Are You Getting Enough Fiber?
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Come on baby, light my fiber! The benefits of fiber are far reaching. Fiber is probably one of those buzzwords you have heard a million times, but you really don't know what it is, where it comes from and why it matters to you. Dietary fiber, also known as roughage, is the indigestible portion of plant foods. There are two types of fiber - soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber clings on to fatty acids. It also lengthens the amount of time so sugar is released and absorbed at a slower pace. Soluble fiber is found in oat/oat bran, nuts, dried beans, barley, flax seed, oranges and apples and carrots. It's soluble fiber that reduces total cholesterol, as well as bad cholesterol. Soluble fiber also assists in regulating blood sugar, which is beneficial to people with diabetes. Insoluble fiber helps transport bulk through the intestines. It also keeps the pH in the intestines balanced.
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