Fiber in your diet

Soluble and insoluble Fiber.

Soluble fiber is found in oats, beans and other legumes, and some fruits and vegetables. Soluble fiber lowers cholesterol levels, and slow digestion, so it takes longer for your body to absorb sugar (glucose) from the foods you eat. This helps prevent quick spikes in your blood sugar levels -- an important part of managing diabetes. Soluble fibers also bind with fatty acids, flushing them out of the body and lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Insoluble fiber—found in whole grains, fruits and vegetables, kidney beans, and bran—acts like a broom, cleaning your digestive tract.

Fiber and weight loss

Here is what a recent study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association discovered.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16720124/

The main difference between "normal-weight" adults and their overweight counterparts was the amount of fiber they consumed. Both groups had similar intakes of sugar, bread, dairy products, and vegetables. But the normal-weight subjects consumed 33 percent more dietary fiber and 43 percent more complex carbohydrates each day (per 1,000 calories) than those who were overweight.

So why does high-fiber food play such a significant role in weight loss?

First, high-fiber foods are most often low in fat and calories. Also, the body can't break down fiber, so it runs right through your digestive tract and never has a chance to turn into fat. But the biggest advantage of high-fiber food is that it swells in your stomach and gives you a full feeling. When you feel full, you're less likely to eat or snack. High-fiber food also helps to stabilize blood sugar levels, preventing those peaks and valleys that can send you running to the refrigerator. Most fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains also have a healthy dose of antioxidants that give you defenses against disease. Millions of overweight people continually look for quick fixes and unnatural weight loss solutions. But most are usually disappointed with the roller coaster results. That's because many find it hard to believe that something as simple as incorporating high-fiber food into your diet could help you lose weight. But for those looking for long-term, healthy weight loss, eating high-fiber food could be the beginning of their weight loss success story.

How much fiber. Women should aim for 25 grams of fiber per day or I prefer the 14 grams for every 1,000 calories method as we are all different.

Getting the Right Amount of Fiber

Of course, it's possible to feel like you're getting too much fiber, either because of how you're eating your fiber or because you've dramatically increased your fiber intake too quickly.

Space out portions. Spreading out your fiber intake throughout the day will allow you to avoid some of the gastrointestinal discomforts that a large amount of fiber may present. Try to include fiber-rich foods in every meal and snack, but don't feel like you have to overdo it.

Increase slowly. When it comes to increasing your fiber, it's a good idea to take your time. You want to give your gut the chance to get used to the new amounts of fiber you're eating. This will decrease some of the digestive side effects you see with a sudden increase. Plan to take about two weeks to reach your goal, and pay attention to discomfort along the way. If you do experience any discomfort, it may be a sign that you shouldn't add any more fiber just yet.

Hydrate. Fluid and fiber go hand in hand: The more fiber you eat, the more fluid you need to allow for proper digestion.

A high-fiber food chart helps you know the foods high in dietary fiber. Adding more foods high in dietary fiber from the high-fiber food chart can help you obtain the recommended 25 grams of fiber each day. Sufficient daily fiber intake is important, not just because of helping the bowels function, but to provide nutrients to friendly bacteria in the digestive tracts. Correcting low fiber intake for your diet can help you achieve regular bowel movements necessary for optimum health.

Here are the top foods high in dietary fiber along with the approximate number of grams of fiber they contain. Fiber contents shown below on the high fiber food chart are for a food quantity of 1/2 cup unless otherwise noted:

• Bananas, 3 grams - medium 8" long

• Beans, 6-10 grams - baked beans, black beans, great northern beans, kidney beans, garbanzos, pinto beans, white beans

• Berries, 4-5 grams - blackberries, raspberries

• Bran Cereals, 5-10 grams - All-Bran, Bran Buds, 100% Bran, Raisin Bran

• Bread, 4-7 grams - 2 slices whole wheat, pumpernickel, seven-grain

• Broccoli, 4-5 grams

• Brussels Sprouts, 2 grams

• Carrots, 3-4 grams

• Dried Figs, 10 grams - 3 figs

• Fruit, 4 grams - medium apple, a medium pear

• Green Beans, 2 grams - broad beans, pole beans, snap beans

• Greens, 4-6 grams - beet greens, collards, kale, spinach, turnip greens

• Lentils, 6 grams

• Lima Beans - 4-6 grams

• Peas, 7-9 grams - black-eyed peas, green peas

• Potatoes, 4-5 grams - medium-baked Idaho or sweet potato

• Sweet Corn, 5 grams

When making changes to your diet to include more foods from the high-fiber food chart, just add a few grams at a time so your intestinal tract can adjust. It is important for bowel health that adequate liquid be present for good bowel function. Each fiber particle absorbs liquid in the colon which helps facilitate regular movement along the bowels, so make sure that you are consuming adequate liquids daily.

If you find that after a few weeks of consuming more foods from the high-fiber food chart you are still not having a daily bowel movement, consider adding a fiber supplement. One of the best natural foods high in dietary fiber is psyllium made from ground-up psyllium seeds. It may take several weeks to achieve daily bowel movements, but the reward will be that wastes and toxins will be eliminated from your system instead of your body reabsorbing them.

Fortified fiber

Looking at the list of ingredients is confusing enough: "Sugarcane fiber. Oat fiber. Resistant corn starch also can be fiber."

Just to be clear, all of those are additives that you would not normally find in white bread. When added up, they bring the fiber content up to the magic number of 3 grams. That's the minimum amount you can pack into a product per 100g and still have the words "good source of fiber" on the label.

Are fiber-fortified foods making you healthier? This question turns out to be one of those places where scientists know a lot less than you may think they do. For example, a lot of people think that fiber will help protect you against colon cancer. But so far, that link is not conclusive.

There is a stronger connection between fiber and cardiovascular disease. People who eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and legumes have lower rates of heart disease.

But no one knows exactly why fiber-rich foods appear to prevent heart disease. Is it the fiber? Or is it something else in those foods? Maybe it's a combination of things.

Now, some food scientists are less critical of these fiber additives.

Pretty much every dietitian agrees that you're better off with the apple given a choice between fiber-fortified sugar cereal and an apple. I don't want people to think that adding things to unhealthy foods somehow makes them healthy.