Broom & Mop

I was explaining to Tony earlier this month the difference between insoluble and soluble fibers.  I used a broom and mop analogy.  Here's hoping it helps you too understand the difference!

In order to have a clean floor, you need a broom and a mop.

Image source here.

First, we need a broom (also known as (aka) insoluble fiber).  This cleaning device is thick and husky. With it's thick bristles, it is able to clean up the floor (aka gut) by removing mass amounts of dirt (bacteria, toxins, undigested food, metabolic wastes, etc).  Brooms include husky grains (whole wheat, bran, rye, etc), greens, fibrous veggies (almost all veggies have this, but especially celery, corn, sweet potatoes with peels left on, fruits with peels left on), and seeds.

Next, we pull out the mop (aka soluble fiber) to finish the job. You can't truly clean up the floor without a good mopping! The mop is wet and soft, and as a result, gently passes over the floor (aka gut) cleaning up the last remaining dirt. Due to it's moisture, it is also able to trap other more complicated particles that the broom missed, such as excess cholesterol. While the mop is on the floor (aka in the gut), it also helps to slow blood sugar absorption. Mops include beans, legumes, bananas, nuts/nut butters, apples, carrots, and oranges.

Lastly, in order to use the mop, you need a mop bucket, full of water.  That's right: the cleanest floors are those that are also well-hydrated.

There you have it: every clean floor needs both a broom and a mop (and a bucket of water). The diet needs all three to get the job done. Luckily, some foods have both soluble and insoluble: oats, flax seeds, and apples (to name a few). Hmm, how about some oatmeal (oats plus water) with diced apple and ground flax seed on top?