Keeping Your Digestive Tract Healthy
Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
Be adventurous, and eat a variety of fruits and vegetables in any form – canned, fresh, frozen, or dried. Aim for adequate amounts of folate and beta-carotene, which are easily obtained from fruits and vegetables.
Fruit serving sizes
1 cup fresh
1 tennis-ball sized piece
½ cup canned
¼ cup dried
4 oz. 100% juice
Vegetable serving sizes
1 cup raw
½ cup cooked
6 oz. 100% vegetable juice
Choose whole grains more often.
The new labeling of "whole grains" on packages can help you pick these good grains more often. Look for the word "whole" on the package and in the ingredient list (on the nutrition label), making sure that whole grains appear among the first items listed. Then also check the amount of fiber the product contains. Try to choose items with at least 3 grams of dietary fiber per serving for the best benefit.
Limit consumption of beef, pork, lamb, and processed meats.
Choose poultry or fish more frequently, if you eat meat. Smaller portions of meat, consumed less often (a 12-ounce porter house is really three servings, not one) are also beneficial. Most people do not need to consume more than six to eight ounces of meat daily.
Try the following cooking methods more frequently.
Steaming, poaching, stewing, microwaving, braising, and boiling can prevent carcinogen development. If you are grilling, you can remove skin on chicken or fish to reduce exposure. And do not forget – it is important to make sure your meat gets cooked
thoroughly before eating it.
