High Fiber Foods: How To Head Off Holiday Indulgences
by Stephanie Shank, aka "Fiberlady"
Everybody knows this one. That nasty burning feeling in your throat after
you unwisely devour just one more helping of Grandma Betty's double layer
praline pumpkin chiffon pie. Indigestion is what most people know as
heartburn. Burping, bloating and excess gas are all typical and socially
challenging symptoms of common indigestion. And the holidays are
challenging enough.
Don't think you have to avoid the festive gatherings of friends and
family. Simply eat early, eat less, and stay away from foods that are the
culprits of your discomfort. A
fiber-rich diet that includes soluble and
insoluble fibers like vegetables, legumes and whole grains is a mainstay
for subduing holiday overeating.
Including high fiber foods, not only during your holiday meals but in your
everyday menus, is your strongest bet for conquering digestive ills and
maintaining good health. Fiber not only reduces your risk for certain
diseases and conditions such as
high cholesterol,
diabetes, heart disease
and colon cancer, but your body is better able to detoxify all that you
dump into it. There is less stress on your immune system.
Fibers greatest (and longest, if you are measuring your colon) benefit is
assisting your 30-foot digestive system in improving its speed and
efficiency. By speeding up the digestive process, constipation becomes a
word less uttered. Naturally, sticking to a high fiber diet has many more
substantial health benefits.
For starters, high fiber foods soak up fats. You eliminate most fiber
without it being totally digested or absorbed into your bloodstream. That
means no calories. Your high fiber meal soaks up water like a sponge and
gives you that "full" feeling. While your intestines roll merrily along,
the soluble fiber is truly curbing your appetite as your stomach slows
down its emptying time. Your digestive system has more needed time to
absorb the good nutrients from the fiber-rich food you just ate.
Fiber also binds with some carbohydrates to slow down their rate of
absorption and digestion. If you suffer much from mood and energy swings,
a high fiber diet around the holidays will keep your
blood sugar level
more balanced. This might just help you tolerate listening to Uncle
Harry's fishing stories again this season.
The continuous debate and analysis about
nutritional guidelines rings
clearly like Santa's sleigh bells all year long. But there remains one
very important factor that everyone knows to be crucial to overall health.
Fiber. We need to include more high fiber foods on our plate.
Try to monitor how much you stuff into your mouth this holiday season. The
only thing that should be stuffed is the stocking hanging from the
mantelpiece.
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to use 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
