Nutrition Tip December 2008

What do guava, oatmeal and brussel spouts have in common?

They can all increase your lung capacity. Huh? Seriously. Each are high in fiber and studies have shown that people who ate at least 27 grams of fiber per day had better lung capacity than people who got less than 10 grams. The studies say that fiber may protect lungs by reducing tissue-damaging inflammation. The antioxidants in fiber probably help protect lung cells, too… deep breathe … ahhhh!

Ok, so brussel sprouts are not necessarily on everyone’s favorite food list, but there are a lot of foods rich in fiber that are. Who doesn’t like oatmeal on a cold morning?! Here is a link to a site that I found to be useful: http://dietaryfiberguide.com/

There is a bunch of other good things that fiber can do for you in addition to expanding your breathing capacity. It can help lower cholesterol, help keep your body trim and assist in maintaining a healthy digestive system.

So when you trim you holiday tree with popcorn and cranberries, save some and make a snack!