Health and Dietary Fiber
The word “health” means a lot of different things to a lot of different people.
In my San Diego Chiropractic practice sometimes my patients associate health with ridding themselves of back pain, neck pain, headaches or perhaps making a recovery from injuries suffered in a car accident.
At my chiropractic clinic we try to encourage our patients to take a broader view of health than simply being pain free. Health is about your body expressing its full function and operating at the optimum levels that it is capable of. It has been my experience that chiropractic care can help you function better, but optimal health will not be expressed without paying close attention to your diet and nutritional needs.
One dietary change that you can do right away to help support your health is to get more fiber into your diet. Fiber is an extremely important part of a healthy diet and can help you regain and maintain your health. Because of the fast-food lifestyles that we have come to accept as normal, most Americans aren’t getting enough fiber. On average, Americans consume only 5 to 10 grams of fiber a day…15 to 20 grams less than the 25 grams recommended by the FDA.
You may ask, why is fiber so important?
- Fiber helps stabilize energy and sugar levels. Fiber slows digestion and therefore helps slow the absorption of sugars into the bloodstream. Soluble fiber, specifically, delays the absorption of sugars and starch by dragging partly digested food through the intestine. Delaying the absorption of ingested sugars keeps your blood sugar, insulin and energy levels more stable throughout the day.
- Fiber is filling. Fiber is a bulky and stays in the stomach longer, providing a greater sense of fullness between meals. For instance, a slice of 100 percent whole grain bread (loaded with fiber) is more filling than two slices of white bread (very little fiber). Foods high in fiber also need to be chewed thoroughly so it slows down the eating process. Eating slower helps prevent overeating.
- Fiber facilitates weight loss and maintenance. Fiber helps move fat through our digestive system faster so that absorption is significantly reduced.
- Fiber can reduce risk of disease. Soluble fiber helps lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. This, in turn, reduces the risk of diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease.
- Fiber helps maintain regularity. Fiber increases the movement of food through the digestive system. As a result, fiber promotes regularity and helps avoid or eliminate constipation, abdominal pain and “sluggish bowel” syndrome.
Dietary fiber can be found in fresh vegetables, fresh fruit and whole grains. At my office we always stress the importance of a healthy diet – adequate fiber intake is an important component that is needed in our daily diets.
Have a great day!
Dr. Jones
(619) 280-0554