Dietary Fiber for Natural Health

When people look at the nutritional content of foods, they tend to concentrate more on calories, protein, fats and vitamins. Most of the time, people forget to consider the dietary fiber content of foods. In recent studies, it was shown that in America alone, less than half of the population gets enough fiber in their diet.

Taking in enough fiber will greatly improve your natural health and well-being. Here are some facts that you have to know about dietary fiber

What is it?
Roughage or dietary fiber is the indigestible part of plants that travels through the digestive tract. In an overview, it helps the body absorb more water and improves elimination of wastes. It also helps in the absorption of nutrients and other chemicals.

There are 2 types of fiber. The soluble fiber is the one responsible for lowering blood cholesterol levels. Because of this, intake of enough soluble fiber will reduce your risk of developing heart diseases and stroke. Insoluble fiber increases bulk that your body needs to maintain the functions of your stomach and intestines. This type of fiber prevents you from experiencing constipation.

What are the benefits of getting enough fiber in your diet?

Bowel Movement and Integrity
Having enough fiber provides you with bulk. It helps you have well-formed and soft stool so wastes can pass easily. With this, you are sure not to have constipation. When you have diarrhea, adding fiber to your diet will help you absorb water and form bulky stools. It is also said that fiber can help relieve patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

Having a high fiber diet also reduces your risk of developing hemorrhoids, diverticulosis and diverticulitis. Since fiber helps you pass stool easily. There is no need for straining during defecation. This is one of the ways fiber helps prevent these health conditions.

Regulates Blood Cholesterol Levels
Soluble fiber helps maintain an ideal cholesterol level by reducing the amount of Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) in your body. LDL is also called as bad cholesterol. It has also been studied that fiber can also lower your blood pressure. Maintaining a good blood cholesterol level puts you at lesser risk of developing heart diseases.

Regulates Blood Sugar Levels
This is one of the reasons that most diabetic patients add fiber in their diet. Getting enough soluble fiber aids in the absorption of sugar in your body. It helps your body absorb sugar slowly so diabetics can avoid sudden peaks on their blood sugar level. Enough insoluble fiber in your body is also said to prevent development of type 2 diabetes.

Aids in Weight Loss
Eating foods with high-fiber content may require you to chew your food longer than you would any other type of food. Because of this, your body is given enough time to think that you are already full. This would lessen chances of over eating. A high- fiber meal will also lower down hunger cravings because fiber takes a longer time to be digested. You feel full longer when you eat food with high fiber content. Fibrous foods also have fewer amounts of calories in them. So no matter how much fiber you eat, you won't have to worry about the number of calories you are taking in.

Fiber is also said to fight off carcinogenic agents, thus lowering your risk of getting certain types of cancer. If you want to improve your health the natural way, adding more fiber to your meals is a healthy idea.

Probiotics and Natural Health

In the world of medical advancements and improvements, natural health has taken the interests of many health-conscious consumers and practitioners. Probiotics, in particular, have weaved its way in the area of natural health. Many studies have been done to know the effects of probiotics in your body.

Not all bacteria are bad for your health. In fact, a number of good bacteria are present in your body. Probiotics are the good microorganisms similar to those that are present in your digestive system.  When taken in adequate amounts, these will greatly improve your health. You can get probiotics by taking dietary supplements or by consuming foods that have probiotics in them.

There are many benefits and purposes of probiotics. Some of them are as follows:
•    To treat some diseases
•    To boost your immune system
•    To improve general wellness
•    To prevent certain illnesses.

Here are some common health conditions that probiotics are known to help prevent and treat:

•    Diarrhea – The presence of probiotics in your body will greatly improve your digestion. It is said that probiotics are very effective in treating diarrhea that is caused by Rotavirus. Probiotics regulate absorption and improve the time that the food travels through your intestinal tract.

•    Vaginal Yeast Infections – A study have shown that there have been great improvements on the cases of patients with Candida (Yeast) infections and who took probiotics than those who didn't. The good bacteria decrease the pH levels of these participants. 
•    Inflammatory bowel disease – Probiotics alter your intestinal environment to prevent the condition from worsening. These good bacteria help prevent a relapse of Crohn's disease and help patients on remission from Ulcerative colitis
•    Constipation – In older individuals, probiotics can help prevent the occurrence of constipation by improving their digestion.
•    Cancer – By boosting your immune system, probiotics can help prevent certain types of cancer.
•    Other diseases such as atopic dermatitis on children, and infections caused by H. pylori and Clostridium Difficile.

With the many benefits of probiotics, it is not surprising that people are easily convinced to take them. Keep in mind though, that probiotics also have some mild side effects, like bloating.

You have to only take them in the right amount. People who have low immune system should consult their doctors first before taking in probiotics. Some good microorganisms, while beneficial to healthy individuals, may not be beneficial to those who already have a low immune system.

Taking probiotics to improve your general health is greatly beneficial. They help you absorb and use the nutrients that are already present in your body like calcium, vitamin B, iron, copper and zinc. Your immune system will also improve when you have an adequate amount of probiotics as they regulate antibodies and lymphocytes, which are known to fight harmful bacteria and protect you from serious illnesses.

Good bacteria are vital to your body. Probiotics will give you all the help you need to improve your natural health, but remember, anything that concerns your health must always be consulted to your doctor. There are no taking chances to a healthy you.

Maintaining A Healthy Colon

Maintaining a healthy colon prevents the body from 65 chronic diseases. Among these are constipation, malnutrition, irritable bowel movement, diarrhea, candida, cardiovascular problems, and cancer.

The colon is the part of the digestive system that drains excess and waste material out from the body. It is around five feet long. Its main function is water, vitamins, and nutrients absorption that goes to the blood stream which is then distributed to all parts of the body to keep it functioning normally. Excess and unneeded, and toxic materials are excreted from the colon as feces.

Overtime, plaque forms in the colons lining making it less efficient in the absorption of materials that the body needs. As the plaque builds up, the colon clogs with decaying materials. The decaying materials stick to the colons lining that in turn breed unhealthy bacteria that form toxins. These toxins are then absorbed into the bloodstream causing various illnesses and diseases. Before the onset of illnesses though, a possible sign of an unhealthy colon is when the body feels sluggish and is having mood swings.

To keep the colon healthy, colon cleansing must be performed at least once a year. Colon cleansing programs scrubs the intestines of decaying materials and flushes it out of the body. It also reduces the plaque that were formed if not totally eliminate them. When that is done, the colon starts absorbing all the nutrients that the body needs and it starts hosting good bacteria that helps the body to stay fit and healthy. Then the body feels energized and active.

To reduce the risk of having an unhealthy colon the following are suggestions that are proven to keep the body healthy.

Drinks water. It is a popular belief that we should drink eight glasses of water daily. Professionals though will agree that that is only the basic requirement. Water is a natural and universal cleaning agent that could be taken in large quantities without ill effects. If ever, the only side effect is a more frequent need to empty the bladder, but even that promotes health too. The flushing out of toxins through the colon the urinary tract and the skin promotes natural health that no amount of medication could replace.

Next to that is eating foods that have high fiber content. Fruits and vegetables are rich in fiber. True there are those that have less but even a little amount of food with fiber content will do the body good overtime. Fibers are natural colon cleansers as they attract materials in the lining of the colon and flush it out with the feces.

There is really no need for high-sounding well-advertised juices, smoothies, and concoctions. Most of them are a waste of money compared to the benefit that they provide, more so if the benefit could be had trough natural means. Maintaining a healthy colon does not take much. All it takes is refraining from overly processed foods, eating instead a variety of fruits and vegetables, drinking liters and liters of water and exercising.