Fiber Dense Foods And The Digestive System
Fiber Dense Foods And The Digestive System
Most of us do not consume the kind of dietary fibers our body needs us to in order to function smoothly. As a result many of us suffer from a range of digestive system problems. There are probably very few people in the world today who can claim to be free from constipation or indigestion or flatulence. Guess what the source of all their digestive problems is? Low intake of fiber rich food of course!
A good way to ensure that you do not suffer from the sort of problems a body dissatisfied with the fiber intake tends to inflict on itself, is to include a large dose of fiber rich food products in your diet. This might sound tedious but trust us when we say that fibrous food is anything but bland and boring. Many new varieties of artificial fiber rich food materials are actually quite delicious. The natural variety of fibrous food items such as fruits and vegetables are of course all time favorites with all those who still eat fruits and vegetables (!)
All of us should be consuming as much as 25-30 grams of dietary fibers on a daily basis. Unfortunately, though most of us eat no more than 10-15 grams of fibers regularly.
Dietary fibers comes from the walls present in plant cells, human cells of course do not contain any such wall. Technically speaking, our body is not equipped with the sort of digestive implements required to break down such plant fibers. As a result our body tends to excrete these materials wholly, without absorbing it.
To help you plan your meals around the amount of fibers you ought to be eating everyday ,we are providing you with a list of fiber rich products and their respective fiber content in the following section. Most of the fiber content mentioned below is applicable for ½ cup of each food material in the list.
1. 1 medium sized (8 inch) Banana (yellow or green) – 3 grams
2. Whole wheat or multi grained bread ( 2 slices) – 4-7 grams
3. Beans (baked, kidney, garbanzo, white, pinto etc.) – 6-10 grams
4. Bran cereals of any kind – 5-10 grams
5. Large Carrots – 3-4 grams
6. A medium sized apple or pear – 3- 4grams
7. Green vegetable (spinach, collards etc.) – 4-6 grams
8. Lentils – 6 grams
9. Peas (green, black eyed) – 7-10 grams
10. Sweet corn – 5-6 grams
11. Potatoes (sweet or baked in their skin) – 4-6 grams
Select all the food products, which you think you might possibly include in your daily diet from the list and ensure that your dietary fiber intake is in keeping with what your body requires. Don’t rush in with a large amount of the fibers right at the beginning unless you want to be caught in the bathroom for days!
Go slow and begin with small proportions of fiber at first, add more as you go along. Your body will not change overnight due to your extra intake of fibers. But if you give it time, it will surely respond positively to all the good stuff that you’ll be feeding it. If you can’t possibly include as much dietary fibers as you ought to in your daily diet, try fiber supplements such as psyllium or rice bran for best results.