Sunday, January 6, 2008

The Importance of Fiber for Weight Loss and Health

The Importance of Fiber for Weight Loss and Health
We live in a time when most of our food sources are
composed of convenient, fast, and processed foods. In
addition to the chemicals and preservatives added, this has
resulted in food with less nutritional value. One of those
nutritional values is the lowered amounts of natural fiber.
One of the disturbing health concerns that has resulted
from this is that we have had an enormous increase in the
number of people, especially young people, wh are
overweight or obese. Excess weight leads to other physical
health concerns and also emotional health concerns, i.e.
self image and esteem.

People without excess weight concerns consume about 33%
more dietary fiber than people who suffer weight issues.
There are good reasons that people who consume more dietary
fiber do not experience weight concerns. When soluble
fiber combines with water, it swells the stomach giving a
greater feeling that hunger has been satisfied without
adding excess calories. Fiber slows the digestion process
resulting in feelings of hunger occurring less frequently
and providing our bodies with the time needed to properly
absorb nutrients. This eliminates the feeling of hunger and
feeling the need to continue eating which leads to excess
weight. Fiber reduces the occurrence of spikes in
blood-glucose levels which possibly leads to insulin
insensitivity and food cravings. Fiber may also reduce the
absorption of fat. Fiber also lowers cholesterol levels
which is a serious concern for people with excess weight.
High cholesterol in bile is responsible for the formation
of gallstones that lead to pain and gallbladder surgery.
Fiber lowers cholesterol as effectively as statin drugs,
which carry the risk of harmful side effects.

Most of us consume half of the dietary fiber that we need.
Lack of dietary fiber is associated with health concerns
such as hemorrhoids, cancer, diabetes, varicose veins, heat
dissease, appendicitis and chronic constipation. Chronic
constipation is a huge complaint of many people, especially
older people, and accounts for millions of visits to a
doctor and is among the most frequently given reasons for
the purchase of prescription or patient, synthetic drugs
with their possible harmful side effects. Antacids often
contain aluminum and synthetic painkillers and
antidepressants may actually cause constipation. Fiber
contributes greatly to the healthy function of our
digestive system by removing sludge, mucus, heavy metals
and fat and relieving constipation and/or diarrhea which is
essential for weight loss. Fiber protects against
diverticulosis by keeping waste soft and easy to eliminate.
Straining hard to eliminate waste contributes to
diverticulosis and also hemorrhoids.

Since many of our processed and fast foods contain little
fiber, we can increase our fiber intake with the use of
supplements that contain additional amounts of fiber and
also contribute in many other ways to our health as well as
assisting us in reducing and maintaining our weight.

Oat bran fiber contains a great deal of soluble fiber that
forms a gel which produces a soft easy flow of the contents
of our stomach and small intestine. This helps decrease
constipation distress. The gel delays our stomach emptying
giving us a longer feeling of our hunger being satisfied
helping with weight loss. Oat bran fiber is also very
effective in lowering cholesterol levels by attaching to
cholesterol and eliminating it. People who consume oat bran
fiber are far less likely to become overweight.

Apple pectin is a fiber that can be obtained in supplement
form. It is a powder obtained from dried apples. Apple
pectin lowers cholesterol levels, helps prevent hardening
of the arteries, diabetes and may inhibit cancer
metastases. Apple pectin corrects constipation and
promotes digestive health including promoting the health of
intestinal flora. Apple pectin is tolerated by most people
with allergies.

Green foods can be obtained in supplement form and contain
good amounts of fiber. In addition, green foods provide
antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, active
enzymes, bioflavonoids, chlorophyll and other
phytonutrients necessary for cellular metabolism, repair
and protection, enhanced digestion and absorption of
nutrients, and detoxification. All this is vital for
health and weight loss. Most of us do not get a good
amount of green foods that we need because of our modern
eating habits.

Flaxseed oil is one of the best choices of high fiber food.
Mucilage is the unique soluble fiber in flaxseed that
absorbs moisture and forms mucilagenous substance that
cleans and soothes intestinal walls and relieves many
intestinal discomforts. Flaxseed oil contains many
vitamins, minerals and other elements that contribute to
balancing blood sugar levels as well as other benefits.
Balancing blood sugar levels is very important for weight
loss and energy as well as a feeling of well being.
Flaxseed oil lowers cholesterol and triglycerides. It
helps satisfy hunger with few calories and reduces the
absorption of fats.

Many of us have experience the benefit of using fiber to
lose weight.. We come to know the use of fiber for weight
loss as "fiber trimming" or "fiber thin". In addition, we
have experienced many other very important health benefits
from fiber beyond weight loss. The way foods are being
processed for convenient consumption, little preparation
and for long shelf life makes it difficult for us to obtain
proper nutrition and health benefit without using natural
health supplements. This is also true of our obtaining a
healthy amount of fiber in our diets. Green foods, oat
bran, apple pectin, and flaxseed oil are easily obtainable
in supplement form. The cost, economically and
emotionally, of obtaining natural health supplements to
gain and maintain good health is far less than the cost of
illness and medical care where we risk the possibility of
harmful side effects from prescription, patient, synthetic
drugs and medical procedures. Fiber each day, keeps the
doctor away. Prevention is far less expensive in so many
ways, than repair. We can lose weight, improve our health
and feel far better about ourselves with the use of
supplemental dietary fiber.


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Jenny has more than twenty years experience with all
natural health care products. More information about
natural dietary fiber for weight loss and other natural
weight loss products is available at =>
http://www.sweetmedicineessentials.com/natural-weight-loss-c
-3.html

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