Video - Eating the Right Type of Fiber to Detoxify Your Body

This informative video discusses the different types of fiber and how they are both important and work together to clear toxins from the body, and improve overall health in a number of ways. Eating both types of fiber is important, but you don't have to work that hard to include more fiber in your diet. Eating a wide variety of whole foods like vegetables, fruits, and whole grains every day will easily provide you with all the fiber you need for optimal health. (But beware of processed foods claiming to contain "whole grains" - these are often loaded with sugar and other unhealthy substances, and the amount of actual whole grains may actually be minimal.)

Interestingly, he also discusses how different seasonal foods naturally have the proper balance of the right kinds of fiber for your body during each different season. Check it out!

Eat the Right Fiber
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Fiber - A Supernutrient

We all know we’re supposed to eat a diet rich in fiber.  Despite this basic knowledge, many people are confused by what fiber is and how to get it.  And because a large percentage of the nation has or is cutting back on carbohydrates, they’re also cutting back on fiber.  As fiber helps rid the body of toxins, among other important functions, this is definitely a health concern.

Wheat bran - high in fiber. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What Is Fiber?

Dietary fiber is essentially a non-digestible carbohydrate; your body cannot break it down and digest it.  Dietary fiber is divided into two main categories: soluble or insoluble. 

Insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve in water and therefore moves through the bowel without any type of breakdown.  Due to this, it promotes the movement of material through your digestive system and increases stool bulk.  The result is regular stools and a constant removal of build-up in the intestines. 

Soluble fiber forms a gel when mixed with liquid, while insoluble fiber does not. Insoluble fiber passes through our intestines largely intact.  It helps lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels, and also carries toxins out of your body.

So how much soluble and insoluble fiber should you be taking?

Despite the fact that the average American's daily intake of fiber is about 5 to 14 grams per day, adult women should consume 25 grams of fiber a day and men should consume 38 grams a day.

Whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts and many vegetables are good sources of insoluble fiber, while oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley and psyllium are a good source of soluble fiber.

Great Sources of Fiber and How to Get Enough

Beans. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In order to make sure you’re getting enough fiber, it’s important to understand what foods to get it from.  Great sources of fiber include:

* Green leafy vegetables
* Whole grains
* Seeds & Nuts
* Dried beans and peas
* Fruits
* Vegetables
* Psyllium husk

¼ cup of almonds, for example, contains 2.4 grams of fiber and a medium apple contains 4 grams.  So one small snack of almonds and an apple contains about 1/4 of a woman’s daily fiber requirements.  To get a meal that packs a real fiber punch, add beans.  A cup of baked beans contains 16 grams of fiber; that’s more than half of your daily requirement!  And whole grains like buckwheat, bran, bulgur and oats contain a significant amount of fiber.  Leafy greens are good too; a cup of cooked spinach has 7 grams of fiber. 

To make sure you’re consuming your daily fiber requirement, make sure you have at least one serving of whole grains, beans and healthy snacks like raw fruits and veggies and nuts.  (All of these whole foods also have many other healthy nutrients in them as well.) A little fiber with each snack and meal should be enough to keep your body running optimally, reduce your toxic load, and stay healthy.

Super Foods That Encourage Weight Loss

Experts say there are two basic categories of foods that can be considered "keeping it off superfoods" because they fill your tummy without piling on the calories: fruits and vegetables.

Image via WikipediaAnd the nutrient that gives fruits and vegetables that ‘staying power?’

Fiber. 

So, if fruits and vegetables are the "keeping-it-off superfood groups," fiber may well be the "keeping-it-off super-nutrient."

Protein is another super-nutrient. It's becoming more scientifically accepted that protein may help to curb appetite. Protein also offers staying power, and can slightly boost your metabolism in the process. But it’s imperative that you choose your proteins wisely, because like all other foods, if you’re eating more than your body needs, it’ll show up on the scale as a gain, instead of a loss.

The following superfoods are smart, low-calorie choices that will benefit your weight loss efforts: 

Green Tea - Researchers suspect that the catechins (helpful phytochemicals) in green tea may trigger weight loss by stimulating the body to burn calories and mildly decrease body fat. So indulge in either a hot cup or a nice tall iced glass of green tea.

Broth- or tomato-based soup – Soups can help reduce hunger before meals and increase your feeling of fullness.

Low-calorie green salads - Having a low-calorie salad – which is not defined as one that’s loaded with croutons, high fat dressings, and cheese - as a first course can help you feel full, thereby reducing how much you eat with your main course. Wisely choose your ingredients, and its high fiber content can be the key to helping you fight cravings later in the day.

Yogurt – Including dairy products as part of your healthy diet may promote your weight loss efforts. Choosing a yogurt may help you fight off hunger pangs due to its combination of protein and carbohydrate.

Beans – A great combination of fiber and protein, beans help you feel full longer, which means they may work to curb your between-meals appetite.

Water – Water is your body’s lifeblood, and you should be drinking it throughout your day. It’s a great no-calorie beverage, and you can get it by drinking unsweetened tea, flavored unsweetened mineral water, regular water with lime or lemon, or even with cucumber. In addition to helping flush toxins from the body, it can also help you feel full. So when those hunger pangs strike, try drinking a glass of water before grabbing that snack.

Image via WikipediaHigh-Fiber, Whole-Grain Cereal - Whole grains in general help boost fiber and the nutritional value of your meal. One of the easiest ways to give your daily diet a whole-grain boost is to have a bowl of higher-fiber whole-grain cereal as breakfast or a snack. However, don't be tricked by the sugary cereals on store shelves - even Fruit Loops and Lucky Charms boast "whole grain!" on the label these days, if you can believe that. (Don't believe me? See picture to the right.) You might as well drink a bowl full of high-fructose corn syrup! Instead choose a low-sugar high-fiber choice such as grape nuts, or other all-natural cereals that are unsweetened. One of my recent favorites is an organic whole grain cereal from Trader Joe's which you cook like oatmeal, but it contains several whole grains, and the result is a nutty, chewy, and tasty treat. Combined with a ripe banana and some whole milk, and sweetened with a bit of maple syrup, it's a great balanced breakfast that will fill you up for quite a while.

For more healthy tips to help you balance your body and life, including fun ways to exercise, where to get the freshest and most nutritious foods, cooking healthy and tasty meals from scratch, and more, visit http://www.newholisticliving.com/holisticwellness.html.

 

Get Great Skin From the Inside Out

Our skin is the first thing that people see of us. But, to make it look its best requires us to watch what we do to our insides. To get the best from our skin, we need to eat foods that nourish us and don't fill us up with toxins that are hard for the body to process.

Image via WikipediaThe skin is after all an organ. It is the only one that is on the outside of our body. As such, whenever there is a problem on the inside of our body, it will show up in our skin. Have you ever experienced dull and lifeless-looking skin? You were probably also sick at the time. The reason for this is that our skin is actually our largest detoxing organ.

In order to prevent the skin from looking sick, you need to feed your body the right way. Eating healthy keeps your skin healthy as well. Here are some ideas of how to eat for a great-looking outer layer!

* Berries – Berries of all sorts are full of antioxidants. We know that antioxidants fight free radical damage done in the body from cellular activity. It is this damage that can lead to wrinkles, saggy skin and other signs of aging. To keep skin strong, toned and looking its best, keep free radical damage to a minimum. Try strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and others.

* Water – Drink as much as you can. Water gives the body an internal shower. It helps the body to remove toxins at the same time. Try drinking at least eight glasses a day.

Image via Wikipedia* Green tea – This contains antioxidant substances called polyphenols. These are also found in chocolate that contains a high level of cacao. Polyphenols have anti-inflammatory properties. This increases immunity levels as well, and it has been said, they can slow the aging process as well.

* Dairy products – Eat full-fat yogurt, cheese, and cottage cheese. Why full fat?? The fat is an essential part of the milk. Removing it impairs digestion and removes a lot of the nutrients that are contained in the fat. Dairy contains vitamin A, an essential vitamin for skin health. But guess what? It's not in the milk - it's in the cream. If you remove this, you are removing the vitamins along with it. Eating full-fat dairy products in moderation is perfectly fine for your metabolism, and actually some studies have shown may even improve it. Yogurt also contains live cultures and probiotics to keep the digestive system clean and the bowels moving properly to remove unwanted waste products. A healthy intestinal system also shows in the skin.

Image by malloreigh via Flickr* Omega 3 fatty acids – These are great for increasing heart health but also can improve the look and feel of skin. Fats are needed for proper cellular membrane construction. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in plant oils like olive oil and flaxseed oil. Also, eating cold water fish like salmon gives you a healthy dose of it. Try to eat fish at least twice a week - but be careful which fish you eat. Large fish can contain high levels of mercury, and fish farmed overseas may be contaminated with a lot of other junk. (Here are a couple of links which may help you in choosing healthy, safe fish: http://www.rodale.com/safe-fish-eat
http://www.ewg.org/safefishlist )

* Whole grains – They don’t just keep the blood sugar level but also contain minerals that nourish skin. Whole grain cereals and breads contain selenium, vitamin E and vitamin A. All are helpful for healthy cellular growth of the skin and reduced inflammation. However, many grains are hard for the human body to digest. Consume sprouted grains where possible, to aid in digestion and absorb the most nutrients possible.

Keep your body healthy on the outside by feeding it well on the inside, and your skin will look great in return - even through the winter months!