Fiber, Fiber, Fiber!!

This week’s blog is on Fiber! I know… you are all on the edge of your seats thinking that I’m going to speak about bowel movements and how fiber impacts them!! I’m sorry to disappoint however raising 3 children I’ve had enough poopy talk from them!! Some benefits of fiber you may not know about are the fact it lowers your cholesterol, prevents gall and kidney stones, lowers your chance of breast cancer, and increase your fiber slowly ;c) How, you might ask, does fiber lower your cholesterol? The plant cell walls which we know as soluble fiber bind to the cholesterol in your gut and prevent it from being absorbed! Any chance to lower our cholesterol without taking a pill gets a ‘thumbs up’ from me! Going hand in hand with the removal of cholesterol in your system is a lowering of the risk of developing gall stones, which are hardened pieces of cholesterol! The phytates (a very fancy word for a yummy acid) in high-fiber plant foods prevent the crystallization of calcium salts which are kidney stones! High fiber foods also contain lignans which are compounds that are known anticancer, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral! The reason lignans are pivotal in the reduction of your chance for breast cancer is because they bind to estrogen receptors and remove them! I know that you now want to increase your dietary fiber, who wouldn’t?? First thing to do… increase slowly and drink extra water until your body is used to it!! Of course this method is not necessary if you choose to stay inside by yourself for a few days! It will only take a few days for your body to adjust!! How much fiber do you need, you ask? Only 20-25 grams a day!! A very easy way to increase your fiber intake without creating large changes to your diet is by adding flaxseeds to your meals! One serving of milled flaxseed will add 4g of fiber!! So go buy some flaxseed and make sure you are buying whole grain breads and eating your veggies!!! Oh and have a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast with some raspberries (total 8g of fiber) and get a jump on the day!!