HEALTH TIPS:HIGH FIBRE FOODS AND BENEFIT OF DRUMSTICKS

High fibre foods
Fibre is found in plant foods like vegetables, fruit, wholegrain foods, legumes, nuts and seeds. Here’s why these foods are good for you and an essential part of your diet.

Eating a diet high in fibre and wholegrain foods is linked to a lower risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and may also reduce the risk of bowel cancer.

Eating high fibre foods is good for the digestive system and can also help prevent constipation — this in turn can help to prevent haemorrhoids.

Because high fibre foods are filling they may also make it easier to stay at a healthy weight.

Foods high in fibre are generally good sources of vitamins and minerals, as well as other important nutrients.

EAT MIX OF DIFFERENT FOODS

There are two types of fibre — soluble fibre, insoluble fibre — and they are found in different foods. Resistant starch, while not thought of as a type of fibre, acts in a similar way to fibre. Because they have different health benefits, it’s important to include all 3 in your diet. Soluble fibre Soluble fibre is a type of fibre that dissolves in water. It’s found in oats, legumes (split peas, dried beans such as red kidney beans, baked beans and lentils), fruit, vegetables and seeds. Foods high in this type of fibre can help you feel full. They also help reduce constipation by speeding up the time it takes for faeces to pass through the body. Some soluble fibre in fruit, oats, barley and psyllium can reduce the amount of cholesterol absorbed from the small intestine. This can help to lower blood cholesterol levels, although it is more important to eat a diet low in saturated fat. Soluble fibre can also help stabilise blood glucose levels in people with diabetes. Insoluble fibre Insoluble fibre is a type of fibre that doesn’t dissolve in water. It’s found in high fibre breads and cereals, the outer skins of fruit and vegetables, and in nuts and seeds. Because insoluble fibre absorbs water, it helps to soften the contents of the bowel, contributing to keep the bowels regular. Resistant starch Resistant starch is starch that is not easily absorbed. Different ways of cooking can create different amounts of resistant starch. For example, resistant starch is found in slightly undercooked (‘al dente’) pasta, cooked but cooled potatoes (including potato salad), under-ripe bananas, beans, lentils and a product called Hi-maize used in some breads and breakfast cereals. Freekeh, a Middle Eastern grain available in some supermarkets, is another good source. In general, foods that are less highly processed contain more resistant starch. An important benefit of resistant starch is that it ferments, which produces substances that help to keep the lining of the bowel healthy.

BENEFITS OF DRUMSTICK
One vegetable that deserves our attention is drumstick or Moringa that derives its name from a Tamil word, murungai, meaning twisted pod. While Moringa has been proclaimed as one the more recent superfoods, the fact is that this vegetable has been used in Indian cooking, especially in South Indian dishes for centuries. Be it something as simple as a sambhar or avial or just about any meat curry, pieces of drumsticks are often used. It may not be used in many North Indian dishes, but Moringa is steadily making its way to other regions too . Apart from South Indian dishes, you can add these to soups, salads, pickles and different sauces for an added crunch. Cultivated in many parts across India, drumstick is widely known to be therapeutic with a very high nutrition content.

While drumstick may be responsible for adding a variety to your recipe book, it also offers a plethora of health benefits.

1. Regulates blood sugar levels
2. Helps improve digestive health
   3.Great for developing stronger bones
   4.Helps purifying blood
   5.Relieves respiratory disorders
   6.Boosts immunity
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