• Eating enough insoluble fiber and soluble fibers is important for overall digestive health because they work together to prevent problems and to keep things moving smoothly
• Insoluble fiber foods, such as whole wheat bread and the skin of apples, should be consumed regularly to prevent colon cancer and constipation
• Soluble fiber foods, such as oat bran and carrots, can even help lower your LDL cholesterol levels

Eating a diet high in fiber is one of the most important parts of good health. However, many people don’t realize there are two types of fiber: insoluble fiber and soluble fibers. Both types are needed to provide sufficient levels of fiber for your body’s digestive system to function properly. However, each type provides their own benefits.

Benefits of Insoluble Fiber Foods

Insoluble fiber is the bulking agent of the food world. It helps push food through your digestive system so it can be freed up for the next round of food coming down the pike. As a result, it provides a number of important health benefits. For example, it stops the toxic waste found in your bowel movements from getting stuck for long periods of time in your intestines. That’s not something you want. It also helps keep your color and intestines pleasant for the microbes which destroy cancer-causing substances. And since it helps push through your waste, it also prevents you from getting constipated.

Insoluble fiber foods, such as dark leafy vegetables, the skins of fruits and vegetables, any product made from whole wheat, and most seeds or nuts, are going to provide all of these important benefits and can help keep your digestive system running smoothly.

Benefits of Soluble Fibers

Although insoluble fiber is important, it can do its job alone. You also need to make sure you take in enough soluble fiber, too. This type of fiber actually slows down the speed at which your stomach is emptied so you feel full longer and so the energy in the food you’re eating will be absorbed more slowly leading to fewer spikes in energy.

Soluble fiber also absorbs water and keeps your stool solid without making it too difficult or painful to pass. Plus, the effects described in the paragraph above mean soluble fiber can help diabetics better control their blood sugar levels. Additionally, some research has shown that this type of fiber will actually lower LDL cholesterol so it can help reduce your risk of heart disease.
To get the soluble fiber you need eat plenty of oats, dried beans, barley, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. Psyllium husk and flax seed are also good sources of this type of fiber.

Getting Enough Fiber

To make sure you get enough fiber in your diet, you may need to make some small changes in your dietary habits. For example, just replacing white bread with wheat bread can dramatically increase your fiber levels. Having an apple or an orange for breakfast or a bowl of oatmeal instead of cold, sugary cereal is also a good idea.

Keeping your diet high in fruits and vegetables is also important. These are great sources of both types of fiber so you’ll be doing yourself a big favor by eating them, especially if you leave the skin on produce, such as apples.

If you don’t think you’re getting enough fiber, supplements are available. However, it’s always better to choose natural sources for what your body needs whenever possible.

• Four main differences set apart organic food production from more conventional techniques.
• Introducing more organic foods to the diet might help increase life expectancy but probably won’t help those who need the increase the most because they can’t afford to spend the extra money to buy organic produce.

Most decent size grocery stores today carry some of the top organic foods on the market, particularly in the produce section. While more people are buying up these foods, most don’t really understand the benefits of organic foods. Does eating organic food make you live longer? Can you really taste the difference between organic and inorganic foods? These are just some of the questions people want answered before spending the extra money to “go organic.”

What is Organic Food?

The term organic refers to organic food production. It’s an approach to raising and growing the food – nothing more or less. Four main differences set apart organic food production from more conventional techniques. For one, no chemical pesticides or herbicides are used on the crops. Instead, natural methods are used, such as using insects that kill the destructive insects to keep them away. Natural fertilizers are used over chemical ones, as well. Weeds are pulled by hand or controlled through mulch inside of by using chemicals. And the animals raised organically are fed a balanced, organic diet themselves and allowed access to the outdoors unlike those at most conventional animal ranches where they are fed antibiotics, growth hormones, and kept in tiny stalls.

The government regulates the organic food industry to ensure that conventional farmers are not allowed to label their products organic in order to raise the price. Make sure to look for the organic label before spending the extra money.

Benefits of Organic Food

When you understand the difference between conventional and organic food, you can begin to see some of the benefits of organic foods. For one, you don’t have to worry about the pesticide residue left on the produce you eat. You also don’t have to worry about ingesting large amounts of antibiotics and growth hormones which are fed to the animals nor do you have to worry about diseases, such as mad cow disease which is spread through animal populations when ranchers feed dead animals to other animals.

Organically grown food may also contain more nutrients. The reason is that conventional farming methods actually reduce the content of vitamins and minerals in food by depleting the soil through overuse and by using artificial fertilizers that bloat produce with water.

Some people also claim that organic foods simply taste better. There’s really no way of testing such a claim because taste preferences vary from person to person and are based on a variety of factors.

Organic Foods & Life Expectancy

Sadly, the United States is one of the only Western countries seeing a decline in life expectancy numbers. Most of the other countries that have had drops are also poor and, unfortunately, there is a clear gap in life expectancy between those with the most money and those with the least. Introducing more organic foods to the diet might help increase life expectancy but probably won’t help those who need the increase the most because they can’t afford to spend the extra money to buy organic produce.

• When you cut out the carbs, you also cut out an important energy source, as well as one of the important macronutrients your body needs to function.
• The basic rule if you are trying to maintain your current weight is to consume 250 grams of healthy carbohydrates every day.

Many of us have heard that carbohydrates are bad. The emphasize just a few short years ago on high-protein diets seemed to push dieters further away from ostracizing carbohydrates from their lives but doing so comes at a cost. When you cut out the carbs, you also cut out an important energy source, as well as one of the important macronutrients your body needs to function. The key isn’t to eliminate all carbs but to choose only healthy sources of carbohydrates.

Two Types of Carbohydrates

Carbs come in two categories: complex and simple. Complex carbohydrates get their name because they are more difficult for the body to digest, usually because of their high fiber content. When eaten in moderation, these can be healthy carbohydrates. You’ll find them in most vegetables, all of your whole grain foods, as well as in potatoes.

On the other hand, simple carbs go through your system quickly. They provide more sugar to the body which means they can be an excellent source of quick energy and a good way to raise blood sugar if you are diabetic. Fruit carbohydrates are one of the best and healthiest simple carbs. Most simple carbohydrates are not good choices for your diet because they contain high quantities of sugar. Cakes, cookies candy, and syrup are all examples. Any sweet sodas or teas would fall into this category as well.

Moderation is the Key

While you want to find healthy carbohydrates, you still don’t want to overdo your intake of them. Although orange juice can be a wonderful carb source, if that’s all you drink during the day you’re going to have ingested quite a few calories which is not healthy.

The basic rule if you are trying to maintain your current weight is to consume 250 grams of healthy carbohydrates every day. To give you an idea of how much carb-rich food that number represents, an entire cup of whole wheat pasta will provide 30 grams of those carbs. A half cup of orange juice or 17 grapes provide 15 grams.

Sweeteners: To Use or Not to Use

If you’ve started reading food labels and you want to avoid bad simple carbohydrates, you should look for sugar on those labels. Keep in mind though that not all sugar is going to be labeled as such. Many of the sweeteners used in our products come under a number of names, such as high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, fructose, and nearly a dozen of others. Don’t be surprised if you see multiple sources of sweetening in a single product either.

Of course, if you’re serious about reducing the amount of sugar in your diet, you may want to consider artificial sweeteners. Many of these are on the market and although some have been controversial people continue using them with little negative results. One concern, however, voiced by some is that the sweetness from them can actually stimulate your appetite and end up making you eat more food which overshadows the purpose of using the artificial sweeteners in the first place.

• People who eat at least eight servings of fruits and vegetables a day had a 30% less chance of having a heart attack or a stroke.They also help control blood pressure and digestive problems.
• Fruits and vegetables don’t just stop health problems; they can also be useful in ensuring you receive all of the vitamins and nutrients your body needs to work properly and efficiently.


All of us have been told at least once in our lives that we need to be eating more fruits and vegetables. That’s probably never been as true as today when so many of us consider a meal to be whatever we can get through a drive-through on the way home from work. Let’s look at some of the health benefits of fruits and vegetables so you can see why adding a few more servings could be a great idea for your lifestyle.

Good Health & Produce

Plenty of research has been done to show a connection between how much you consume from the produce department and many aspects of health. For example, a study involving 110,000 people who were followed for fourteen years found that those involved who ate at least eight servings of fruits and vegetables a day had a 30% less chance of having a heart attack or a stroke. Other studies in Europe have found similar findings as well.

Diets rich in vegetables and fruits have also been shown to help control blood pressure and digestive problems, such as diverticulitis. Some of the compounds found in vegetables and fruits may also help prevent certain types of cancer. Lycopene (which is found in tomatoes), for example, may help reduce a man’s risk of developing prostate cancer.

Although commonly joked about, one of the health benefits of carrots is that the Vitamin A they contain can actually improve vision. However, it mostly affects nigh vision. There are other compounds in produce that help with vision as well. Spinach, kale, corn, grapes, and kiwi can help stop free radicals from damaging the sensitive tissue around our eyes thanks to the lutein and zeaxanthin pigments they contain. These pigments can help prevent the formation of cataracts while research shows eating lots of produce can also reduce the risk of macular degeneration.

Other Benefits

Fruits and vegetables don’t just stop health problems; they can also be useful in ensuring you receive all of the vitamins and nutrients your body needs to work properly and efficiently. Just look at the health benefits of apples. Besides being rich in vitamins and nutrients, they are high in fiber which means they can keep your bowels functioning correctly. Apples are also ideal foods for dieting because they are fat free, sodium free, and cholesterol free. Plus, all of that fiber will help you feel full so you won’t be hungry again.

Like apples, there are many benefits of bananas, too. They are also free of cholesterol, sodium, and fat and are great sources of fiber. However, they are also excellent ways to increase your levels of Vitamin C and potassium. Keep in mind that potassium deficiency can have severe health consequences so eating enough bananas can be a smart choice.

Of course, fruits are the only good for you produce. Vegetables provide their own benefits, too. Broccoli, for example, packs a punch in the good health department, too. It’s low in fat, especially when you don’t drown the taste in rich cheese or butter sauces, plus it contains high levels of Vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.

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• The good news is that there are plenty of ways to help our children eat healthier foods.
• Keep the portions small and use low-fat or soy-substitute cheeses to reduce the fat content.


Children are frequently drawn to foods that aren’t the healthiest for them. Take macaroni and cheese for example. Most parents make the packaged variety. One-fourth cup of this cheesy pasta dish contains almost 300 calories, six grams of fat (mostly saturated fat), and 25 percent of the daily recommended sodium amount. The serving is also high in carbohydrates. Is this really a good food choice to be serving children? The good news is that there are plenty of ways to help our children eat healthier foods.

Healthier Foods for Your Kids

If you’re worried that your son or daughter isn’t going to take kindly to healthy snacks, keep in mind that many of the tastiest treats don’t have to seem healthy. Smoothies are a good example. You can combine bananas, milk, and yogurt with some frozen fruit in a blender, pour it into a glass and your child will be just as happy as if you had offered him or her milkshake.

Children are also big fans of pizza, but unfortunately, pizza is often high in fat. Portion control is also difficult with pizza. A better alternative to pizza is to take an English muffin, spread some tomato sauce on it, sprinkle on some low-fat mozzarella cheese, throw on some veggies and add a pepperoni or two. Heat it up in the toaster-oven or microwave and you have a healthy, pizza-like snack. Consider making your own tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes and herbs to avoid preservatives.

Vegetables are sometimes a tough sell on kids. When your toddlers need snacks or when your kids come home from school, have a relish tray ready in the refrigerator. Children are keen on celery sticks, carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, olives, cauliflower, and broccoli. Serve vegetables with low-fat ranch dressing, peanut butter, or other types of healthy spreads. If vegetables are still not popular, try mixing them with other foods your children enjoy. For example, add broccoli to a baked potato or top turkey sandwiches with cucumber slices and romaine lettuce.

Tips for Feeding Your Children

Of course knowing a few healthy alternatives to certain snacks won’t be enough if you want to provide your child with solid, healthy eating habits. You also need to focus on portion control. While you can control how much food is on your child’s plate at meals, you can also work on packaging chips and cookies into individual serving size packages.

Another idea is to start encouraging your child to read food labels. As soon as they begin reading, you can start helping them learn how to identify good foods and ones they should avoid.

Don’t cut out macaroni and cheese from your child’s diet forever. Homemade macaroni and cheese is a better option. Keep the portions small and use low-fat or soy-substitute cheeses to reduce the fat content. Consider throwing in some vegetables, too; broccoli, tomatoes, or green peppers would all be good ideas.

And don’t forget that the best way to teach your child that there is more to life than eating macaroni and cheese is by demonstrating through example.

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• The American Dietetic Association recommends that you eat between 20 and 35 grams of fiber each day.
• Because fiber is rich in essential micronutrients, a diet that is high in fiber will help keep you fit and healthy.


With all the contrasting health information out there, you may be confused about whether fiber is important or not. Some experts say yes, some say no, and others simply do not say because they are not sure.

If fiber is needed, how much should you eat every day to get the maximum health benefits? The American Dietetic Association recommends that you eat between 20 and 35 grams of fiber each day. Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains.

Fiber actually offers many health benefits, such as lowering blood cholesterol levels, helping prevent constipation and slowing down the digestion process so that you feel fuller longer. This feeling is created because foods high in fiber are harder to digest, taking your body longer to break them down. This is how fiber plays an important role in weight loss. Because fiber makes you feel fuller long, you are likely to take in fewer calories each day.

Other benefits of a high-fiber diet include keeping your body mass index (BMI) lower, leaving you with less body fat and more lean muscle; reducing your risk for colon cancer by as much as 40 percent; helping your body regulate glucose and insulin levels in the bloodstream, and aiding in the prevention of type 2 diabetes.

Getting a significant amount of fiber from your diet is important, but if you’re thinking about increasing your fiber intake, make sure to start slow. For example, if you go from eating 10 grams of fiber to 30 grams of fiber a day, you will probably experience constipation and severe abdominal discomfort. Drinking lots of liquids, particularly water, can aid in alleviating these problems by helping move the fiber along in the digestive tract.

There are many ways that you can add fiber to your diet. Simply eating more fruits and vegetables each day would increase your fiber intake significantly. Try snacking on an apple instead of potato chips. Apples contain a fiber called pectin that can prevent your arteries from clogging up.

There are two types of fiber, each with its own benefits for you and your body: soluble and insoluble fiber.

Soluble fiber can be dissolved in water, making it easier to break down than insoluble fiber. It is found in strawberries, oatmeal, pears, and apples. Soluble fiber is beneficial by helping keep blood sugar levels lower after you eat and preventing your body from absorbing cholesterol in the intestines.

Insoluble fiber is found in lettuce, whole grains, tomatoes, and carrots. This type of fiber does not dissolve in water. It has been found to help reduce your risk for colon cancer, hemorrhoids and varicose veins. Insoluble fiber can also help you maintain regular bowel movements and ward off obesity by making you feel fuller longer.

In order to get the full benefits of fiber, it’s important to include both insoluble and soluble fiber in your regular diet. Many foods contain both types. Because fiber is rich in essential micronutrients, a diet that is high in fiber will help keep you fit and healthy.

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• Foods which are nutrient dense are the healthiest foods for you. These foods are also considered foods that can help you lose weight and keep it off.
• Good examples of these foods include certain beneficial oils and fats like flax seed oil and olive oil, spices and herbs which are full of natural compounds, and seeds like sunflower and pumpkin.
• Eating a wide variety of nutrient dense foods will ensure that your body gets all the nutrients needed, with very little fat and far fewer calories.

Foods which are nutrient dense are the healthiest foods for you. These foods are also considered foods that can help you lose weight and keep it off. Anyone who has tried traditional diets knows that when you drastically change your diet, you can end up spending most of the time hungry, even daydreaming and thinking about food because you feel deprived. In addition, skipping meals and cutting down on the amount of food you eat can result in having side effects such as tiredness or a lack of energy, poor concentration and memory, and irritability. Instead of denying yourself much needed nutrition in order to save a few calories, you only end up sending your body into starvation mode so that your body conserves calories and becomes much more efficient at holding onto fat cells stubbornly. To make effective changes, instead of “diet foods”, eat an abundance of nutrient dense foods. You can eat until you are completely full, and still lose weight, because these foods pack a terrific nutrient punch yet have very few calories.

Nutrient dense foods can be foods that you would not think of eating everyday. Good examples of these foods include certain beneficial oils and fats like flax seed oil and olive oil, spices and herbs which are full of natural compounds, and seeds like sunflower and pumpkin. Many more of these healthy foods include whole grains like oatmeal, barley, wheat, and bulghar, nuts, beans, peas, fruits and vegetables. Eating a wide variety of nutrient dense foods will ensure that your body gets all the nutrients needed, with very little fat and far fewer calories. One great side effect can be unexpected weight loss as well as a healthier mind and body. When your body has everything needed to work at optimum efficiency, every system can increase in performance and function, including your metabolism.

Many diseases and medical conditions are caused by a deficiency of certain needed nutrients in your diet. One broad class of these nutrients are antioxidants that help fight free radicals in your system. Antioxidants can help you prevent the onslaught of many modern diseases and cell damage. Fruits and vegetables are nutrient dense and full of natural occurring antioxidants. Berries, such as blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries pack a big nutrient wallop, and are some of the most dense foods when it comes to keeping you healthy.



If you are trying to lose weight, whether you need to lose five pounds or fifty pounds, the first step is to change your eating habits. Examine the foods you are eating, and determine which are empty calories containing few or no nutrients and then change these foods to ones which fulfill the same need but are nutrient rich. If you want something sweet try some dried fruit like figs, raisins or prunes, and this will satisfy your sweet tooth while providing many nutrients, enzymes and fiber. If you are craving a salty snack, try a handful or two of heart healthy and nutrient rich nuts such as walnut, almonds, and brazil nuts. Do this instead of consuming potato chips or corn chips. This does not mean that you can never indulge again or savor the taste of things like chocolate cake or lemon meringue pie, but at least ninety five percent of your daily calories should come from foods that are very high in nutrients and very low in calories. If possible, make your favorite treat from scratch, and try to make it as nutritional as possible. That way when you do indulge, you do not have to feel so guilty, and your treat offers more nutrients than the previous versions.

When you eat mainly nutrient dense foods, your body and your metabolism can work that much better, striking a better balance between energy needed and calories burned. You can eat these healthy foods all day long and it is still possible to lose weight. This is the opposite of the traditional diets, which advises to cut back on the amount of food you eat. You do not have to give up food, simply replace bad choices with good healthy options that offer a wide variety and large amounts of nutrients that your body needs.

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