Nutritionists and health care practitioners often recommend a high fiber diet to their clients. Touted for its benefits to the cardiovascular system, experts suggest fiber will help us do everything from maintaining healthy cholesterol levels, to supporting a healthy blood sugar balance. As a digestive care educator, I typically discuss the benefits that fiber provides to our intestinal tract. In particular, that fiber can help promote regularity and assist with the normal detoxification process that takes place in our colon. Fiber is the indigestible parts of plants. There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble. Both types of fiber are needed in a healthy diet, because each type of fiber provides a different benefit to the healthy body. Let me offer a simple illustration: imagine your typical kitchen sponge. It has two sides, each of which serves a purpose to properly clean your sink of dishes. The soft absorbent side of the sponge can represent soluble fiber. The scrubby side of the sponge represents insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber is found in foods such as fruit pectin. It dissolves in water, forming a gel, and absorbs water soluble materials such as cholesterol and excess toxins. This can assist body¿s natural process of elimination. It also provides food for intestinal flora, promoting a healthy intestinal environment. By absorbing liquids, soluble fiber can help form our stool, alleviating bothersome problems such as occasional diarrhea. The scrubby side of the sponge represents insoluble fiber, which is also known as roughage. This is found in foods such as bran and fibrous fruits and vegetables. This type of fiber provides bulk to the bowel, sweeping clean the intestinal wall, and helping to promote regularity. Balanced correctly, soluble and insoluble fiber work together, like a sponge and a scraper to help maintain the digestive tract. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and grains will give you a ratio of roughly 25% - 35% soluble fiber and 65% - 75% insoluble fiber. www.Fiber35Diet.com