Getting More Fiber In Your Diet

 You should be getting more fiber in your diet.

Most Americans are not getting enough fiber in their diet. Fiber helps the digestive system move things along. Also fiber helps with satiety and thus can be assistive in weight loss.Some other potential benefits are improved heart health, lower cholesterol levels and decreasing the risk of diabetes.
So fiber is found in all the foods that people have been eating less and less of in the past 50 years. So in order to "help", many food manufacturers have been adding "fiber" to highly processed food-like products. Unfortunately, almost all the added fiber is of one type, insulin.

Side effects of insulin can be.

• Bloating
• Abdominal cramping
• Loose stools
• Gas
• More frequent bowel movements
  
  While insulin is safe for most people, you should be careful if you have a FODMAP intolerance or certain allergies.

When your daily fiber intake is varied through real foods, you feed multiple gut bacteria colonies. But when insulin is the main source of fiber, only specific types of bacteria thrive while others wither. This imbalance may result in gas, bloating, nausea, flatulence, stomach cramping, diarrhea, constipation and GI rumbling.

There's no shortcut to a variety, but some fiber options are easier to implement than others. Your goal is to reach at least 25 grams of fiber a day. Here's how you can do it.

1. High fiber cereal. Since most people eat cereal on a daily basis, make sure that the one you regularly eat has at least 5 grams of fiber per serving. Read the label to verify that the fiber is from whole grains and bran. On cold mornings, oatmeal is also a good choice, with 3 grams of fiber.

2. Nuts and seeds. It's easy to snack on these as part of a trail mix or on their own. Besides 3 grams of fiber, you'll be getting a good amount of protein and healthy fats.

3. Chia seeds. A 1-ounce serving of these seeds has 10 grams of fiber! Easy recipe: mix once ounce of chia seeds (2 tablespoons) with two cups of water and one tablespoon of maple syrup. Pour into a glass jar and refrigerate for an hour or two. Shake vigorously and enjoy.

4. Avocado. A serving of one half an avocado will set you back 120 calories, but reward you with 5 grams of fiber. Not to mention that heaven is defined as fresh avocado with a pinch of salt.

5. Banana. A humble banana a day will add 3 grams of fiber to your total.

6. Vegetable salad. a simple salad consisting of half a cup of lettuce, half an unpeeled cucumber, medium tomato, one shredded carrot, and dressing, will provide 4-6 grams of fiber.

7. Canned beans. These guys are a fiber powerhouse - a 4 ounce serving of beans has 5-7 grams of fiber. Add as a side to your breakfast omelet, lunchtime salad, or dinner protein.

Patricia Koch
www.Herbals-Unlimited.com

Lower Cholesterol Naturally

Lower LDL Cholesterol in Cholesterol Naturally

There are many people that have been diagnosed with high cholesterol that choose to take their treatment into their own hands. Changing their diet along with adding a regular exercise routine can go a long way to help control high cholesterol levels. There are a number of natural remedies for lowering cholesterol and when you do the proper research you can find many tools that will help you to achieve your cholesterol goals.

Herbs and Natural Nutritional Substances

There are many herbs that are said to be natural remedies for lowering cholesterol. They are often not expensive and can go a long way in helping you lower your cholesterol in a natural way. Often there are other ingredients contained in a supplement which you are considering, so be sure you speak to your health care provider to ensure that all ingredients will safely interact with any other type of medication you may be taking at present.

The way herbs work to lower cholesterol is by getting rid of fat in the blood. There has been much research done into which of the herbs and natural remedies work, but science is still unsure about exactly why they work to lower cholesterol as effectively as they do.

Natural Products Shown to Effectively Lower Cholesterol

Chromium is a natural product that has been proven effective in raising the good cholesterol HDL and lowering the LDL or bad cholesterol. B-Vitamins help to control cholesterol levels by decreasing oxidization that is the most damaging to LDL cholesterol.

Adding more fiber to your diet is another important natural substance that can help you to lower your levels of damaging cholesterol. You can incorporate fiber either through diet or fiber supplements. Vegetables and whole grains are excellent sources of fiber and some fruits are as well such as apples.

Coenzyme Q10 has had wonderful effects in total cholesterol reduction. Garlic as well has been touted for its cholesterol lowering effects. Grapeseed extract and red yeast rice are also part of natural remedies for lowering cholesterol. Vitamin C, soy and royal jelly are also good at lowering cholesterol. Royal jelly helps to reduce the effects that nicotine has on cholesterol elevation if you smoke.

What You Can Do ?

Try some natural alternatives that have proven records of helping to fight and reduce high cholesterol. There are many products available that can do what conventional medication can without the risks. Cholesterol is directly related to good cardiovascular health and finding the right natural supplement to add to your routine will help you to rid your body of dangerous toxins as well as aid in the fight against high cholesterol. Look into the ingredients of many natural supplements and find the ones that specifically target cholesterol health. OC-Max is an excellent product as it has many of the ingredients in one convenient pill to combat high levels of cholesterol.

Visit the link below for more information on OC-Max

http://www.herbals-unlimited.com/OC-Max.htm