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| If you'd like to explore European aperitifs, they are easy to find, especially in liquor stores that carry a large inventory. One Italian product that resembles Maria Treben's is Magnoberta Fernet, which contains aloe, quinine, gentian, rhubarb, zedoary, myrrh, chamomile, licorice, cardamon, galangal, centaury, imperatoria, angelica, calumba, saffron, and peppermint oil. |
| The Fiber Factor |
| Dietary fiber, what remains of indigestible plant cell walls after food moves through the small intestine, is important because it makes stools soft and bulky, speeding their transit time through the large intestine. This dilutes the effects of any toxic or carcinogenic compounds in the intestine, causing them to be excreted quickly, and it helps remove or inhibit toxic bacteria in the colon. Good colon health depends on fiber. The lack of it has been linked to constipation, diverticulitis, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, heart disease, colon cancer and obesity. |
| Soluble fibers dissolve in water; insoluble or crude fibers do not. Both are necessary for optimum digestion. In fact, there are five types of fibercellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, gums and ligninall of which enhance digestion and elimination. Soluble fibers such as oat bran absorb cholesterol and toxins, while insoluble fibers add bulk, speeding the transit of fecal matter through the colon. Low-fiber diets are the leading cause of diverticulitis, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, colon cancer and hemorrhoids. |
| Sources of soluble fiber include whole fresh and dried fruit, dried peas, lentils, beans, barley, oats, guar gum, pectin, oat gum and psyllium husks. Psyllium is the active ingredient in Metamucil, the popular fiber laxative. Wheat bran is an insoluble fiber, and so is the roughage found in many vegetables and other whole grains. When you increase the fiber content of your diet, do it gradually and increase your consumption of water at the same time. If you don't, or if you overwhelm a weak digestive system with too much fiber, the |
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