of thought! For more info see http://www.i-highfiberdiet.com/High_Fiber_Low_Cholesterol_Diet on low cholesterol diet.

High Fiber Food And Your Options

High fiber foods are readily available these days and can be found in any store that sells food. You probably already eat some of them on a regular basis. However, the reason why you would not have felt the benefits of eating high fiber foods thus far is because you probably do not consume them in high enough amounts to feel it. Most people only eat a little fiber but high fiber foods should be included in significant amounts in all meals in order for you to benefit. A little bit of research on the Internet or a quick look at nutritional labels will equip you with enough information to judge just how much you can include in your daily diet.

If you want to keep your diet healthy and stay that way yourself for a good few years to come then make sure that you get good helpings of high fiber foods every day.

You can also find more info on http://www.i-highfiberdiet.com on high fiber diets and http://www.i-highfiberdiet.com/High_Fiber_Food_List on fiber food. http://i-highfiberdiet.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Fiber Foods and Vegetable Diets.

Article courtesy of the Come and Read Article Directory.

Read on to see what other benefits fiber has.

A diet high in fiber is important for many reasons. Adequate amounts of fiber are essential to good health. It keeps your digestive system working smoothly, helps elimination from the body and is rich in vitamins and nutrients.

An increased amount of fiber can also help you feel fuller longer, which is important if you’re watching your weight.

A study conducted at the Harvard School of Medicine found that men who consumed 12 grams of fiber a day were twice as likely to develop precancerous colon changes as men whose daily fiber intake was 30 grams or higher. Scientist are not exactly sure why fiber can help reduce the risks of colon cancer but it is thought that insoluble fiber adds bulk to stools, which helps speed their transit through the intestines, leaving less time for carcinogenic changes.

Other studies have shown that adequate levels of fiber can also help against breast cancer, heart disease, digestive disorders, diabetes and obesity. If you suffer from constipation, increasing your fiber content should help. It also helps to drink adequate amounts of water daily to help the fiber through your system.

An easy way to start the day with an adequate amount of fiber is to have a fiber-rich breakfast cereal and some fruit. Vegetables and fruits are also high in fiber and also many other important nutrients.

Most people tend to eat breads and cereals which are very low in fiber. Even some brown bread varieties only have a small amount so it’s best to check labels and make sure you’re getting a natural whole grain product with sufficient fiber.

Now that you know all the benefits of adding fiber to your diet, here are some quick tips to help you increase your fiber intake:

Eat vegetables with every meal.

Switch from processed carbohydrates such as white bread and pasta to whole grains (these are higher in fiber and nutrients).

Add beans to casseroles, chilli or many other foods. Beans are an especially good source of fiber

Snack on fruit with it’s skin on. Fruits like berries are particularly high in fiber and apples and pears should be eaten with the peel on.

Eat dried fruits such as prunes, figs, and apricots. These are easy to sprinkle on cereal or add to homemade muffins.