By Sherilyn Thompson

Fiber is defined as indigestible plant parts, and provides important health benefits for us. Nonetheless, it isn’t a glamorous supplement. But if you’re suffering from digestive health problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome, chronic inflammatory bowel disease, constipation, diarrhea, or any other digestive difficulties, it could go a long way toward solving your problems.

Here are 10 Important Reasons Why…

1. Fiber cleans your digestive system just as a broom cleans the floor.
2. It causes less pressure in your bowels making it easier for them to move.
3. It keeps your bowel movements regular.
4. Fiber regulates the way your bowels work avoiding both constipation and diarrhea.
5. It also provides food for healthy bacteria living in your intestinal system. They can digest the fiber we can’t.
6. It ties up poisons and takes them out of the body.
7. It lowers appetite by filling you up faster.
8. It keeps your body from storing the fat you eat.
9. Fiber also helps you lose weight.
10. Enough fiber will avoid hemorrhoids and diverticulitis.

All fiber is categorized as either soluble or insoluble. Soluble fiber will dissolve in water, but insoluble won’t. Each type performs useful functions in the digestive system, so it is important to get a blend of both types if possible.

Fiber is a part of any fruit and vegetable we eat, but the average American gets only 10 to 15 grams a day. For the best health, we should get at least 25 to 30 grams a day, and some doctors believe we should get as much as 50 grams a day.

There are many types available. You can go to Walmart, or the nearest drug store and find a fiber supplement. But if you’re sick of swallowing pills or mixing fiber in water, as you do with most types you get locally, try adding it to your food. I know of two fiber supplements that will work this way. One is ground flax seed, and the other is ground Salba.

Flax seed works well, but the taste is a little strong, and the texture a little gritty. I find Salba the more versatile of the two, but either will work. They can be added to baked goods, smoothies, or salads, and you may not even realize you are getting your fiber. Believe me, your digestive system will thank you!

Click here to learn more about Ultra Fiber Plus!

By Kurt Nimmo

As much as we work hard in the gym to burn fat and stay in control over our diets, we will lose fat, but I am always looking for ways to ease the process, aren’t you? That’s why I find the scientific studies on medium chain triglycerides and weight loss to be so intriguing. Continued…

By Lorraine Maita

Want to turn that spare tire into a six -pack? While I am a proponent of the tried and true, natural approach to a slow and steady weight loss using a healthy diet, portion control and exercise, sometimes using that approach can take a long time and some people end up getting discouraged. Stubborn fat around the midline is one of the most common complaints I get in my anti aging medicine practice. People have a harder time losing the weight when they get older despite diet and exercise. Others come to me demoralized that after months of deprivation, they could only lose a few pounds and they just give up.

The book the “The Weight Loss Cure” popularized and resurrected the HCG diet. HCG stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin. HCG is a hormone used for male and female infertility. This made me very skeptical, however when colleagues of mine encouraged me to look into it, I did. While I would never call it a cure or make some of the claims in the book, when used properly in qualified candidates, it is safe and effective.

Dr. Oz did a show on HCG as well. He had some of the same concerns as I do. A diet such as this one that is only 500 calories a day should only be done under medical supervision. A very low calorie diet with or without HCG can be complicated and it is important to have someone to guide you and address issues as they come up. Secondly, buying homeopathic drops on the Internet can especially be troublesome, as you don’t know what you are getting. It is recommended that you talk to a doctor before considering this type of diet. Only a doctor can prescribe the actual hormone made by a pharmaceutical company under strict FDA standards or compounded by reputable, highly skilled compounding pharmacists. This assures potency, purity and quality.

The controversy of whether or not it would work with or without the hormone may persist until we have better studies. Those that I read that were negative did not necessarily follow the protocol. Until that happens, I carefully monitor my patients and watch their waist waste away and put smiles on their faces. So, if you want to try the HCG diet, go to a qualified physician who can determine if it is safe for you and where you can be monitored and obtain pure, potent HCG. Waist away!

Click here to learn more about the HCG Diet Weight Loss program!