water nuts diet

i’m lynn goldstein, a registered dietician. fiber. you probably know it’s good for you,but if you’re like nearly half of all americans, you still don’t get enough of it in yourdiet. it’s time to expand your fiber knowledge:what exactly is fiber? dietary fiber mostly includes carbohydratesthe body can’t break down or absorb. because

water nuts diet, this roughage can’t be digested, our bodiesdon’t use it as an energy source. but it’s still an essential part of a healthy diet. there are two types of fiber: “soluble”and “insoluble”, depending on whether the fiber dissolves during digestion.

soluble fiber is found in whole grains likeoats and barley, as well as in foods like flaxseed, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruitsand carrots. soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like substance that slows downdigestion. this can help stabilize blood sugar levels and curb hunger. that’s importantfor maintaining a healthy weight and even for helping to prevent or control type 2 diabetes. insoluble fiber is the second kind of dietaryfiber. your body doesn’t break this stuff down at all. so it moves through your digestivesystem, helping everything else move along with it, increasing stool bulk. that may notsound so pleasant, but hey, if you’re constipated or have irregular stools, you’ll reallyappreciate what fiber does. it also helps

prevent diverticulitus and hemorrhoids. don’tworry. there’s no illustration on this. i’ll just move things along myself by lettingyou know that insoluble fiber is found in whole wheat, dark green leafy vegetables andnuts. there’s a solid body of research that pointsto fiber as important in preventing or controlling heart disease. consuming soluble fiber canhelp lower low-density lipoprotein (or “bad”) cholesterol levels, and that protects yourentire cardiovascular system. some studies even suggest that adequate fiber intake couldlower your risk of developing several types of cancer. but more research needs to be done. how much fiber should you be eating? the nationalacademy of sciences’ institute of medicine

recommends that men under 50 eat 38 gramsof fiber a day, and women under 50 eat 25 grams. for adults over 50, men need 30 gramsand women 21 grams daily. that’s a whole lot more than the 14 grams most of us arecurrently chewing on. adding bulk to your diet might seem difficult,but it’s really not so hard. good choices include whole foods that are healthy for awhole lot of reasons: whole grains, whole fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds. youget the “whole” idea, right? and if that’s not enough, over the counter supplements maybe the way to go. talk to your doctor about which is the best choice for you. and steer clear of refined or processed foodslike canned fruits and vegetables, pulp-free

juices, white breads, white rice, white pastaand non-whole grain cereals. they are all lower in fiber content because the refiningprocess removes the bran from the grain and the skin from the fruits and vegetables, andthat’s where most of the fiber is. as a registered dietician, i recommend thatyou increase the fiber in your diet slowly over a period of a few weeks to avoid intestinalgas, abdominal bloating and cramping. this allows the natural bacteria in your digestivesystem to adjust to the change. and drink plenty of water. fiber works bestwhen it absorbs water, making everything go, well, smoothly. you can handle it. it’s not that rough.get some fiber.