High Fiber Foods For
A Heart-Healthy You
by Stephanie Shank, aka "Fiberlady"
It's not where you start, it's where you finish. So get the morning off to
a great start with a bowl of high fiber cereal with fresh fruit. Fiberlady
is pleased to inform you that if you choose a cereal high in fiber with
your favorite fruit on top, you could get as much as a third of your daily
fiber requirement. For optimal health, 25-30 daily grams of fiber-rich
foods is the goal. High fiber foods effectively reduce the risk of cancer,
gastrointestinal conditions and diseases and the all too prevalent killer
in our society, heart disease.
The heart is a fascinating organ. It beats to its own rhythm and when the
rhythm is off, it can be your wake up call to action. When you proactively
choose high fiber foods in your everyday menus, you will find some
amazingly natural benefits, including weight loss. Foods that are high in
fiber are filling, so you tend to eat less at mealtime. Snacking becomes
less frequent, too.
There are many studies that have verified the importance of a high fiber
diet. One such 11-year British study showed how women and men reduced
their chances of death from all causes by one third because of their high
fiber intake. For women, the risk of heart disease was cut by nearly a
half.
An important Harvard study revealed that women who consumed 23 grams of
daily fiber, mostly from cereal, were much less likely, about 23% less
likely, to have a heart attack than the women who ate lesser quantities of
fiber-rich foods. For men who ate a high fiber diet, their odds for a
heart attack were reduced by 36%. Another study found that foods high in
fiber lowered cholesterol levels, blood pressure and triglycerides. All of
these are variables of potential heart disease.
The lack of dietary fiber is a critical issue in the hearts of most
Americans' diets. Fruits, veggies, beans, nuts, lentils, and whole grain
breads are the high fiber foods that provide you with the vitamins,
minerals and phytochemicals that are the key essentials for good health
and a healthy heart.
Fiberlady heartily encourages you to fulfill your dietary fiber
requirements until it becomes second nature to your lifestyle. And to get
you started, she would like to introduce you to a delicious heart-healthy,
high fiber recipe for your summertime dining. It will make your heart
sing!
Spinach and Wild Greens Salad with
Avocado
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
* 4 cups organic salad greens mix
* 4 cups spinach leaves, stemmed
* 1/2 red onion, sliced
* 1 avocado, sliced
* 1 orange, peeled and sectioned
* 1/4 cup pine nuts
* 1/2 cup bottled lime dill salad dressing
Preparation:
Combine salad greens and spinach and place on plates. Assemble remaining
ingredients on top and drizzle with dressing.
Calories: 384, Total Fat: 30 grams
Fiber: 13.3 grams
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to redistribute this article if you use the following tag:
Stephanie Shank aka "Fiberlady" has studied nutrition for many healthy years
which prompted her commitment to a high fiber lifestyle and the
development of her informative website
High Fiber Health.
© 2006: High Fiber Health, Inc. | High Fiber Foods | Foods High in Fiber
