Fibre: When variety is key
There are two types of fibre – soluble and insoluble fibre - and your body needs both of them for optimal health, digestion and elimination. Soluble fibre is fantastic for lowering LDL cholesterol, and stabilizing blood sugars and insulin. It keeps the bowels moving and can help prevent constipation. Good sources include fruits (especially apples, pears and oranges), vegetables (broccoli, sweet potatoes, cabbage, potatoes and carrots), oat bran, barley, seed husks, flaxseed, psyllium, dried beans, lentils, peas, soy milk and other soy products.
Insoluble fibre helps to bulk up our stools, keep the bowels moving and speeds up transit time of food through the digestive tract. It’s an essential part of a detox program because fibre binds to excess estrogen in the digestive tract, which is then excreted by the body. Insoluble fibre can also affect the composition of intestinal bacteria. Good sources include wheat bran, corn bran, rice bran, the skins of fruits and vegetables (apples, pears, berries, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini and carrots), nuts (especially almonds), seeds (particularly sunflower seeds), soybeans, dried beans and whole-grain foods. You would be surprised how hard it is to reach your daily intake goal without a fibre supplement.
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