Tag: fiber

My mother wasn’t an expert on nutrition, but she was often spot-on—for instance, her commitment to eating salad. As she saw it, raw vegetables provide "roughage," which helps to keep you regular. Today, this component of plant foods is commonly called insoluble fiber and my mother was right: It bulks up stools, preventing constipation and other digestive problems.

Plant foods provide various types of fiber, which contribute to benefits like keeping blood sugar or cholesterol under control. Scientists now understand that the body functions as a complex ecosystem. That means the food you eat can activate biological pathways in every part of your body.

My mother wasn’t an expert on nutrition, but she was often spot-on. For instance, her commitment to eating salad. As she saw it, raw vegetables provide "roughage," which helps to keep you regular. Today, this component of plant foods is commonly called insoluble fiber and my mother was right: It bulks up stools, preventing constipation and other digestive problems.

While on the mark for her time, my mother’s wisdom has been left behind by current research which shows that the advantages of consuming fiber spiral far beyond your digestive tract.

Whole grains are exactly what their name implies. The grain is left in its whole, originally harvested state. It is not cracked, crushed, rolled or cooked down; otherwise known as processed or refined. A whole grain is more nutritious than a processed grain because the processing removes some of the nutrients. Research shows that people who regularly choose whole grains over processed grains are less prone to obesity, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes. Whole grains are a good source for fiber, magnesium, Vitamin B and Vitamin E. Making the small change from processed white bread to whole grain bread is an easy way to improve your diet.