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A lower cholesterol diet is necessary not only for those at risk of a heart disease, but for practically everyone. This is to prevent the person from being diagnosed with any heart disease, instead of waiting for the symptoms before you start maintaining this kind of diet.

It is easy to follow a low cholesterol diet. Lower your cholesterol by giving up some food that you have always loved – but not completely. This kind of diet does not necessarily mean you have to cut yourself off from all the food that you love.

Manufacturers are becoming more aware of the health concerns of the people. Thus more products are being manufactured which are both low in cholesterol and low in fat.

Cholesterol lowering diets must first and foremost include fruits and vegetables because they are low in calories, fat, and cholesterol. Some even lower the cholesterol levels that are already inside your body – namely fruits such as apricots and apples, and vegetables such as cabbages and sweet potatoes. Fruits and vegetables, in general, contain no traces of cholesterol but provide valuable vitamins and nutrients that your body can use.

Next, try to reduce the consumption of saturated fats. These saturated fats could raise your cholesterol levels into the danger zone, where you would be at risk of getting heart diseases.

Avoid any kind of food which says that it has partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, such as those found in shortenings and margarines. They contain trans-fat, a type of saturated fat that raises the blood cholesterol levels and leads to the formation of a waxy material that clogs the arteries.

When buying oil, you should get olive and canola oil, both of which are high in monounsaturated fat. Alternatively, get vegetable oil, which is high in polyunsaturated fat. These unsaturated fats can lower your blood cholesterol and keep your body healthy.

For your diet, there are certain nutrients that you should look for in your food. One of these is soluble fiber, found in beans and oatmeal. Soluble fiber reduces the level of bad cholesterol in your blood by reducing the absorption of cholesterol in your intestines. You should consume these food several times a week to maximize its effects of decreasing bad cholesterol.

When you eat meat, you should also purchase lean meat. Meat is often considered as an unhealthy food, but if you purchase lean meat, then the fatty part of the meat is disposed of. Without the fatty part, the meat left is low in cholesterol and high in protein. You could also purchase meats which are by themselves much leaner already than other kinds of meat. For example, instead of ground beef for hamburgers, you could use ground turkey meat.

A lowering cholesterol diet is easy. It doesn’t mean you have to give up a lot of food – you can still enjoy the exquisite flavors you have always loved. It is different for each person, but finding the right balance of healthy food for yourself would do nothing but amazing things for your health, so that you can live a longer, happier life.

For more information and help, you might want to visit: lower cholesterol diet.

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Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/a-lower-cholesterol-diet-1645259.html

Biggest Loser Blogs Biggest Loser Apricots, Blood Cholesterol Levels, Canola Oil, Cholesterol Diets, Cholesterol Lowering Diets, Danger Zone, Fruits And Vegetables, Health Concerns, Heart Disease, Heart Diseases, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils, Low Cholesterol Diet, Lower Cholesterol Diet, Saturated Fats, Shortenings, Soluble Fiber, Sweet Potatoes, Unsaturated Fats, Vegetable Oil, Waxy Material

Biscuits with extra Fibre, Fortified Atta with fibre, Kellogs with extra fibre scream the ads..

Why has “Fibre” suddenly become as the selling point in all health foods today?

Because- Dietary Fibre plays an important role in keeping our body healthy and processing of food looses almost 40% of fibre content.

But wait, ever wondered why you never heard about fibre before the onset of diet or health fads?

It’s because of the changing food habits in India. From eating whole grain atta to eating lots of vegetables we have shifted to eating breads, readymade juices for breakfast, polished rice for lunch and  packaged chips as snacks.

No wonder then we have problems of constipation, bowel problems, high cholesterol, Weight loss and high blood sugar. Yes, Fiber plays an important role in helping all of these.

The Basics:

Fibre actually is of two types depending on how it reacts with water.

Soluble fibre or Viscous Fibre, when mixed water it forms a gel like substance. It reduces cholesterol and improves insulin sensitivity.

Insoluble Fibre does not absorb or dissolve in water.  It passes through our digestive system in close to its original form. It aids digestion and excretion.

Both of them should be present in your diet. While it’s not necessary to track, a 3:1 ratio of insoluble to soluble fiber is typical.

Now, the functions in details:

Weight Loss:

Fibre in itself contains no calories; what’s more that it prevents us from adding weight. Fiber adds bulk to whatever we eat. We take longer to chew fibrous food and the brain takes at least 20 minutes to register we are full and hence we end up eating less. Also it stays in the stomach for long making us feel full for long. Thus a regular intake of fibre prevents you from over eating and gaining weight.

Reducing Blood Glucose level:

As Fibres take a long time to digest, it decreases the rate at which glucose is absorbed after a meal. It also plays an important role in our body’s reaction to insulin. As a result it helps in prevent type 2 Diabetes.

Decreases the cholesterol:

There are certain fibres which can be digested; these bind themselves to the dietary cholesterol which decreases the amount of Cholesterol absorbed in the body. So it prevents clogging of arteries and heart disease.

Bowel Movement:

The fibre accompanying the food we eat that cannot be digested goes to the intestine. There are some fibers which are fermented by the microbes in the gut to fatty acids which are useful for the maintenance of healthy intestine, liver and kidneys.

Fibers that are not fermentable in the large intestine help maintain bowel regularity by increasing the bulk of the feces and helping you to pass the feces faster.

Now, for the sources of fibres…

There are products today which claim to be rich in fibre, but why source fibre from other products when nature already has better options?

For Soluble Fibres or Viscous Fibre- Oats or Jav in hindi, legumes (beans, peas, and soybeans), apples, bananas, berries, barley, some vegetables, and Psylluim or Isab gol.

For Insoluble -Whole grains, wheat bran, brown rice, Ragi, Bulgur or Dalia, seeds, and vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, celery, tomatoes, carrots and lettuce.To read more about Fibre: the essential stuffing in your diet

Medimanage Health Insurance India

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/fibre-the-essential-stuffing-in-your-diet-1607284.html

Biggest Loser Blogs Biggest Loser Atta, Blood Glucose Level, Bowel Problems, Diet Fads, Dietary Fibre, Excretion, Fibrous Food, Food Habits, Gaining Weight, Health Fads, Health Foods, High Blood Sugar, High Cholesterol, Insoluble Fibre, Insulin Sensitivity, Kellogs, Polished Rice, Soluble Fiber, Soluble Fibre, Whole Grain

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.

Biggest Loser Blogs Biggest Loser Bloodstream, Broom, Detoxification Processes, Digestive Tract, Food Choice, Good Health, Great Health, Health Food, Healthy Weight Management, High Fiber Diet, Insoluble Fiber, Intestines, Natural Detoxification, Oats, Peristalsis, Serious Health, Soluble Fiber, Toxic Substances, Toxins, Transport Food

Ahh Fiber… Most of us don’t get enough fiber enriched foods in our diets because we say that “eating fiber is like eating cardboard”. What we don’t realize is that there are many other delicious ways in which to get the required amount of fiber without leaving an unpleasant aftertaste in your mouth.

While fiber is best known for preventing and relieving constipation and hemorrhoids, it is also extremely beneficial in providing other health benefits as well, such as lowering your risk of diabetes by keeping blood sugar in check, and preventing heart disease by lowering blood pressure, maintaining healthy cholesterol levels and keeping weight under control.

What goes in, must come out! Did you know that our bodies can store 8 to 9 meals in our colons? Do you know what happens to that food after a long period of time? It forms bacteria and toxins that can lead to serious health conditions such as Diverticular Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), and even Cancer.

What is Fiber?

Dietary fiber, is part plant food that is known as roughage that your body does not digest or absorb and allows your food to pass through your stomach and small intestine and into your colon, unlike food elements such as fats and carbohydrates and proteins that break down and are absorbed in your body. Fiber is crucial in promoting the passing of food through your digestive system for those who suffer from constipation or irregularity. Soluble Fiber is fiber that dissolves in water to form a gel substance. This type of fiber can help to lower blood cholesterol and glucose blood sugar levels.

Getting enough fiber can result in weight loss because it is a very useful aid in reducing calorie intake. Bottom line, to maintain a healthy weight, the most effective way is to reduce calorie intake that stays within your daily calorie guidelines, and to stay on a regular exercise program to burn off excess calories.

What is the magic behind dietary fiber? Glucomannan

Glucomannan is a dietary fiber that is water-soluble that is extremely difficult for humans to digest and usually just goes through your body and passes through your intestines. It absorbs several times its weight in water and forms a gel in the stomach, giving a feeling of fullness which results in you eating less.

Glucomannan comes from the Konjac root. Because Glucomannan is a fiber, it can be beneficial in both weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight. It does this by expanding your stomach and absorbing fats and carbs. These absorbed fats are eliminated from the body, and do not go through the digestion process, dismissing the intake of calories. Because of this process, Glucomannan is extremely beneficial in promoting weight loss.

Other health benefits of Glucomannan is it’s ability to lower cholesterol, blood pressure and has had amazing results for Type 2 Diabetes patients by keeping their glucose blood sugar levels stable. In one study, diabetic patients were given glucomannan for 90 days and their fasting glucose levels fell by an average of 29%.

A diet rich in Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. Realistically, most people do not get enough fiber in their diets in the foods that they eat and since Glucomannan is found in very limited amounts in food, a supplement is required. A great way to be able get the right amount of fiber in your diet that contains Glucomannan is with Konnyaku, which is a Japanese jelly-like health food made from a potato called Konnyaku Potato. The Japanese have been eating it for over 1500 years.

Is Fiber the Magic Weight Loss Food Additive? After reading this, you be the judge!

Teri is devoted to living a healthy lifestyle,and sharing helpful tools with her readers. To learn more on how you can increase fiber in your diet to reduce 25% of the calories you eat naturally, safely and effectively and improve your overall wellness,visit us at http://www.core4healthdynamics.comArticle Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/fiber-the-magic-weight-loss-food-additive-fact-or-fiction-1025109.html

Biggest Loser Blogs Biggest Loser Blood Cholesterol, Blood Sugar Levels, Calorie Intake, Cholesterol Levels, Dietary Fiber, Excess Calories, Exercise Program, Fiber Enriched Foods, Food Additive, Food Elements, Irregularity, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Lowering Blood Pressure, Plant Food, Preventing Heart Disease, Relieving Constipation, Roughage, Small Intestine, Soluble Fiber, Unpleasant Aftertaste

Generally our body comprises of two types of absorption systems. Food which gets easily broken gets absorbed in the upper intestinal tract. The food which is heavy or which our body cannot absorb goes to our lower intestinal tract which is also called as colon; here the bacteria divide these fatty acids into smaller fragments so that it can be easily absorbed.

Colon ifs loaded full of good and bad bacteria .some bad bacteria are clostridia, on this bacteria there is a regular check of good bacteria. If some antibiotic is taken which depletes the god bacteria then one can certainly suffer due to severe bloody diarrhea  as it over grows the bacteria clostridia and one can die as well if not given proper medication to kill clostridia by special antibiotics such as vancomycin and metronidazole.
Good bacteria help in sorting out the soluble fiber by breaking them to form chemicals like fatty acids which get absorbed in to our blood stream and then ultimately travel towards the liver. They after reaching the liver block the cholesterol contents and thereby reduce the risk of heart attacks. These fatty acids also help in reducing problems of inflammation to a much greater extent and hence they control the ulcers and diarrhea which are caused by crohn’s diseases. Pain and swelling of arthritis also gets reduced and many studies reveal that they help in developing the immunity system of our body by killing harmful germs.

Lactobacilli are the example of one good bacterium which is commonly found in live-culture yogurt. However these bacteria don’t enter your intestines and disappears if yogurt is not eaten on daily basis. Live cultures are not contained in many commercial yogurts. So Probiotics are micro organisms which are living like the good bacteria which live in the colon and helps reduce inflammation. Actually Probiotics are termed as the non digestible ingredients of food which are not absorbed in the upper intestinal tract, herby travel to the colon to uplift good bacteria growth. Below are summarized few of the benefits of good bacteria:-

1. Helps bile acids to absorb and emulsify the fat in liver by becoming more effective.
2. Helps in controlling appetite.
3. Reduces the chances of absorption of glucose in your intestine.
4. Stabilizes the body’s metabolic rate by consuming more glucose.
5. Burns more fats by improving the job of liver.
6. Prevents the digestion of food and creation of fat.
7. Complex carbohydrates break down by Lactic acid bacteria.

Get more information on Good Bacteria and Healthy Bacteria.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/health-benefits-of-good-bacteria-854135.html

Biggest Loser Blogs Biggest Loser Absorption Systems, Antibiotic, Bacterium, Blood Stream, Bloody Diarrhea, Daily Basis, Digestible Ingredients, Fatty Acids, Good Bacteria, Harmful Germs, Health Benefits, Immunity System, Intestines, Metronidazole, Micro Organisms, Proper Medication, Soluble Fiber, Upper Intestinal Tract, Vancomycin, Yogurts