Fiber Frenzy!

Don't let your Fiber Intake Flounder!

Written by: Tim

Most Americans probably are told numerous times throughout their life that they need to increase their fiber intake. Most of those people getting pestered about it also do not take any notice to it and go on with their lives changing nothing. This article is going to introduce what fiber really is, the benefits and necessities of incorporating ample amount of fiber into your diet and some recipes using high fiber foods.

High fibrous foods for you to enjoy!

What is fiber anyways?

There are two main sources of fiber and these are known as "Dietary fiber" and "Functional fiber". Combining these two fibers together is known as "Total Fiber".

Dietary Fiber is the edible, non-digestible part of carbohydrates and lignin, a polymer found in plants that fills spaces in cell walls and is vital in conducting water in the plant stems. This lignin is included in fiber, because it has bonds to fiber carbohydrates. Knowing what lignin is and what it consists of is unimportant, but knowing dietary fiber as the edible type of fiber that we must consume in our diets is essential.

Functional Fiber has similar health benefits to that of the previously mentioned dietary fiber, but it is not an edible source of fiber. Due to this, functional fiber must be extracted from plants. These extracts are then used to enhance many different foods and drinks to fortify them with more fiber. 

Types of Dietary Fiber

There are two main types of Dietary fiber that we consume in our diets. These two types are: Soluble Fiber and Insoluble Fiber. These two will be explained below.

Soluble Fiber is a non-digestive portion of food that is derived from plants and wastes of the animals that consume dietary fiber.  This fiber dissolves in water and helps slow the movement of food through the gastrointestinal tract of our bodies. Soluble fiber can also be a prebiotic, meaning that it helps promote the growth of bacteria in our digestive system, which is a huge plus as you need bacteria.

Key properties of soluble fiber:

·        Binds bile acids

·        Cation exchange capacity

·        Modifies glycemic response

·        Lowers mineral availability

·        Ferments --> short chain fatty acid for gut health

Insoluble fiber is a non-digestive portion of food that is derived from plants and wastes of the animals that consume dietary fiber.  This fiber does not dissolve in water which is helpful in the process of defecating. These fibers will move through your digestive system and absorb water inside your GI tract. Too much water inside the GI tract can lead to watery diarrhea, but a high consumption of insoluble fiber can help fight that.

Key properties of insoluble fiber:

·        Increases water holding capacity

·        Decreases constipation

·        Lowers plasma cholesterol

·        Improves large bowel function

What is the Big Deal?

If you are a person that has a high protein and high fat diet, but are not getting enough fiber in that diet, then you are going to have problems with constipation. Not keeping up with your fiber intake can lead to troubles going to the restroom and, in severe cases, irritable bowel syndrome, bowel disease and other conditions.

Consuming enough dietary fiber in your diet will help bowel movements and soften your stools, making going to the restroom a more 'pleasant' experience.

Consuming enough dietary fiber in your diet will reduce your risk of disease such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis or hemorrhages. If you don't soften up your stools by consuming enough fiber in your diet, then hardened stools can cause open sores and ulcers inside the GI tract leading to chronic conditions.

By chance one obtains a disease in the colon, then they are normally put on a "low-residue fiber diet". In this diet, the patient will consume foods that are actually low in fiber in order to aid the body in digestion and slow down bowel movements. Having too many bowel movements with inflammation of the colon can be a serious issue.

How Much Do We Need?

Adults: 25-38g/day

Children:

·        1-3 years = 19g

·        4-8 years = 25g

·        Boys > 9 year = up to 38g

What is the average fiber intake? Only about 15 grams. The average American is severely lacking fiber in their diet as you can infer using these numbers. 

My suggestion

Fiber is a vital part of the diet and it ensures that we all have healthy digestive movements and a healthy colon. Many Americans are not getting enough fiber in their diet and it is alarming. When shopping for foods that you may think have fiber in them, make sure you check the label.

A food can be labeled "whole grain" may be allowed to only offer you a "half-serving" or more of whole grain. It is imperative that you look for food items that are listed as "100% whole grain" ingredients in them, as that ensures that the ingredient is ALL whole grains.

If you are looking at labels and see the words "enriched" or "refined" then stay away. These foods are going to offer very trace amounts of fiber along with these grains because stripped of all of the nutritious portion of the grain.

Below are some foods that are dense in fiber and some suggestions of recipes that you can use to up your fiber intake!

Some High Fiber Foods:

·        Black beans

·        Pinto beans

·        Hummus

·        Veggies: Brussels sprouts, peas, cabbage

·        Fruits: figs and blueberries

·        Almonds

·        Pistachio

·        Whole grains

·        Onions

Recipes:

1   1. Chicken-Blueberry Salad

a.     A light salad utilizing the blueberries to give the normal chicken salad a sweet flare. Add some walnuts to the salad to greatly increase fiber intake

b.     1/2 cup of black dried walnuts = 9g of fiber

c.      1 cup of blueberries = 5g of fiber

d.     Recipe: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-blueberry-salad-10000000264416/

2   2. Hummus For Real

a.     Make a homemade hummus that is delicious with a side of light pita bread and also extremely high in fiber

b.     1 cup of hummus = 10g of fiber

c.     Recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/hummus-for-real-recipe/index.html

3   3. Turkey, Kale and Brown Rice Soup

a.     A wonderful mix. Includes the superhero vegetable Kale, turkey for the lean protein. Not insanely high in fiber, but good combination of fiber and protein.

b.     1 cup of the soup: 5g of fiber and 14g of protein

c.     Recipe:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/turkey-kale-and-brown-rice-soup-recipe/index.html

 If you enjoy, share the article, leave a comment and show a friend!

Sources:

My community nutrition class at Michigan State University

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fiber/NU00033

http://nutritiondata.self.com/

http://www.foodnetwork.com and http://www.myrecipes.com (links under each recipe)

Hummus: http://www.tammysrecipes.com/files/easyfromscratchhummus425a.jpg