Roughen up your diet with Fiber

Dietary fiber is a group of complex carbohydrates that add no calories (energy) to your diet and cannot be converted to glucose like other carbohydrates. Dietary fiber is mainly found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, and includes all parts of the plant that your body can't digest or absorb. The human digestive system cannot break the bonds of a fiber's sugar unit; therefore, dietary fiber passes relatively intact throughout your digestive system. Just because your can't digest dietary fiber doesn't mean it isn't a valuable part of your diet. Actually, the opposite is true. Dietary fiber is a valuable component of your diet because you can't digest it!

Types of Dietary Fiber
Insoluble Fiber

• Does not dissolve in water
• Keeps the digestive system running smoothly, reducing constipation, hemorrhoids, and other digestive problems
• Promotes the movement of material through you digestive system and increases stool bulk
• Beneficial dietary component for those who struggle with constipation or irregular stools
• Helps you to feel full after eating
• Stimulates your intestinal walls to contract and relax, moving solid materials through you digestive tract
• Sources: whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts, skins of fruits and vegetables, and leafy greens

Soluble Fiber

• Mixes with water to form a gummy substance that lines the intestinal walls
• Can help to lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels
• Protects against heart disease
• Sources: oats, seeds, beans, barley, peas, lentils, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, plums, and squash

Benefits of a High Fiber Diet
A diet that is high in fiber has many benefits, which include:

• Normalizes bowel movements
• Helps maintain bowel integrity and health
• Lower blood cholesterol levels
• Helps control blood sugar levels
• Aids in weight loss
• Possible decreases risk of colorectal cancer
• Reduces the risk of heart disease
• Lowers High Blood Pressure
• Reduces constipation, hemorrhoids, and Divirticulitis

Adding Fiber into your Diet
The recommended Dietary Fiber intake (insoluble and soluble) is as follows:

• Adult males, under age 50     38 grams/day
• Adult males, over age 50       30 grams/day
• Adult females, under age 50  25 grams/day
• Adult females, over age 50    21 grams/day
• Adult pregnant females          25-35 grams/day

Tips for increasing Fiber intake

• Eat whole fruits instead of drinking fruit juices.
• Replace white rice, bread, and pasta with brown rice and whole grain products.
• Choose whole grain cereals for breakfast.
• Snack on raw vegetables instead of chips, crackers, or chocolate bars.
• Substitute legumes for meat two to three times per week in chili and soups.
• Experiment with international dishes (such as Indian or Middle Eastern) that use whole grains and legumes as part of the main meal (as in Indian dahls) or in salads (for example, tabbouleh).

A word of caution when increasing Fiber intake

• Adding too much fiber into your diet too quickly may cause constipation and/or stomach discomfort. Increase your fiber intake by a few grams per week to slowly get to your recommended intake value.
• Increase your intake slowly and be sure to drink lots of water (at least 8-8 oz. glasses each day)

Information adapted from Nutrition for Dummies, 4th edition, Sparkpeople, and Mayo Clinic