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Dietetics
Fiberous Food
Fiber is the indigestible part of vegetables, fruits and grains. This provides bulk to the food and thus plays a vital role in facilitating proper bowel function. Studies have shown that fiber-rich diet helps in diabetes, in that it stabilizes blood sugar levels, lowers blood cholesterol levels and is associated with lower incidence of colon cancer, diverticulosis , constipation, hiatus hernia and hemorrhoids. Almost all the fiber comes from natural, unrefined, unprocessed food such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and wholegrain products. It is lost when food is processed and refined as in polished rice, white bread and Maida which are low in fiber content. Dairy products, eggs and meat have no dietary fiber, no matter ho tough and fibrous the may look.
Fiberous Food Sources
Fruits: Apple, Banana, Berry, orange, fig, pear, dates, apricot, melon, mango, grape, papaya, guava, jamun, raisin, etc.
Vegetables: Peas, potato, sweet potato, beet-root, all green leafy vegetables, beans, carrot, cabbage, snake gourd etc.
Legumes: Dried whole pulses like rajma, whole moong, soybeans and all sprouts.
Grains: Whole wheat, corn, unpolished rice and bran.
Fiber Food for Good Health
The following can be safely consumed:
Fruits: Apple, Apricot, Banana, Cherry, Dates, Fig, Grape, Guava, Jamun, Lemon, Loquat, Mango, Papaya, Peach, Pear, Pineapple, Plum, Pomegranate, Litchis, Chikku, Watermelon and Gooseberry.
Vegetables: Carrot, Amaranth, Celery, Lettuce, Fenugreek, Snake gourd, Beet Root, Cabbage, Coriander, Mint, Spinach, Bitter gourd, Tender Peas, Lady’s Finger, Tomato, Mushroom and Cucumber.
Pulses: Gram, Moong, Horse Gram, Lentil, Soybean.
Dry Fruits: Fig Raisin, Apricot, Dates.
Others: Honey, Saga, Molasses, Tender Coconut.
The selection of good food is as important as the combination with which it is taken. Sometimes, it can cause an adverse effect also. For example:
(a) Proteins and starch
(b) Starch and acid foods
In fact, tomatoes and citrus fruits are not acid forming food. But sugar, fats and proteins are.
Sugar and Salt
Sugar, particularly white sugar, is a sweet poison. Sugar is one thing which we can safely exclude from our diet. At this a bitter question arises, “how much sugar do we need?” Many types of food contain sugar and it is impossible to avoid it completely. Nature has provided sugar and salt along with vitamins.....