As I was doing some research this week about healing foods and I came across fiber, and the importance of fiber in our diet. Many people today are suffering from ailments that can truly be corrected with the proper nutritional balancing. The term fiber refers to carbohydrates that can not be digested and fiber acts as an intestinal broom in your system. There are two types of fiber, insoluble and soluble. Our body requires 35 grams or more of fiber a day in order to function properly.
According to the Linus Pauling Institute, viscous fiber such as those found in oat products and legumes can lower serum LDL levels and and normalize blood glucose and insulin response. The same study reports that numerous people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes that increased their fiber intake improved blood serum lipid profiles. As we can see, fiber is a very important element that should be included in our diet on a daily basis. There are numerous studies that show a link between high fiber intake and the reduction of disease. When we eat high fiber food, the fiber absorbs the toxins in our body and drives them out with it as it is eliminated. Since fiber is not digested or absorbed it very beneficial for this purpose. Cancer, diabetes, diverticulitis, breast cancer, IBS, colon cancer, all of these diseases are positively affected by a high intake of fiber.
Food Serving Fiber. Studies report that African American Women are likely to die from breast cancer and this same study believes that diet and exercise (or lack thereof) is a contributing factor. Read more about the study on the following link.
http://main.uab.edu/Sites/reporter/articles/81083/
It is truly time to heal our self with whole food. Processed food is destroying our communities at an alarming rate. We are truly paying the price for it in the form of these lifestyle diseases that even the experts are realizing the truth about what the underlying causes are. Disease does not just happen by chance, it is a process that happens as we provide the conditions in our body that welcome these offenders. Healing will begin with going back to the basics of a whole food diet. That will provide us with the dietary fiber we need for maximum wellness.
Legumes
Serving and amount of dietary fiber in grams(g)
Navy beans, cooked from dried 1 cup 19.1
Split peas, cooked from dried 1 cup 16.3
Lentils, cooked from dried 1 cup 15.6
Kidney beans, canned 1 cup 13.6
Refried beans, canned 1 cup 12.1
Cereals and grains
100% (wheat) Bran Cereal 1/2 cup 12.5
Bulgur, cooked 1 cup 8.2
Pearled barley, cooked 1 cup 6.0
Oat bran, cooked 1 cup 5.7
Quinoa, cooked 1 cup 5.2
Instant oatmeal, cooked 1 cup 4.0
Rice, long-grained brown, cooked 1 cup 3.5
Vegetables
Artichoke hearts, cooked 1 cup 14.4
Spinach, frozen, cooked 1 cup 7.0
Brussel sprouts, frozen, cooked 1 cup 6.4
Winter squash, cooked 1 cup 5.7
Mushrooms, cooked from fresh 1 cup 3.4
Fruits
Prunes, uncooked 1 cup, pitted 12.4
Asian pear 1 pear 9.9
Guava, fresh 1 cup 8.9
Raspberries, fresh 1 cup 8.0
Blackberries, fresh 1 cup 7.6
Nuts and Seeds
Almonds 1 ounce (23 kernels) 3.5
Pistachio nuts 1 ounce (49 kernels) 2.9
Pecans 1 ounce (19 halves) 2.7
Peanuts 1 ounce (33 kernels)
Fateria Johnson M.A. Holistic Wellness Educator
http://www.its4yourwellness.com/
