What’s so great about fiber?
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate found in fruits,
vegetables, and grains. Why is
fiber such a big deal? Not only do
fibrous foods contain many vitamins and minerals, fiber also packs health benefits including:
- Delaying
sugar into the blood stream – slows how quickly sugar goes into your
bloodstream and therefore may reduce peaks of blood sugar levels
- Reducing
body weight – helps to make you feel full longer and may displace “empty
calorie” foods
- Reducing
blood cholesterol – if you have heart problems or high cholesterol, eating
high fiber foods may help to reduce your blood cholesterol levels
- Alleviating
constipation – helps to improve regularity.
How much fiber should I have each day?
The American Dietetic Association recommends 20-35 grams of fiber per
day. The average American only gets
12 grams of fiber each day. Focusing
on vegetables, fruits and whole grains will be a great start to getting your
fill of fiber.
A word of caution… start slow when adding fiber to your
diet. Add a few grams of fiber so your body can adjust to additional fibrous foods. Too much fiber at once can lead to bloating, gas, and diarrhea. Drink
extra water to help soften fiber.
An added bonus…when counting carbohydrates, you can
subtract the grams of fiber from the total carbohydrates because fiber goes
undigested in the body! This applies if
the food contains 5 or more grams of fiber. If you were eating ½ cup of cooked mixed vegetables that contains
7 grams
of total carbohydrate and 5 grams of fiber, you could subtract 5 grams of fiber
from 7 grams of total carbohydrate and know that you are digesting only 2 total
grams of carbohydrates!
So, now that you are motivated to increase your fiber
intake, focus on plant foods – fiber is only found in plants. Start slow and strive for at
least 20 grams of fiber a day. Bulk up the fiber in your diet and reap the benefits!
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