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Adelgazar�n: This is the name given by Dr. Basilio Moreno Esteban, head of Endocrinology of Madrid�s Gregorio Mara��n Hospital to describe someone who gets rich by trying to make someone else lose weight with absurd and clinically unsound methods.
These adelgazarines (or dietary charlatans) hand out "shock treatment" diets, often involving pills containing substances which supposedly make you lose weight. According to Dr. Moreno, these pills can cause heart problems, metabolic imbalances, the onset of diabetes, hyperthyroidism and nervous crises. In fact the Spanish Medicines Agency (AGEMED) has recently withdrawn the slimming product Aristolochia fangchi from the market because it could caused problems in kidneys and ureters serious enough to require dialysis and a transplant.
Don't you fall victim to misleading advertising; go for a fibre rich diet instead. It is a proven fact that fibre rich diets can reduce cholesterol levels by as much as 10%.

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So what is fibre?
It is a substance which forms part of the cell wall of vegetables, and in simple terms it is the indigestible part of carbohydrate foodstuffs. It is found in low calorie nutrients and has many beneficial properties.
Actually fibre is one of the elements we neglect most in our diet which tends to be much richer in fats. However, for some time experts have been saying that 30 grams of fibre in your diet a day will do your body a power of good.

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Types of fibre
Fibre can be water insoluble or soluble. The first type is found in wholegrain cereals and helps to make your bowels work faster. It is not digested and so passes through the small intestine intact until reaching the large intestine, where it is processed by bacteria in the colon. It absorbs liquid and increases the size of stools, which helps them to move through the body faster and more easily.
Soluble fibre on the other hand is found in vegetables, fruit and pulses, and prevents sudden rises in blood sugar, and so retards the absorption of carbohydrates. For example, if you have a piece of fruit which is rich in this type of fibre as dessert, it will slow down your digestion and leave you feeling sated for longer. Also soluble fibre helps to keep cholesterol levels in balance.

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Losing weight
Fibre has practically no calories, make you feel sated - especially soluble fibre - by slowing down digestion, it makes your bowels more regular and, as it is found in foods which need a lot of chewing, will also helps you to eat more slowly.
However, eating too much fibre, more than 30 grams a day, is not a good idea either because it can inhibit the absorption of calcium, zinc and iron, and also cause wind.

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Dietary fibre
These fibre rich foods should be a permanent feature of your daily diet.
Cereals. A good breakfast should include wholegrain cereals, dairy products, a piece of fruit or fruit juice, and cheese or ham. It should provide half your energy requirements for the day (carbohydrates, vitamins, fibre, proteins and fat). And remember that unrefined wholegrain cereals are richer in fibre, vitamin B and minerals than refined ones.
Bread. Don�t leave bread out of your diet. But remember it has to be wholemeal or brown bread. It�s a good antidote to constipation and stress. It is very rich in complex carbohydrates which are those found in wholegrain cereals (wholegrain rice, pasta, oats, barley and wheat). And it is rich in vitamin E, potassium, iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, thiamine, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and folic acid. It contains 10 times more manganese than white bread, and twice the chrome and selenium.
Rice. In the past we used to eat wholegrain rice, rich in proteins and vitamin B. However under the guise of progress white rice, poorer in vitamin B, was introduced. Boiled wholegrain rice has anti-diarrhoea effects, and eaten with apple pur�e, helps to lower blood pressure.
Bran. This is the king of fibres. It is found in the husks of cereals, the most common bran being from wheat. Oat bran has even more soluble fibre than wheat, which helps to lower cholesterol levels, speed up digestion and prevents constipation. Just two daily spoonfuls of bran (18 g) will give you all the fibre you need. It�s best to have bran combined with other ingredients as in muesli.

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