Eat more fiber

Last week we discussed probiotics and how important it is to have probiotics like yogurt in your diet.  But we also noted that you have to feed the probiotics, the healthy bacteria.  One way to “feed” the healthy bacteria in your gut is to add fiber to your day.  Although our bodies can’t digest fiber, the good bacteria need it.  Fiber also plays many healthy roles in our body.  

Why add fiber to your day?                                    

1.       Weight loss – fiber helps fill you up.  Fiber has no calories so adding it to your meal fills you up without filling you out.  Fiber also takes longer to digest so when you have fiber in your meal, you will fill fuller longer.

2.       Lower your cholesterol – ever see the Cheerios commercials?  Cheerios are advertised as being “heart healthy”.  That is true.  The fiber in Cheerios grabs onto cholesterol and takes it out of your body.  That is why Cheerios can say it has “a soluble fiber proven to help lower cholesterol as part of a heart-healthy diet”. Oatmeal is also loaded with this same soluble fiber so having oatmeal for breakfast is also a heart healthy way to start your day.  Many people like the instant oatmeal.  Yes, some flavors of instant oatmeal have some added sugar, but you are still getting the benefits of the fiber so enjoy.

3.       Prevention of diverticulitis, constipation – fiber helps keep your gut healthy.  It helps move the digested food through your system.

4.       Healthy Blood Sugar levels – they always recommend diabetics have fiber in their day?  Why?  Because fiber helps keep your blood sugar levels normal.  Since fiber slows down absorption of food, fiber helps prevent spikes in your blood sugar.  

How much fiber do you need each day?

How much fiber?	Fiber – grams per day
Women 18-50 years old	25
Men	30-38

For most people getting enough fiber in their day is quite challenging.  Studies have found that most American men get only 19 grams a day and American women get only 15 grams of fiber a day.  Start reading package labels and for a day or two try counting how much fiber you get in a day.  You may be surprised you are quite under the recommended amount.

How can you add fiber to your day?

First, find out how much fiber you are getting now.  When adding fiber, do it SLOWLY.  You don’t want to go from 10 grams of fiber per day to 25 or 30 grams.  Your stomach and intestines won’t be happy.  Increase your fiber slowly over a two week period or longer.  

1.       Grains – look for whole grain cereal (all General Mills cereals are whole grain).  Look at the package for how much fiber there is per serving of cereal.   Choose cereals that offer at least 3 grams of fiber per serving.  In “The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood”, Dr. Sears noted how he taught his kids and grandkids to look at cereal labels for at least 3 grams of fiber.

Tasty cereal, easy to bring to work

Bread – look at the fiber content of each slice or each bagel or English Muffin.  Some breads are packed with fiber.  I like Dave’s Killer Bread which provides 5 grams of fiber per slice.  Have a sandwich and you added 10 grams of fiber to your lunch. And it is super healthy bread with 21 grains and lots of seeds.

Dave's Killer Bread

2.       Fruit and vegetables – eat them fresh and whole for the most fiber.  Going to a cook out?  Enjoy some baked beans and watermelon.  Add some fresh fruit to your yogurt, smoothie, or cereal.

3.       Nuts and seeds – have a handful of nuts a day.  Dr. Oz recommends a handful of nuts a day for overall good health.  Adding nuts and seeds to your day is an easy way to boost the health of your diet, fill you up, and add some fiber.  Pack a handful of nuts in a baggie for a healthy afternoon snack. Choose a bread that has some seeds in it.

4.       Water – hydration.  Increasing fiber means you also need to up your fluid intake.  Fiber attracts water like a sponge as it moves through your system.  Drinking more fluid will help your digestive system process the fiber you are taking in. 

The American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has these hints to Boost Fiber in Your Daily Diet.  Eat This, Not That! has a good article on “The 43 Best Foods for Fiber”.  

Foods high in fiber	Amount of fiber (grams)
Pear	7 grams
1 c. Raspberries	8 grams
Almonds 1 oz.	3.5 grams
Black beans ½ c. cooked	7.5 grams
Popcorn 3 cups popped	3.6 grams
Orange - fresh	3.1 grams
Banana – fresh medium	3.1 grams
Apple – medium	4.4 grams
Blueberries 1 c.	3.6 grams
Avocado ¼	3.4 grams
Carrots 1 cup raw	3.6 grams
Sweet potato – 1 medium	3.8 grams
Potato –baked Russet	4 grams
Sugar Snap Peas 1 c.	4 grams
Pasta – whole grain – 1 c.	4.9 grams

What are some ways you can add fiber to your day?  I like a banana for breakfast and eat one almost every day.  I also enjoy Cheerios or some instant oatmeal.  Lunch – I enjoy some baby carrots, fresh fruit and often a cheese sandwich with whole grain bread.  Dinner – I enjoy refined bread at dinner – some good Ciabatta, French bread.  No, refined breads don’t add much or any fiber, but they can be delicious.   I focus my fiber intake on breakfast and lunch and dinner not so much.  If we have pasta at dinner, we often add some whole grain pasta to it.  All whole grain pasta spaghetti is not too appetizing.  But a little whole grain spaghetti noodles and you can hardly taste it.

Sources:  fiber, Cheerios, need, Studies, Fiber in Your Daily Diet, The 43 Best Foods for Fiber”. , Blueberries  Image sources:  Dave’s bread, Quarker, blueberries