Nutritionists say that every day on the table of every person must be foods high in fiber. What is fiber, and what is the use of it? These are plant fibers, which, unlike fats, carbohydrates and proteins, are not absorbed and are not digested by the body, but are almost completely unchanged from it. There is another characteristic feature of these fibers: some of them are soluble in water, and some are not. Those that do not dissolve are natural "mechanical" cleaners of the body, they push food through the esophagus, increasing the amount of feces, softening them, easily removing them from the intestines. Water-soluble fiber, turning into a jelly-like mass, helps to eliminate toxins and cholesterol, as a result, blood vessels are cleaned, pressure normalizes. Another property of soluble fiber in slowing the absorption of sugar, which is beneficial for people with diabetes.
Foods rich in fiber insoluble are coarse flour, nuts, bran and vegetables. Soluble fiber is found in legumes, apples, citrus fruits, and carrots.
The daily requirement for fiber depends on the age and gender of the person. So, for children aged 5 to 9 years, 25 grams of dietary fiber per day is sufficient, for men from 18 to 50 years old - 38-40 grams, at a more mature age (from 55 to 70 years) their amount in the daily diet can be reduced to 30 grams per day. Women in young and middle age are recommended to consume up to 25 grams of dietary fiber per day, in more mature - up to 20 grams. In order to saturate the body with the required amount of useful fiber, soluble and insoluble, the daily diet should be as diverse as possible. What foods are high in fiber?
The largest amount of plant fiber is found in avocados, grapefruit, blueberries and raspberries, bananas and pears. Fiber-rich foods include carrots, Jerusalem artichokes, green beans and peas. Many healthy fibers include kale, pumpkin, zucchini, and zucchini. Insoluble fiber is found in large quantities in cereal bread, in buns with bran, and wild rice. It is abundant in almonds, pumpkin and flaxseed, in sunflower seeds and peanuts. But the largest amount of fiber contains dishes from lentils, beans and black beans.
Foods rich in fiber - vegetables and fruits - are recommended to be used in their natural form and preferably with a peel, since juices, purees and canned goods have a smaller amount of these necessary substances. It is very useful to at least partially replace white bread with bran rolls, and white rice with wild black. Also, for a healthier diet, it is recommended to eat legume dishes twice a week, replacing them with meat. The replacement of traditional foods with foods rich in fiber should be gradual. You should not drastically change your usual diet , this can lead to a malfunction in the stomach and intestines, because these organs also need a certain adaptation to coarser food. It is also very important to consume large amounts of water with food every day and prevent dehydration. Insoluble fiber works well only in combination with a liquid, otherwise, it will not only not relieve constipation, but may aggravate it by tightly clogging the intestines.
Separately, it should be said about how foods rich in fiber affect weight loss. It has already been said that dietary fiber well cleanses the body of toxins and toxins, reduces blood sugar and insulin levels, which prevents the accumulation of fat. In addition, they simply saturate well, reduce the feeling of hunger, and, consequently, the daily intake of food.