The Full Plate Diet PDF eBook Free Download Slim Down - Look Great - Be Healthy eBook PDF | Page 21

6. D  igestive Complaints? Fiber Calms the Storm If you’re battling chronic constipation, you need plenty of high-fiber foods. “Fiber is a stool regulator, a stool normalizer,” says Paul McNeely, MD, a gastroenterologist at the Ochsner Health System in New Orleans. Fiber also works as a diarrhea treatment. “Fiber can’t work miracles,” McNeely says, “but if you have a loose stool, a lot of excess liquid in the stool, the fiber in your colon will absorb and firm up the stool, which definitely helps diarrhea.” The best foods are unprocessed whole plant foods 7. Heartburn? Throw Away the Tums TM Heartburn can be caused by the foods you eat. Fatty foods increase heartburn; dietary fiber reduces it. The Full Plate Diet™ lets you win both ways. Heartburn is your body’s way of telling you it needs more soluble fiber. Listen to your gut. Abdominal cavity pressure goes up as you gain weight, pushing stomach acid up into the lower esophagus where it doesn’t belong. This creates a 18 feeling commonly known as heartburn or acid reflux. Lose weight and your symptoms will probably disappear. 8. Colon Problems? Fiber Fights ’Em Inflammatory bowel disease involving either the small or large intestine can result in pain, blood in the stool, diarrhea, and possible malabsorption of nutrients. Foods naturally high in fiber have high amounts of inflammation-reducing omega-3 fatty acids that stabilize inflammatory bowel disease, and low amounts of compounds that increase inflammation. 9. Joint Pain? Feel Free to Flex Osteoarthritis is caused by inflammation and erosion of cartilage in the joints, especially the knees, back, hip, and hands. This destruction of cartilage is related to the production of cytokines by fat and also wear and tear on the joints. Weight loss can help in two ways: It (1) reduces mechanical stress and (2) lowers the levels of cytokines. The result? A reduction in pain and disability and an increase in performance. Even small amounts of weight loss can yield pleasant results. 10. F  atigued? Tap Your Inner Child’s Energy Sugar and caffeine will give you a short jolt of energy followed by a crash. Not only does this crash feel bad, it’s hard on the body. The best foods for long-lasting