Fiber: A Healthy Choice

Fiber is currently a dietary buzz word. Fiber is carbohydrates that can not be digested. It is very important to eat a diet rich in fiber. You should be eating foods rich in fiber more than you probably think. In fact males under the age of 50 should be consuming 38 grams of fiber a day. Women from the same age group need a little less fiber. Their daily recommended fiber intake is 25 grams. Still when you consider that a "fiber rich" may have as little as 3 grams in a serving 25 to 38 grams is quite a bit. Luckily many different foods contain fiber. Such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes.

There are a number of health benefits to fiber. One being that it can assist in weight loss. It is considered to be a more satiating food than what many others are so you will feel full from eating a fiber rich food. It also takes a little longer to chew which will help you not over eat. Fiber rich foods also are often times low in calorie, an added bonus. A high in fiber diet will also protect against heart disease and diabetes.

There are two types of fiber soluble and insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber helps with regularity while the soluble fiber helps lower cholesterol and glucose levels. Sources of insoluble fiber are whole wheat flour and bran, nuts and many vegetables. Sources of soluble fiber are oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots and barley.

The average person takes in about 15 grams of fiber a day. Less than the minimum recommended intake this is 20 grams. If you are interested in increasing your fiber consumption I offer here a few tips on how to do this better. First increase your fiber consumption slowly over time. Increasing your fiber intake too quickly could cause gas, bloating and/or diarrhea. Also you should drink a lot of water with your fiber rich diet. Adding things like seeds to your salads and vegetables like carrots as a snack can be helpful. You will want to replace your breads, cereals, rice and pastas with ones that are whole grain.