What happens when you eat a bran muffin, an apple, and drink water? For most of us, we might hear plippity ploppity ploop in the toilet. And we all know how enjoyable that past time is! Thank you fiber- you've done it again. I really do heart fiber...and you should too. Let's read why!
Why is it important to eat fiber?
Here are a few reasons to increase your fiber intake:
1. Weight Management. Our bodies cannot break down fiber, which means it will eventually exit our systems. It helps us feel more full so we can control our portion sizes more easily. Thus, we can reap the benefits but do not need to count it towards our caloric intake.
2. Promotes Intestinal Health. Fiber keeps bacteria healthy and active because it works hard to break down the fiber in your large intestine. This activity releases gas (energy), which is why you might be gassy after eating fibrous things like beans and vegetables.
Additionally, fiber helps increase "bulkage" to your stool because it draws in water-- this helps with regularity. Fiber makes it easier for your stool to exit more easily and more quickly and also keeps the toxins moving out your body instead of hanging out in your colon.
3. Lowers Cholesterol. Fiber binds to cholesterol in the body and helps remove it, thus lowering cholesterol levels. Whoo!
4. Blood Sugar Management. Fiber helps slow down the absorption of sugar, which helps keep blood glucose (sugar) levels nice and steady. This is great (especially for diabetics) because fibers helps us avoid sharp spikes in blood sugar levels (which we know as sugar rush--> crashing).
Are you getting enough?
Take a closer look at your p double-o p. Is it solid or soft? Is it cohesive or is it coming out in separate pieces? Do you spend a few minutes on la toilette (scroll through phonebook) or is this a longer and/or more uncomfortable experience (write out a text)? A healthy stool should exit the body comfortably without too much strain or effort in one semi-solid piece. If not, you might want to reconsider a few factors, such as your fiber and water intake as well as how much you're working out.
How much fiber should you be getting a day?
32 grams (according to Dr. James Anderson, professor of Medicine and Clinical Nutrition and National Fiber Council chair). Look below to see how you can get 32 grams of fiber in one day-- not as hard as you might think (and nutrient dense in other ways; anti-oxidants, calcium, and protein).
Breakfast:
- 1 cup of Quaker® Old-Fashioned oatmeal (cooked): 4 grams
- 1 medium banana: 3 grams
Mid-morning snack:
- 1 medium apple with skin: 3 grams
Lunch:
- 1 cup of spinach (frozen, cooked, or drained): 6 grams
- 1/2 cup of kidney beans (cooked): 6 grams
Mid-day snack:
- 1/2 cup of dry roasted peanuts: 6 grams
Dinner:
- 1 cup of carrots: 4 grams
- 1 medium white potato with skin: 5 grams A
And there's 37 grams of fiber (5 grams over the recommended intake)! Boo yeah, you overachiever.
Soluble versus Insoluble fiber:
There are 2 types of fiber. To put it simply, our bodies can break down soluble fiber with the bacteria in our large intestines (promoting healthy activity). Insoluble fiber cannot be broken down and will pass through the body. Both are cool beans, so eat up!
A few examples of soluble fiber sources include: oats, apples (inside, not skin), beans and seaweed.
A few examples of insoluble fiber sources include: wheat, rye, bran, fruit skins (i.e., apples), and vegetables (corn, carrots, celery).
This is a list from the National Fiber Council's website for more sources of fiber. Click here to be redirected to the site:
| Food | Serving Size | Grams of Fiber |
| Fruits | ||
| Apple (with peel) | 1 medium | 3 |
| Banana | 1 medium | 3 |
| Blueberries | 1 cup | 4 |
| Cantaloupe | 1 cup | 1 |
| Grapefruit | 1 medium | 3 |
| Orange | 1 medium | 3 |
| Pear (with peel) | 1 medium | 4 |
| Pineapple | 1 cup | 2 |
| Prunes (dried) | ½ cup | 6 |
| Raspberries | 1 cup | 8 |
| Vegetables and beans | ||
| Asparagus (5 medium, cooked) | ½ cup | 2 |
| Kidney beans (cooked) | ½ cup | 6 |
| Pinto beans | ½ cup | 8 |
| Broccoli (cooked) | ½ cup | 2 |
| Carrots | ½ cup | 2 |
| Cauliflower (cooked) | ½ cup | 2 |
| Sweet potato, w. skin (baked) | 1 medium | 3 |
| White potato, w. skin (baked) | 1 medium | 5 |
| Spinach, frozen, cooked, drained | ½ cup | 3 |
| Tomato | 1 medium | 1 |
| Breads, cereals, grains etc. | ||
| Rye bread | 1 slice | 2 |
| White bread | 1 slice | 1 |
| Whole-wheat bread | 1 slice | 2 |
| Kellogg’s® All-Bran (original) | ½ cup | 10 |
| Kellogg’s ® All-Bran Bran Buds | 1/3 cup | 11 |
| Quaker® Old-Fashioned Oatmeal (cooked) | 1 cup | 4 |
| Wheat germ, toasted | 2 tablespoons | 3 |
| Brown rice, cooked | ½ cup | 2 |
| White rice, cooked | ½ cup | 0.3 |
| Spaghetti, cooked | 1 cup | 2 |
| Peanuts, dry-roasted | ½ cup | 6 |
Hopefuly, this will help explain why fiber intake is so important and why we can always use more. Thanks for reading and see you next week!
