Ways to Increase Fiber in Your Life!

Increase Fiber in your diet, is one of the best healthy diet habits, that you can adopt! Fiber reduces hunger, controls cravings, controls blood sugar, and helps with weight control, and losing weight!!

*****

HELPFUL HINTS WHEN INCREASING YOUR FIBER INTAKE:

• Build up the fiber that you take into your diet slowly, or you will be very gassy, and your friends will not like you!


• Beano can help, while you build up your fiber, but eventually your body gets used to the fiber, and can tolerate it.


• Drink more water when you are eating more fiber.

*****

There are five ways to add fiber to your diet, to reach the daily recommended 35 grams:

Add Fruits:

• Fruits contain fiber and phytonutrients that fight disease

• Serving size is 1 medium piece, or 1 cup of fruit. Eat 2 to 3 servings/day

• Color counts, so choose a colorful variety

• Fresh fruit is a better choice than dried fruit, which is more caloric, and has had the water removed so it will not fill you up as fast.

Add Vegetables:

• Vegetables contain fiber and phytonutrients also.

• Serving size is 1 cup for fresh and 1/2 cup for cooked. Eat 4 to 6 half cup servings per day.

• Great to start your meal with a small bowl of vegetable soup, and follow the 20 minute rule, or follow the half plate rule, by filling your plate half full of veggies.

Add Beans / Legumes:

• Low in calories, and high in fiber and nutrients.

• Huge variety available, and they are all healthy.

• Add to your soups, salads, grain salads, chilies, stews and so on.

• 1/2 cup cooked, is about 5 to 6 grams of fiber.

• Add daily to your diet.

Add Grains:

• Grains include bread, cereal, pasta and rice.

• Choose whole grain breads, and pastas over refined.

• Choose brown and wild rice, over white.

• Try the new grains available. Many are delicious like whole wheat couscous, bulgur, and quinoa.

• Choose fiber rich cereals.

• Avoid all processed grains and white flour.

Add a Fiber Supplement:

• Available in many forms for convenience

• Fiber wafers, sprinkle fiber, Fiber bars, or Fiber Shakes

• Great for days when you are in a hurry and miss eating well.

• The five best natural sources of fiber are beans, yams, oats, barley, and berries!

• For each 100 calories, a good fiber source will have 2 gm of fiber, a better fiber source will have 3 gm of fiber, and the best fiber source will have 4 gm of fiber.

Many people think it is impossible to increase fiber in their diet enough, to reach the 35 grams of recommended daily fiber, but here is an example:

Total is easily reachable - 42 grams of Fiber

*****

Fiber really is the miracle ingredient, to include in your diet. Filling up on fiber, is a great way to start your day, to reduce hunger and control cravings. This is one of the best healthy diet habits that you can adopt!

*****

Check out the fiber foods list of some of the main fiber foods you might choose! (coming soon!)