Fiber
Dietary fiber is a special type of complex carbohydrate, found only in plants. the most healthful source of fiber are the bran of whole grains, the stems and leafs of vegetables, and fruits, seeds, and nuts. Although there are many types of fiber, they all belong to two broad categories, soluble and insoluble. Both are important for health, but soluble fiber has special benefits for the metabolism: it slows the absorption of other carbohydrates so that blood sugar levels rise more gently, and it helps lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels. Even without these benefits, insoluble fiber is a healthy beneficial because it increases water content of feces, making the stool bulkier and easier to eliminate, it helps promote intestinal health by reducing the risk of hemorrhoids.
Numerous health studies found also that dietary fiber reduces risk of hearth disease, high intake of fiber helps control diabetes, and it can also lower blood insulin levels, in fact, studies in men and women from around the world confirm that dietary fiber is important for cardiovascular, metabolic, and intestinal health.
Best sources of dietary fiber:
Dried Figs – 6 pieces –19 grams of fiber – 255 calories
All bran cereals -1 oz –10 grams of fiber – 70 calories
Buckwheat -1 cup (cooked) –11 grams of fiber – 340 calories
Whole rye – 1 cup (cooked) – 11 grams of fiber – 314 calories
Whole wheat – 1 cup (cooked) – 10 grams of fiber – 400 calories
Baked beans – 1/2 cup (cooked) – 9 grams of fiber – 155 calories
Kidney beans – 1/2 cup (cooked) – 7 grams of fiber – 110 calories
Kale – 3 1/2 oz – 6 grams of fiber – 50 calories
Choosing your carbohydrates
It is important to reduce your intake of simple sugars and to increase your consumption of complex carbohydrates and fiber. But to make the best choice you need another piece of information called glycemic index. It is the measure of how quickly a food raises the blood sugar. Rapid raises in blood sugar call fourth large amounts of insulin, and high level of insulin seem to lower (good) HDL cholesterol and raise the risk of hearth disease. Foods with a low glycemic index raise the blood sugar slowly and are the most desirable carbohydrates. In general, they are also rich in complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber.
Here is the example of the least desirable high glycemic index (70 and above) foods: French white bread, puffed rice, corn flakes, cheerios cereals, candy – such as snickers and twix, instant mashed potatoes, white rice, honey, jelly beans, life savers.
Here is example of the most desirable low glycemic index (55 and below) foods: Pumpernickel bread, heavy mixed grain bread, oatmeal, yams, yogurt, orange , apple, strawberries, baked beans, pasta, chick peas, lentils, barley.