Review of What's With Fiber: Enjoy Better Health With A High-fiber, Plant-based Diet (Paperback)

First of all, let me be clear- I know Monica Spiller. I am one of the farmers growing one of the heirloom wheat varieties that she has rescued from oblivion. She painstakingly started it up for us by growing 25 seeds suppliedfrom the wheat seed bank; she then increased the seed year after year and made it available for us to grow. Thanks to her work in the rain and in the heat there are now over 6 of us growing Sonora Wheat, a tasty heirloom variety once lost. There are also a whole lot of people eating it and enjoying it's wonderful flavor as well.

So, I applaud her tangible work devoted to whole grains.

I knew over the years that she was working on a book and I was happy to read it once it was published.

I find that this book is a great resource and I refer to it again and again. Being aware already of most of the reasons why fibers in whole foods are important and healthy, the first two parts were not the sections that I focused on. But for someone not familiar with the subject it should be a good read. The third part is where the treasure is to be found, I think. There were so many very good pieces of information that I had not read anywhere before. One that really sticks in my mind is that okra is a source of glucosamine.

I recommend this book as a reference to keep handy. And I thank the author for her tireless work in all the areas of her work.

Product Description
Fiber is not merely the simple roughage it was once thught to be, and it is not an isolated element in nature. Found in plant foods, fiber is a complex substance, and in whole foods, it is always accompanied by a number of nutrients, including antioxidants, essential oils, minerals, proteins, and vitamins. Fiber occurs in many forms and has very few calories. A diverse diet of whole natural foods can provide all the fiber the body needs to help protect it against health problems., say the authors Gene and Monica Spiller, who go on to warn that a lack of fiber in the diet can lead to degenerative diseses. The current obeisity epidemic in the Western world, for example, is directly related to the lack of plant-based, fiber-filled whole foods that have been larely displaced in today's diets by processed foods, denatured grains, and fiber-free animal products.Part one of "What's with Fiber?" explains what fiber is and how it is naturally contained in whole foods. Part Two outlines the ancestral history of fiber, beginning well before agriculture came into being. It brings fiber into the present "phytochemical era," detailing the ongoing research that is so explosively increasing everyone's knowledge of plant foods and their protective compounds. There is a section on the healthy diets of isolated and non-Western people around the world. The balance of the chapters in Part Two delve into specific diseases and conditions., such as cancer of the colon and rectum,diverticular disease, obesity, heart disease, and high cholesterol, citing studies and detailing fiber's role in helping to ameliorate or prevent thses problems. Part Three discusses specific categories of whole-plant foods, and asks what's with whole grains; beans and legumes; nuts and seeds; fruits; vegetables; seaweeds and fungi (muschroomns); and extracts, juices, and teas. A comprehensive glossary, appendices of explanatory tables and graphs, and a full list of books and refrences are also provided.This concise, focused book is a valuable, timely addition to the ongoing discussion of what constitutes a truly healthy diet.

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