As a small child, I grew up in Australia, raised by my very Dutch parents, of whom my mother was a nurse. Every night she prepared fresh vegetables with a lean protein followed by yogurt or fresh fruit for desert. Breakfast was home made yogurt, eggs, fresh fruit or porridge and lunch was always a protein filled sandwich made on whole wheat bread with fresh fruit. We snacked only on dried fruit and nuts or fresh fruit and never saw a can/tin in the house.

On Friday nights we were allowed a very special treat: to watch a film on television and my father would treat us to a home made pastry from a European bakery that made fresh fruit tarts, ricotta filled Cannoli, French pastries and delicious breads.
On a regular basis my mother inquired as to the regularity of our colons! If she suspected a lag we were promptly made to eat a piece of stone fruit, a bowl of raw bran, a drink of cod liver oil or some other more severe remedy that she believed would restore our regularity. She insisted that to stay healthy we had to empty our colons at least once a day.

It has become very clear that her philosophy is correct. Fiber and active probiotic culture is essential to a healthy immune system and an overall feeling of well being.