The natural fibers found in foods are one of the most overlooked parts of our nutrient picture. Udo's Choice Wholesome Fast Food Blend supplies a rich mix of fibers, proteins and essential fats.

Fiber is nature's "janitor", not only aiding in regularity and cleansing the G-I tract, but also supporting vital secondary functions such as exporting cholesterol and stimulating enzyme production.

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What is fiber?

In terms of food, fiber is indigestible material that comes from plants. Nature made specialized plant cell walls out of fiber precisely to give rigidity and shape to trees, shrubs, grasses, and herbs. When animals eat plants, our health benefits by the nutrients they provide, as well as the positive effects fiber has within the digestive tract.

The fiber composition of plants varies based on plant species but, generally, all plants contain all kinds of fiber.

The 2 main categories are:

• Water-insoluble, including cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin; and
• Water-soluble, including pectin, gums, and mucilage. Water-soluble fiber is considered the most health-benefiting type of fiber, especially mucilage fiber.

Which foods give us fiber?

Only foods from plant sources will supply us with fiber necessary for health because animal products lack fiber.

Fiber-rich foods include:

• unprocessed seeds like flax, psyllium, sesame, sunflower and chia, and nuts (but not the oils from them);
• wheat, oat, barley, and rice bran and other whole grains such as brown rice (but not the white rice or white flour made from them);
• certain vegetables such as beets, asparagus, broccoli, artichokes, carrots, brussels sprouts, parsnips, spinach, and yams (excluding one-celled greens);
• mucilaginous herbs like slippery elm;
• several kinds of seaweed such as kelp or dulse;
• legumes such as kidney, lima, pinto, navy and soy beans, chickpeas, lentils, and peas.
• pectin of some fruits such as apples, pears, prunes and raspberries; and
• supplements of concentrated fiber.

Diets deprived of fiber can be corrected by incorporating more of the fiber-rich foods (such as the ones listed above) into your diet, or by adding fiber supplements to fiber-poor foods. We use a specially prepared blend of fiber and nutrients called Udo's Choice Wholesome Fast Food Blend.

Why do we need fiber?

By the age of 40, at 3 meals per day, one person would have eaten almost 44,000 meals. With numbers like this, efficient passing of food through our system becomes a valuable asset to our health. Insoluble fiber:

• Delays gastric emptying time and the absorption of nutrients from the small intestine;
• Sweeps our digestive tract;
  
• Bulks stools;
  
• Accelerates colonic transit time;
  
• Alleviates constipation; and
  
• Promotes colon health.

In addition to the same benefits as are provided by insoluble fiber, soluble fiber (especially the mucilage type of soluble fiber) also:

• Escorts cholesterol and triglycerides out of the body and inhibits their production in the liver;
  
• Assists with the elimination of toxins, and heavy metals in the body;
  
• Stimulates pancreatic enzyme release and activity;
  
• Stabilizes blood glucose by slowing down glucose absorption;
  
• Aids in weight loss by providing a feeling of fullness and reducing calorie absorption;
  
• Improves bowel regularity by absorbing water;
  
• Significantly increases colonic transit time;
  
• Eases irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in some cases;
  
• Soothes our intestines; and
  
• Reduces risk of colon cancer.

How do we use fiber?

The most important point to make is simply that fiber needs to be present in optimum quantities in our food supply. Research suggests that 35-50 grams (1-2 ounces) per day brings optimum bowel health for adults, but the average American only gets about 12 grams per day.

Udo's Choice Wholesome Fast Food Blend is best added to vegetable juices, oatmeal, porridge, yogurt, apple sauce, or soups and can be sprinkled onto virtually any food. Add greens, digestive enzymes, essential fats, protein powder, yogurt and lots of water to the Fast Food Blend, and turn it into a blended shake. It is delicious, nutritious, and will fill you up for hours. Water-soluble fiber will thicken liquids, so adding extra water to recipes is advised.

During times of hunger, or low blood sugar (and the mood swings, tiredness, double vision, and/or shakiness that go with low blood sugar), simply put 2 Tbsp. of Udo's Choice Wholesome Fast Food Blend in an 8oz. glass of water and drink. The low blood sugar blues disappear quickly.

Because the Wholesome Fast Food Blend is made from whole foods, it is still perishable. Once the bottle has been opened, it must be placed back in the fridge and used within 3 months for supreme freshness.

Fiber is used for easing both constipation and chronic diarrhea. However, in some cases, fiber could aggravate diarrhea, so it is recommended to reduce your dietary fiber intake or refrain from ingesting more fiber until symptoms have disappeared. Visit your naturopathic physician before making any dietary changes.

What makes Udo's Choice™ Wholesome Fast Food Blend unique?

Udo's Choice™ Wholesome Fast Food Blend provides more than just fiber. It is a blend of 50 different ingredients including whole food concentrates, vegetables, and phytonutrient-rich herbs. The constituents of this unique formula are of the finest quality, all natural, and primarily organic. Hints of cinnamon and almond add to the flavor. Its ingredients include:

• Over 35% fiber;
• Approximately 20% proteins;
  
• Approximately 15% essential fats;
  
• Very little carbohydrate;
  
• Small amounts of greens and herbs;