My last blog stressed the importance of eating unprocessed food as much as possible. One of the reasons for this is that when a food is processed, much of the fiber is removed. It is interesting that most dietary fiber is neither digested nor absorbed! So why is it so important? It remains in the digestive tract and modulates the digestion of the rest of the food that you eat.
Fiber can be soluble (will dissolve in water) or insoluble. It affects the consistency of stool, bulking it and making it softer so that it will move more easily through the digestive tract. It is recommended to get 20-35 grams of fiber daily, but most Americans get nowhere near that amount. That is a shame since it has been shown to be protective against heart disease, stroke, diabetes and colon cancer. It helps to prevent constipation and hemorrhoids. And if you already have diabetes, fiber will help control your blood sugar.
One cup of brown rice (a whole grain) has 3.5 grams of fiber.
One cup of white rice (bran and germ removed) has only 0.6 grams.
One slice of whole wheat bread has 1.9 grams of fiber.
One slice of white bread only has 0.6 grams.
One medium apple has 4.4 grams of fiber
One cup of apple juice only has 0.5 grams
So load your plate with lots of beans, fruit, vegetables and grains! Do a fiber count on what you typically eat in a day and try to get in that 20 to 35 gram range. Just be careful to increase the fiber in your diet slowly. If you are not used to eating a lot of fiber your body will need to adjust!
And finally, if you use fiber supplements, be aware that they may contain wood products (“tree fiber”, saw dust).
As always, it is best to get what you need from REAL FOOD!
