Benefits of Eating High-Fiber Foods
Adding high-quality fiber food sources to diets is often overlooked. Most people prefer to consume sweet and savory.
Fibers or roughages are included in fast foods with minimal vegetables and fruits, which do not constitute a healthy diet. Consuming fiber-rich food is necessary if you strive to improve and maintain an efficient digestive system leading to a higher quality of life.
They are plant-derived food that cannot be digested or broken down by the human digestive system. They are long chains of sugar molecules commonly found in legumes, vegetables, grains, and fruits. The presence of fibers in these food sources differs on the specific type of food groups, with some food having higher fiber content than others in the same class.
Types of Fibers
There are two significant types of fiber food sources, and they are differentiated by their ability to dissolve in water.
● Soluble Fiber
As the name implies, soluble fiber can be dissolved in water. They form a gel-like substance during digestion, slowing down the process of digestion of food in the gut. This type of fiber can be found in barley, nuts, beans, lentils, peas, psyllium, and some fruits and vegetables. Gut bacteria found in the colon feast on this type of fiber, and in turn, they can offer other health benefits. 부산역 근처 가볼만한 곳
● Insoluble Fiber
This type of fiber does not dissolve in fluids. However, it absorbs water and adds weight and size to your food. This added bulk allows digested food to move quickly through your stomach and intestines. This process promotes regular bulky stools that are easy to pass. Common examples of food with high insoluble fiber content are vegetables, wheat bran, whole grains, and vegetables like carrots and celery.
Why Do You Need to Eat Dietary Fibers?
Including high-fiber food types into your diet will give you a range of added benefits that will make you feel good and healthy.
● Digestion and Maintaining bowel health
Consuming dietary high-fiber food adds bulk (weight and size) to your stool. It also softens stool and makes it easier for you to go to the toilet and relieve yourself. The probability of getting constipated or passing watery stools (having diarrhea) is significantly reduced as well. Eating High-fiber food adds bulk to watery materials in the intestines by absorbing the excess water. Fiber also serves the role of maintaining bowel health, and it may lower the risk of developing hemorrhoids and colon-related diseases.
● Weight Loss
Fibers are an excellent addition to your diet if you aim to lose weight. Soluble fibers are beneficial for shedding extra fat because they digest. They form dense gel-like materials when they dissolve in fluids. This formation reduces the time it takes for food to leave your stomach; consequently, you will feel complete for extended periods. Furthermore, this type of fiber remains unchanged throughout the digestive process until they reach the large intestine, where they are broken down by bacteria.
Good gut microbiota (bacteria) lives in the digestive system of animals and insects. They break down indigestible food materials, feed on them, and provide nutrients in return to the animal or insect. They live in humans as well, and studies show that by keeping these bacteria well fed, your body will have better weight management control.
Furthermore, you should be aware that losing weight requires dedication to a sustainable diet plan and regular exercise. Including high-fiber food sources in your diet will help you burn fat and reach a healthy weight. Since your calorie consumption is reduced, your body will be in a calorie deficit, leading to weight loss.
● Reduced Risks of Chronic Health Conditions
High fiber intake is linked with reduced risks of heart disease because it lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. Soluble fiber lowers cholesterol by binding to it, preventing it from getting into your blood and passing it as stool.
Ways To Increase Your Fiber Intake
High-fiber food typically contains additional nutrients that benefit the body. Increasing your consumption if you rarely eat fiber-rich foods will improve the quality of your health. Here are some ways to increase your fiber intake:
● Add vegetables to your meal
It is good practice to add vegetables to your meal. An even better practice is eating vegetables before eating the rest of the food. This eating style is beneficial because you will get quality nutrients from the vegetables and get full quickly.
● Eat fruits and Edible Seeds
You should increase your consumption of raw fruits and decrease your intake of fruit juices. Fruit juices sold in stores contain empty calories with little to no nutrients. If edible, eating raw fruits and their skin is more appropriate due to the additional nutritional value and fiber. Seeds are another high-fiber powerhouse. Pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, wild rice, pomegranate seeds, quinoa, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds are great high-fiber snacks.
● Add Popcorn to your grocery list
Popcorn is a healthy snack if it is air-popped without adding external calories in the form of sugar. It can be lightly seasoned with spices. Popcorn is made from grains making it a high-fiber snack.
● Fiber Supplement
You can take supplements if your fiber consumption is low. They are available in pharmacies or food stores. Joint fiber food supplements are psyllium, unprocessed bran, methylcellulose, and sterculia.
In conclusion, dietary roughages are indigestible carbohydrates with numerous health benefits that you need to add to your diet. Many pieces of research have been carried out to understand this type of carbohydrate fully. High-fiber food is confirmed to help with weight loss, hemorrhoids, inflammation, reducing cardiovascular risks, and lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
It would help to incorporate these food types into your cooking. Be sure to mix both soluble and insoluble high-fiber food types because they provide necessary but different benefits for the body to function smoothly.