Vilma Brunhuber, Holistic Integrative Nutrition and Health Coach
Health news. You probably heard saying “An apple a day will keep the doctor away”. Why? One of the simple reasons is that apples have good fiber. A single regular-size apple contains about 4.4 grams of fat-soluble fiber called pectin.
Balancing your hormones is a whole-body process. Although specific hormone conditions require their own treatments, there are some simple whole-body strategies that will help your body to naturally return to a balanced state.
Fiber sounds too simple to help with a complex issue like hormones, but it is actually one of the best tools you can use. All of your hormones, just like any other compound floating around in your blood, have to be detoxified by your liver when your body is finished with them. The answer is simple – FIBER. Fiber you eat can help bind to these waste hormones and prevent them from being reabsorbed. Dietary fiber enhances blood sugar control. This action of fiber helps to reduce your appetite, reduce your risk of diabetes, and improve ovulation which reduces PMS symptoms especially for those with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). By improving ovulation fiber helps to balance estrogen and progesterone, a key factor in reducing peri-menopause symptoms.
What is fiber?
Fiber has almost no calories because it passes through the body virtually undigested, but it packs a powerhouse of health benefits. Insoluble fiber can reduce the incidence and severity of constipation by softening the stool and increasing the speed at which waste products move through the digestive tract. This can help prevent hemorrhoids and diverticulosis (a condition in which pockets form in the walls of colon). Soluble fiber forms a gel in the intestine, trapping cholesterol and removing it in the stool. Both types of fiber can add bulk to the diet, making dieters feel fuller and helping them lose weight.
How much fiber do you need?
The average adult only eats 7-15 grams of dietary fiber per day. Women need 25 grams per day and men should get 38 grams per day, according to an Institute of Medicine formula based on getting 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories.
Photo courtesy forladiesbyladies.com
How do you do it?
You’ll be well on your way to getting your daily fiber boost if you add vegetables to casseroles and soups and beans to salads and wraps and choose fruits and nuts as snacks. To avoid gas and abdominal distress, increase your fiber intake gradually and drink plenty of fluids.
So boosting your daily intake of fiber to 25 to 30 g can be a great start on the road to hormone balance, weight loss and general wellbeing.
“Challenge yourself with something you know you could never do, and what you’ll find that you can overcome anything”, ~ Anonymous
I would love to hear about your experiences.
You can find suggestions on my website www.vilmaswellness.com ,
Facebook http://www.facebook.com.vilmaswellness,
by joining thyroid group [email protected], or
join Womans Health meet up group http://www.meetup.com/Womans-Health-London/
or you are welcome to contact me personally via [email protected]
To your health,
~ Vilma B
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