It is a common concept to look for the food contents when you buy a certain product. Many people look at the calories chart on the product package, some look at the sugar and salt level in that specific food. The thing most people ignore is the amount of fiber in a given food product.Food and calories chart. This is because people do not understand the impotence of fiber in any given food. The presence of fiber in a certain food cancels the effect of carbohydrates which cause in the weight gain. The people who follow the low-carbohydrate diet can have a great benefit with the presence of fiber in a certain food.

Fiber Content of Foods: From Medical Point of View

Fibrous foods ensures in the smooth functionality of the digestive system. Fibrous food flows through the digestive-tract easily and makes the excretion process easy. Hence people who have infections in their digestive-tract and who suffer from other related diseases should also use the fibrous foods. Fibrous food also has the ability to reduce ones weight; this is possible due to the natural ability of the fiber which compels a person to eat less so that the extra calories in the human body can burn without taking extra food. Fibrous food is also believed to be effective for the patients of diabetes. Fibrous food also keep your body active and fresh; this is because of the fact that the fibrous food is not heavy in nature and hence does not exert any pressure on the stomach which results in the smooth functionality of the whole body. Hence it is always a good idea to add the fibrous food in your diet.

Looking for the Different Fiber Contents in Foods:

It is never easy to find the eatables in which fiber is to be found. This is because fiber is found mainly in the fresh fruits, raw vegetables, nuts and grains. The contents and nutritional values are only printed on the processed food hence it is difficult for one to find the fibrous food with the nutritional values easily. But a little research can help and you can know of all the food materials which are rich in fiber and contain nutritional values both.

Now that you have found the different fibrous contents of foods you can create your whole diet-plan. Fibrous foods are found so abundant that you won’t be bored with them; you could always mix different recipes to create a new one. Fibrous foods are also available n the market in the form of snacks and shakes.

So, what is new about this that you already dont know? Think again. It is not what-you-are-aware that is important, but are-you -alert, that is. Keep your eyes and mind open to avoid upsets to your normal health. Well, take out your diet chart and critically examine it again. Are you eating the right food? And are you eating healthy?

At the onset, we will accept that eating healthy doesnt just end at eating good food. The daily nutrients and calorie charts vary for each individual depending on her requirements. An athlete and a sedentary person have different requirements for their nutrients and calories as they burn up different amounts of them. It also depends on your age and body mass index.

The USDA has compiled required calories chart for Americans for 2005 which is here for you.

If you are consuming less than 1800 calories and you are a teen, you should think of raising it to at least 2000 counts a day. Now, where will you get these many calories from and how do you calculate the calorific values of the food you take? And what other nutrients you need?

I wont go into boring details about a fantasy called food. In brief, the USDA has also drawn up a chart to suggest us all what to eat to get these many calories. And they call it the food guide pyramid. It is just that you have to do a bit of a calculation in order to balance your diet.

Up to 5 servings of vegetables

Up to four servings of fruits

Three servings of milk products

Up to 11 of pasta, cereals, and bread

Two to three servings of meat (both red and white), eggs, nuts and beans put together.

Very sparingly fats and sweets.

So, how much should you treat a serving to be? Let us see what USDA has to say on this. One serving of grains is a slice of bread, one ounce of cereal, cups of cooked rice and vegetables each, one cup each of juice and milk and 2 -3 ounces of lean meat, one and a half cups of boiled beans (Omi so much!!)

Additives or preservatives are regulated stringently by FDA for our benefits. The manufacturers establish to FDA, the proven benefits and whatsoever adverse effects of the new additives conclusively before approval. The major criteria for approval are that additives should not cause cancer or heart diseases.

The controversies on additives need not worry you if you took some extra caution. This isnt something none of the Americans do. A good way is to learn more about additives and resorting to more of the fresh or minimum processed foods. Also, keeping track of additives help minimize exposure to particular additives.

It makes sense to be a little careful while buying vegetables or fruits. It is better to buy fresh in season. Look for bruises and scratches or cuts on the vegetable skin. These cuts and bruises hold microbes that spoil the food very quickly. Buy when you want to instead of stuffing your refrigerator. Most fruits and vegetables have a shelf life of 4 -5 days.

Now where on earth this food poisoning came from? Or is it that some body intentionally ? Well. Vegetables and fruits have high health protection values. Still they get contaminated unintentionally because of their handling at the farm or at the market and during transportation. The bacteria and virus come from the environment and soil. And then there are pesticide residues. You never know when you dont get your health upset, because of any of these. Handle this issue carefully. You dont need to use specialty cleaning agents for washing your food. For vegetables and fruits use 10% soap solution to soak before washing in running cold water. You know, washing in running water effectively removes up to 90% of bacteria. So, washing twice removes maximum contaminants and bacteria. Food and calories chart Also you can use a mild scrub/brush with soap solution to clean. Take care not to damage the skin of your food. Some experts also recommend potassium permanganate to soap solution. But it leaves its characteristic odor.