High Fiber Diet: The Cleansing And Weight Loss Benefits It Offers

Fiber is known for being a great health food choice and it is easy to see why. It plays a major role in the prevention of disease and in healthy weight management. Just as important, it also supports the natural cleansing and detoxification processes of the body. According to many experts, one should eat between 25-35 grams or even more of fiber daily to maintain good health. Because of the role fiber plays in keeping you healthy, it is important that you find out more about it and how it does its beneficial work in your body.

There are two types of fibers--soluble and insoluble. Both types aid in getting rid of toxic substances from the body. As the name implies, soluble fiber which is found in oats, legumes, fruit, beans and nuts, dissolves in water. When it moves through the intestines, soluble fiber draws up the toxins to itself and traps them. When this happens the toxins can no longer be reabsorbed into the bloodstream.

Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water, this means that it goes through the digestive tract practically intact. As it passes through the intestines, it cleanses the colon by "sweeping" away the toxins that have accumulated in the intestinal wall. This is the reason why fiber has also been referred to as "nature's broom".

Another important function of insoluble fiber is to tone the bowel muscles. Fiber creates resistance and the bowel muscles get a good workout by pushing against it. This generates wave-like motions that transport food through the intestines known as peristalsis which is necessary for healthy elimination which in turn is important in flushing out toxic matter from the body.

You may be wondering how all those toxins are able to enter your body in the first place. There are actually two types of toxins--external and internal. External toxins come in the form of pesticides and pollutants from the environment. These substances seep into the earth, water and air and can cause serious health problems. Internal toxins, on the other hand, are formed within the body. These are the by-products of physiological processes that take place everyday like digestion and energy production. When people are unable to digest fats, protein and starches efficiently, what results is an overproduction of internal toxins.

Both external and internal toxins are absorbed by the body and circulate through the system on their way to the liver. As these substances travel within your body, some get deposited in the organs and tissues and this can result in inflammation which can lead to poor health.

Fiber is a powerful weapon that eliminates the toxins in your body by absorbing them from your liver and gallbladder to the gut. For this reason, it is essential that you include a lot of it in your diet. The ideal ratio is 65% insoluble fiber to 35% soluble fiber which is similar to the natural balance found in whole foods. To create a balance, you should eat different types of foods which are rich in fiber. Legumes and unrefined grains such as oats, whole wheat and rice are rich in mixed fibers. Apples, bananas, grapefruit and berries are among the most fiber-rich fruits, and for vegetables it's spinach, endive, cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots.

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