For many men and women, the choice to live healthier begins with the decision to eat better foods. And as any amateur nutritionist can tell you, a healthy diet always contains plenty of dietary fiber. In fact, the research in support of high-fiber diets has been building up for years, and dietary fiber has been consistently shown to lower a person’s risk of diabetes and their risk of heart disease. Of course, this is in addition to its more well-known benefit of alleviating constipation.
The simplest definition of dietary fiber is that it is indigestible vegetative material. Or, in other words, it’s the parts of the plant that your body cannot digest. Also called “roughage” or “bulk”, dietary fiber is unique in that it passes through the human digestive system essentially untouched by all of the mechanical and chemical processes meant to break down other food stuffs.
Furthermore, there are two types of fiber that can be found in your diet: soluble and insoluble, and, as the name indicates, the difference between the two is that the former dissolves in water and the latter does not. This key difference affects the way that your body interacts with the fiber as it passes through your digestive tract. The soluble fiber will dissolve in water, forming a gel-like substance that can lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels, whereas insoluble fiber is unchanged by the water and benefits you by adding bulk to your stool. Both can be found in a large variety of foods. Legumes, oats, and apples are all sources of soluble fiber, and insoluble fiber can be found in whole-wheat flour products, many vegetables, and nuts.
For many people, the benefits of a high-fiber diet can hardly be overstated. From lowering cholesterol to aiding in weight loss to preventing (or alleviating) constipation, there are many, many benefits of including plenty of fiber in your diet. Many YoNaturals vending products contribute to your recommended daily fiber intake.
If you are interested in increasing your daily intake of dietary fiber or simply want to make sure that you are already maintaining a high-fiber diet for yourself, then prepare a list of questions to pose to your health care provider or nutritionist at your next appointment. In the meantime, focus on eating a large variety of foods that are high in fiber, including when you are away from your own home. Choosing healthy snacks from YoNaturals organic vending machines can help you maintain a diet that is high in fiber even when you are away from the comfort of your own kitchen. Choose it for your health.
Author: Laura Rayburn
Organic Vending Machines by YoNaturals 