How many grams of fiber do you need each day. What are the best high-fiber foods to include in your diet. Why is dietary fiber crucial for your health. How can you increase your daily fiber intake easily.

Understanding Dietary Fiber: Types and Importance

Dietary fiber is a crucial component of a healthy diet, but many people don’t fully understand what it is or why it’s so important. Fiber is essentially plant material that cannot be broken down by enzymes in the human digestive tract. It comes in two main types: soluble and insoluble fiber.

Soluble Fiber

Soluble fiber absorbs water during digestion, forming a gel-like substance. This type of fiber is known for its ability to:

• Increase stool bulk
• Potentially lower blood cholesterol levels
• Help regulate blood sugar levels

You can find soluble fiber in foods such as:

• Fruits (apples, oranges, grapefruit)
• Vegetables
• Legumes (dry beans, lentils, peas)
• Barley
• Oats and oat bran

Insoluble Fiber

Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, remains largely unchanged during digestion. Its primary benefits include:

• Promoting regular bowel movements
• Adding bulk to stool
• Helping prevent constipation

Good sources of insoluble fiber include:

• Fruits with edible peels or seeds
• Vegetables
• Whole grain products (whole-wheat bread, pasta, crackers)
• Bulgur wheat
• Stone ground corn meal
• Bran
• Rolled oats
• Buckwheat
• Brown rice

Daily Fiber Intake Recommendations: How Much Do You Need?

The American Heart Association recommends a total dietary fiber intake of 25 to 30 grams per day from food sources, not supplements. Unfortunately, most adults in the United States only consume about 15 grams of fiber daily, falling short of the recommended amount by nearly half.

Why is meeting your daily fiber intake so important? A high-fiber diet has been linked to numerous health benefits, including:

• Reduced risk of heart disease
• Better management of diabetes
• Lower risk of diverticular disease
• Improved digestive health
• Potential reduction in colon cancer risk

Is there a specific recommendation for soluble fiber intake? While there’s no official dietary reference intake for soluble or insoluble fiber separately, many experts suggest aiming for 6 to 8 grams of soluble fiber per day, which is about one-fourth of your total daily fiber intake.

High-Fiber Foods: Boosting Your Intake Naturally

Increasing your fiber intake doesn’t have to be complicated. By incorporating more high-fiber foods into your daily diet, you can easily reach your recommended intake. Here are some fiber-rich foods to consider:

Fruits High in Fiber

Many fruits are excellent sources of fiber. Here are some options that provide 3 to 4 grams of fiber per serving:

• Apple
• Orange
• Tangerine
• Pear
• 1 cup of blueberries
• 1 cup of strawberries

For an even bigger fiber boost, consider raspberries. One cup of raspberries provides an impressive 8 grams of fiber.

Vegetables Rich in Fiber

Vegetables are another excellent source of dietary fiber. Here are some choices that offer 3 to 4 grams of fiber per serving:

• 1/2 cup of peas
• 1/2 cup of cauliflower
• 1 cup of carrots
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1/2 cup of squash

Broccoli is another fiber-rich vegetable, providing 3.2 grams of fiber per cup. While it would take about 9 cups of broccoli flowerets to reach the daily recommended fiber intake, adding even a single serving can significantly contribute to your daily goal.

Grains and Cereals: Fiber-Packed Options for Every Meal

Whole grains and cereals are excellent sources of fiber and can be easily incorporated into every meal. Here are some strategies to boost your fiber intake with grains and cereals:

• Include at least one serving of whole grain in every meal
• Keep oat bran or wheat germ on hand to sprinkle over salads, soups, cereals, and yogurt
• Use whole-wheat flour in cooking and baking when possible
• Choose whole grain bread with the highest amount of fiber per slice
• Opt for cereals with at least 5 grams of fiber per serving
• Keep whole-wheat crackers as a convenient, high-fiber snack
• Substitute brown rice for white rice in your meals

Can switching to whole grain bread make a significant difference in fiber intake? Absolutely. Whole grain breads typically contain 2-4 grams of fiber per slice, compared to less than 1 gram in white bread. By making this simple switch, you could potentially add 4-8 grams of fiber to your daily intake from bread alone.

Legumes and Beans: Fiber Powerhouses for Your Diet

Legumes and beans are among the most fiber-rich foods available. They’re also versatile and can be incorporated into a wide variety of dishes. Here are some ways to include more legumes and beans in your diet:

• Add kidney beans, garbanzos, or other bean varieties to your salads (each 1/2 cup serving provides approximately 7 to 8 grams of fiber)
• Substitute legumes for meat in chili and soups two to three times per week
• Explore international cuisines that use whole grains and legumes as main ingredients or in salads

How much fiber can you get from a serving of beans? A half-cup serving of most beans provides about 7-8 grams of fiber, which is nearly one-third of your daily recommended intake. This makes beans one of the most efficient ways to boost your fiber consumption.

Practical Tips for Increasing Daily Fiber Intake

Increasing your fiber intake doesn’t have to be a drastic change. Small, consistent adjustments to your diet can make a significant difference. Here are some practical tips:

1. Choose whole fruits over fruit juices. Juices lack the fiber found in whole fruits.
2. Add chopped dried fruits to baked goods like cookies, muffins, and bread before baking.
3. Incorporate sliced banana, peach, or other fruits into your breakfast cereal.
4. Grate carrots into your salads for an extra fiber boost.
5. Opt for fresh fruit as a dessert option.
6. Experiment with new high-fiber recipes to keep your meals interesting and varied.

Is it better to get fiber from whole foods or supplements? While fiber supplements are available, it’s generally recommended to get your fiber from whole food sources. Whole foods provide not only fiber but also a range of other essential nutrients and beneficial compounds that work synergistically in your body.

The Role of Soluble Fiber in Cholesterol Management and Blood Sugar Control

Soluble fiber plays a particularly important role in managing cholesterol levels and blood sugar. Here’s how:

• Cholesterol Reduction: Soluble fiber has been shown to help reduce total blood cholesterol levels, particularly LDL (bad) cholesterol.
• Blood Sugar Regulation: It may help improve blood sugar levels in people with diabetes by slowing the absorption of sugar.

The best sources of soluble fiber include:

• Oats
• Dried beans
• Certain fruits and vegetables

How does soluble fiber lower cholesterol? Soluble fiber binds with cholesterol particles in your digestive system and helps remove them from your body before they can be absorbed into your bloodstream. This process can lead to lower overall cholesterol levels and a reduced risk of heart disease.

Potential Challenges and Considerations When Increasing Fiber Intake

While increasing your fiber intake is generally beneficial, it’s important to do so gradually and be aware of potential challenges:

• Digestive Discomfort: A sudden increase in fiber intake can lead to gas, bloating, and abdominal discomfort.
• Hydration: As you increase your fiber intake, it’s crucial to also increase your water consumption to help the fiber move through your digestive system.
• Nutrient Absorption: Very high fiber intakes may interfere with the absorption of certain minerals, although this is typically only a concern with excessive fiber consumption.

How can you avoid digestive discomfort when increasing fiber intake? The key is to increase your fiber intake gradually over several weeks. This gives your digestive system time to adjust. Start by adding one extra serving of high-fiber food per day and slowly increase from there.

In conclusion, incorporating more high-fiber foods into your diet can significantly improve your overall health. By understanding the different types of fiber, their food sources, and how to gradually increase your intake, you can work towards meeting the recommended 25-30 grams of fiber per day. Remember, a varied diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes is the best way to ensure you’re getting all the fiber and other nutrients your body needs for optimal health.

Increasing Fiber Intake | Patient Education

Why is fiber important?

A high-fiber diet appears to reduce the risk of developing various conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, diverticular disease, constipation and colon cancer. Fiber is important for the health of the digestive system and for lowering cholesterol.

What is fiber?

Dietary fiber is material from plant cells that cannot be broken down by enzymes in the human digestive tract. There are two important types of fiber: water-soluble and water insoluble. Each has different properties and characteristics.

• Soluble Water-soluble fibers absorb water during digestion. They increase stool bulk and may decrease blood cholesterol levels. Soluble fiber can be found in fruits (such as apples, oranges and grapefruit), vegetables, legumes (such as dry beans, lentils and peas), barley, oats and oat bran.
• Insoluble Water-insoluble fibers remain unchanged during digestion. They promote normal movement of intestinal contents. Insoluble fiber can be found in fruits with edible peel or seeds, vegetables, whole grain products (such as whole-wheat bread, pasta and crackers), bulgur wheat, stone ground corn meal, cereals, bran, rolled oats, buckwheat and brown rice.

How much fiber do I need each day?

The American Heart Association Eating Plan suggests eating a variety of food fiber sources. Total dietary fiber intake should be 25 to 30 grams a day from food, not supplements. Currently, dietary fiber intakes among adults in the United States average about 15 grams a day. That’s about half the recommended amount.

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How do I increase my fiber intake?

Here are some easy ways to increase fiber:

Grains and Cereals

• As a general rule, include at least one serving of whole grain in every meal.
• Keep a jar of oat bran or wheat germ handy. Sprinkle over salad, soup, breakfast cereals and yogurt.
• Use whole-wheat flour when possible in your cooking and baking.
• Choose whole grain bread. Look on the label for breads with the highest amount of fiber per slice.
• Choose cereals with at least 5 grams of fiber per serving.
• Keep whole-wheat crackers on hand for an easy snack.
• Cook with brown rice instead of white rice. If the switch is hard to make, start by mixing them together.

Legumes and Beans

• Add kidney beans, garbanzos or other bean varieties to your salads. Each 1/2 cup
  serving is approximately 7 to 8 grams of fiber.
• Substitute legumes for meat two to three times per week in chili and soups
• Experiment with international dishes (such as Indian or Middle Eastern) that use
  whole grains and legumes as part of the main meal or in salads.

Fruits and Vegetables

• Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Fresh fruit is slightly higher in fiber than canned. Eat the peel whenever possible — it’s easier than peeling or eating around it.
• Have fresh fruit for dessert.
• Eat whole fruits instead of drinking juices. Juices don’t have fiber.
• Add chopped dried fruits to your cookies, muffins, pancakes or breads before baking.
  Dried fruits have a higher amount of fiber than the fresh versions. For example, 1 cup of grapes has 1 gram of fiber, but 1 cup of raisins has 7 grams. However, 1 cup of raisins or any other dried fruit has more calories than the fresh fruit variety.
• Add sliced banana, peach or other fruit to your cereal.
• Grate carrots on salads.

Fiber supplements

To find information on fiber supplements, please see Fiber Supplements.

How much fiber do I get from fruits and vegetables?

While all fruits have some fiber, there are some that are higher than others. Here are a few that have 3 to 4 grams of fiber:

• Apple
• Orange
• Tangerine
• Pear
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup strawberries

Raspberries are high in fiber, as one cup has 8 grams.

Here are some vegetable choices that have 3 to 4 grams of fiber:

• 1/2 cup peas
• 1/2 cup cauliflower
• 1 cup carrots
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1/2 cup squash

Why is soluble fiber so important?

Soluble fiber has been shown to reduce total blood cholesterol levels and may improve blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.

The best sources of soluble fiber are oats, dried beans and some fruits and vegetables. Although there is no dietary reference intake for insoluble or soluble fiber, many experts recommend a total dietary fiber intake of 25 to 30 grams per day with about one-fourth — 6 to 8 grams per day — coming from soluble fiber.

30 High Fiber Foods to Up Your Daily Fiber Intake

1. Broccoli Flowerets

It takes about 9 cups of broccoli flowerets to reach the daily recommended fiber intake. High in sulforaphane, broccoli also adds 3.2 grams of fiber per cup. And it’s low in calories, so add an extra helping of broccoli to help reach your fiber goals.

2. Brussels sprouts

These mini cabbages can be boiled, broiled, pan fried, or sliced up raw in a brussels sprout slaw. With 4 grams of fiber per cup, it takes about 7 cups of brussels sprouts to reach the daily recommended fiber intake.

3. Asparagus

Have you ever seen 83 asparagus spears on one plate? Probably not, unless it’s a family-style meal. That’s how many raw asparagus spears it takes to hit the 28 grams of fiber recommended for your diet. As an alternative to steamed asparagus try adding thinly sliced raw asparagus spears to salads or sandwiches for a sweet, crunchy flavor.

4. Artichokes

Artichokes taste great on pizza, paired with spinach in a delicious vegetable dip, or steamed to perfection. But can you eat 4 artichokes in a day?

5. Acorn squash

Simply cut out the stem, scoop the seeds and bake until tender. Or prepare stuffed acorn squash using wild rice, quinoa, or ground beef. You’ll need to eat about 3 cups of acorn squash to reach your fiber goals.

6. Green peas

With 9 grams of fiber per cup, help yourself to bigger helpings to add more fiber to your diet. You’ll need about 3 cups of green peas to get the daily recommended fiber intake. Flavorful and healthy, green peas are a great source of iron, manganese, and vitamins A and C.

7. Turnip greens

An excellent source of beta carotene and vitamin K, turnip greens have a mild flavor. They can be used like spinach and other leafy greens, blended into green smoothies, or juiced. It takes about 5.5 cups of turnip greens to reach your fiber goals.

8. Carrots

Lightly steamed carrots will release more of their beta carotene, but, whether you enjoy them raw or cooked, you’ll get all the benefits of 4.68 grams of fiber in each cup. It takes about 6 cups of carrots to reach the daily recommended fiber intake.

9. Cauliflower

Riced cauliflower is a popular low-carb alternative to starchy vegetables and can be made into pizza crust and chips. It’s great way to add fiber to your diet, but it may not get you to the 28 grams of daily recommended fiber every day. That would mean eating about 8.5 cups of cooked cauliflower, every day.

How to get more fibre into your diet

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Most of us need to eat more fibre and have fewer added sugars in our diet. Eating plenty of fibre is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer.

Government guidelines published in July 2015 say our dietary fibre intake should increase to 30g a day, as part of a healthy balanced diet. As most adults are only eating an average of about 18g day, we need to find ways of increasing our intake.

Children under the age of 16 don’t need as much fibre in their diet as older teenagers and adults, but they still need more than they get currently:

• 2 to 5 year-olds: need about 15g of fibre a day
• 5 to 11 year-olds: need about 20g
• 11 to 16 year-olds: need about 25g

On average, children and teenagers are only getting around 15g or less of fibre a day. Encouraging them to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and starchy foods (choosing wholegrain versions and potatoes with the skins on where possible) can help to ensure they are eating enough fibre.

Why do we need fibre in our diet?

There is strong evidence that eating plenty of fibre (commonly referred to as roughage) is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer.

Choosing foods with fibre also makes us feel fuller, while a diet rich in fibre can help digestion and prevent constipation.

Tips to increase your fibre intake

It’s important to get fibre from a variety of sources, as eating too much of one type of food may not provide you with a healthy balanced diet. 

To increase your fibre intake you could:

• Choose a higher-fibre breakfast cereal such as plain wholewheat biscuits (like Weetabix) or plain shredded whole grain (like Shredded wheat), or porridge as oats are also a good source of fibre. Find out more about healthy breakfast cereals.
• Go for wholemeal or granary breads, or higher fibre white bread, and choose wholegrains like wholewheat pasta, bulgur wheat or brown rice.
• Go for potatoes with their skins on, such as a baked potato or boiled new potatoes. Find out more about starchy foods and carbohydrates.
• Add pulses like beans, lentils or chickpeas to stews, curries and salads.
• Include plenty of vegetables with meals, either as a side dish or added to sauces, stews or curries. Find out more about how to get your 5 A Day.
• Have some fresh or dried fruit, or fruit canned in natural juice for dessert. Because dried fruit is sticky, it can increase the risk of tooth decay, so it’s better if it is only eaten as part of a meal, rather than as a between-meal snack.
• For snacks, try fresh fruit, vegetable sticks, rye crackers, oatcakes and unsalted nuts or seeds.

Fibre in your daily diet

Listed below is the fibre content of some example meals.

Fibre at breakfast

Two thick slices of wholemeal toasted bread (6.5g of fibre) topped with one sliced banana (1.4g) and a small glass of fruit smoothie drink (1.5g) will give you around 9.4g of fibre.

Fibre at lunch

A baked jacket potato with the skin on (2.6g) with a 200g portion of reduced-sugar and reduced-salt baked beans in tomato sauce (9.8g) followed by an apple (1.2g) will give you around 13.6g of fibre.

Fibre at dinner

Mixed vegetable tomato-based curry cooked with onion and spices (3.3g) with wholegrain rice (2.8g) followed by a lower fat fruit yoghurt (0.4g) will give you around 6.5g of fibre. Bear in mind that fruit yoghurts can sometimes be high in added sugars, so check the label and try to choose lower-sugar versions.

Fibre as a snack

A small handful of nuts can have up to 3g of fibre. Make sure you choose unsalted nuts, such as plain almonds, without added sugars.

Total: Around 32.5g of fibre

Fibre on food labels

The above example is only an illustration, as the amount of fibre in any food can depend on how it is made or prepared and on how much of it you eat. Most pre-packaged foods have a nutrition label on the side or back of the packaging, which often gives you a guide about how much dietary fibre the food contains.

Page last reviewed: 1 August 2018
Next review due: 1 August 2021

Fiber (for Parents) – Nemours Kidshealth

What Is Fiber?

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the body doesn’t digest (break down). Dietary fiber is found in plant foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans.

Fiber can be soluble or insoluble:

• Soluble fiber dissolves in water. It helps lower cholesterol and improve blood sugar control.
• Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water. It helps with constipation.

Both kinds of fiber are important parts of a healthy diet.

What Are the Benefits of Fiber?

A diet high in fiber:

• helps prevent or relieve constipation
• increases feelings of fullness, which may help with weight control
• lowers cholesterol
• helps prevent heart disease and diabetes
• may lower the chances of getting some types of cancer

How Much Fiber Do Kids Need?

One way to estimate how much fiber your child needs is to take your child’s age and add 5 or 10 to it. For example:

• A 5-year-old should get about 10–15 grams (g) of fiber every day.
• A 10-year old should get 15–20 grams (g) of fiber a day.
• A 15-year-old should get 20–25 grams (g) of fiber a day.

What Are Good Sources of Fiber?

Foods that are naturally high in fiber, include:

• whole grains, such as 100% whole-wheat bread, brown rice, and oatmeal
• cooked dried beans, such as black beans, lentils, and split peas
• fruit and vegetables
• nuts and seeds

It is best for kids to get their fiber directly from foods rather than from pills or other supplements. Foods have nutrients and vitamins that are important for health. If your doctor recommends that your child take a fiber supplement, give it as directed.

Making Fiber Part of Your Family’s Diet

Here are some tips to get more fiber in your family’s diet:

• Read nutrition labels to find out how much fiber is in foods. Choose foods with 3 grams of fiber or more.
• Choose whole grains instead of refined grains. For example, try brown rice instead of white rice, or whole-grain pasta instead of regular pasta.
• Choose whole fruit instead of juice.
• Include fruit and vegetables with every meal. Aim for 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

To add more fiber to meals and snacks:

• Top yogurt, cereal, or oatmeal with fruit and nuts.
• Put veggies, like lettuce, tomato, or avocado, on sandwiches.
• Add beans to soups and salads.
• Add bran to baked goods.
• Offer air-popped popcorn, whole-grain crackers, fruit, or vegetables as healthy snack options.

What Else Should I Know?

• Add fiber to the diet slowly over a few weeks. Adding too much fiber too quickly can cause bloating, gas, and/or cramps.
• Kids should drink plenty of water, which helps move fiber through the intestines.

Talk to your doctor if your child has diarrhea, constipation, belly pain, or if you have questions or concerns about your family’s diet.

Fiber (for Teens) – Nemours Kidshealth

Fiber is one of those good-for-you nutrients. But what exactly is it? Why do you need it and what food should you eat to get it?

What Is Fiber?

Fiber is a carbohydrate that the body can’t digest. It’s found in the plants we eat — fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes.

Fiber can be soluble or insoluble:

• Soluble fiber dissolves in water. It helps lower cholesterol and improve blood sugar control.
• Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water. It helps with constipation.

Both kinds of fiber are important parts of a healthy diet.

What Are the Benefits of Fiber?

A diet high in fiber:

• helps prevent or relieve constipation
• increases feelings of fullness, which may help with weight control
• lowers cholesterol
• helps prevent heart disease and diabetes
• may lower the chances of getting some types of cancer

What Are Good Sources of Fiber?

Foods that are naturally high in fiber, include:

• whole grains, such as 100% whole-wheat bread, brown rice, and oatmeal
• cooked dried beans, such as black beans, lentils, and split peas
• fruit and vegetables
• nuts and seeds

Look for the fiber content of foods on the nutrition labels — it’s listed as part of the information given for “total carbohydrates.” A high-fiber food has 5 grams or more of fiber per serving and a good source of fiber is one that provides 2.5 to 4.9 grams per serving.

How Much Fiber Do I Need?

Teen girls (14–18 years old) should get 25 grams of fiber per day and teen guys (14–18 years old) should get 31 grams of fiber per day.

It’s best to get your fiber directly from foods rather than from pills or other supplements. The best sources are fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and legumes, and whole-grain foods. If your doctor recommends a fiber supplement, take it as directed.

Other things to know:

• Add fiber to your diet slowly over a few weeks. Adding too much fiber too quickly can cause bloating, gas, and/or cramps.
• Drink plenty of water, which helps move fiber through the intestines.

Making Fiber Part of Your Diet

Here are some simple ways to make sure you get enough fiber.

Breakfast:

• Have a bowl of hot oatmeal.
• Opt for whole-grain cereals that list ingredients such as whole wheat or oats as one of the first few items on the ingredient list.
• Top fiber-rich cereal with apples, oranges, berries, or bananas. Add almonds to pack even more fiber punch.
• Try bran or whole-grain waffles or pancakes topped with apples, berries, or raisins.
• Enjoy whole-wheat bagels or English muffins instead of white toast.

Lunch and Dinner:

• Make sandwiches with whole-grain breads (rye, oat, or wheat) instead of white.
• Use whole-grain spaghetti and other pastas instead of white.
• Try wild or brown rice with meals instead of white rice. Add beans (kidney, black, navy, and pinto) to rice dishes for even more fiber.
• Spice up salads with berries and almonds, chickpeas, cooked artichokes, and beans (kidney, black, navy, or pinto).
• Add lentils or whole-grain barley to your favorite soups.
• Sweet potatoes, with the skins, are tasty side dishes.
• Take fresh fruit when you pack lunch for school. Pears, apples, bananas, oranges, and berries are all high in fiber.

Snacks and Treats:

• Top yogurt, cereal, or oatmeal with fruit and nuts.
• Put veggies, like lettuce, tomato, or avocado, on sandwiches.
• Add beans to soups and salads.
• Add bran to baked goods.
• Choose air-popped popcorn, whole-grain crackers, fruit, or vegetables as healthy snack options.

How Much Fiber Do You Need?

Fiber is actually not a nutrient and it doesn’t provide the body with energy or calories. It’s also not digestible or absorbable by the body, but its health benefits earn it the designation of “phytonutrient.” Fitness professionals know that the “average American” likely isn’t taking in enough fiber.

But what is fiber? What are its benefits?

How much is enough? And how can fiber help clients meet health and weight goals? That’s a lot of questions! Here are some simple answers about this complex carbohydrate.

Fiber in a Nutshell—or an Apple Skin

Fiber is what gives plants their shape and structure, and it’s found only in plant foods, not animal-based ones. The shape and structure of fiber is what gives our body, most importantly our gastrointestinal tract, the bulk that provides many benefits. To reap the many benefits of fiber such as maintaining a healthy weight, satiety, glucose control, cholesterol reduction, cancer prevention, and gut health from prebiotics, boost your intake of plants.

America: Falling Short on Fiber

In 2014, the average American intake of fiber was only 16 grams per day. The recommended intake of fiber is 25­­­–38 g per day (according to the NASM nutrition course). That’s a big disparity! Women should aim for 25 g of fiber per day, and men should target 38 g (or 21 g for women and 30 g for men daily for those over the age of 51).

Consuming more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds will increase fiber intake. The growing trend of increased plant-based intake (as in flexitarian diets—an expansion on the practice of Meatless Mondays) will hopefully increase the intake of fiber in the American population.

Whole Foods: The Best “Package” for Fiber

In spite of its many health benefits, fiber is not a cure-all that many seek from products, but it is a healthy focus when trying to improve overall health. In fact, it is one number I recommend paying attention to on the food label. I typically recommend paying more attention to reading the more important ingredients list, eating intuitively and eating more whole foods versus the numbers. When people focus on eating whole food versus looking at numbers, they are naturally more satisfied.

Over the years as refining and processing foods has become more prevalent, fiber has become less available in prepared products. This is even more of a reason to focus on whole, unprocessed foods. Take the apple-versus-applesauce-versus-apple-juice example:

• 1 medium apple with the peel contains 4.4 g of fiber; while
• 1/2 cup of applesauce contains 1.4 g of fiber; and
• 4 ounces of apple juice contains 0 g fiber!

Juicing—a popular trend—actually eliminates the fiber from the vegetables and fruits because juicers extract the fiber-filled pulp. And it’s not just fruits that contain more fiber when they’re not processed: The same holds true for soybeans versus tofu. A 1/2 cup serving of soybeans contains 5 g of fiber, whereas 1/2 cup of tofu only has 1 g of fiber.

It is recommended to receive your fiber intake from whole foods over fiber supplements or fortified foods. The foods that contain fiber also contain many other nutrients that a supplement may not contain. Research also shows that a fiber supplement may not have the same power of increasing satiety or managing blood sugar and cholesterol as the whole food does. Fiber-fortified foods may also cause more gastrointestinal issues.

There is not a box, powder or cleanse that you can purchase that will do for you what eating whole food can. Save your money on products and put it into real food. It’s the most beneficial way to reap the produce’s full nutrient and phytonutrient benefits.

Two Types of Fiber, Many Rewards

There are two kinds of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Both are beneficial and provide different perks. All plant foods contain a combination of both insoluble and soluble, but some have a higher amount of one over the other. Take the apple/applesauce/juice example again: The skin of the apple is a source of insoluble fiber, and the inside flesh contains soluble. The juice contains neither. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and insoluble fiber does not. Fiber’s solubility is what determines its benefits.

Insoluble fiber is cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Although insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve in water, it does retain water and helps waste and toxins to move through our system more rapidly. Increasing plant intake usually allows us to feel better and have more energy as it helps the body naturally detoxify. Let your intestines, kidney, liver, and spleen work!

Insoluble fiber is found in foods such as cauliflower, green beans, and the skin of fruits. It helps with colon and breast cancer prevention, regularity and constipation prevention and diverticulosis. The indigestible parts of the plants are also prebiotics for our gut health to feed the probiotics.

Soluble fiber like glucan, psyllium, gum and pectin become gummy substances when water is added—for example, when chia seeds are put in liquid to make chia pudding. This gummy quality allows it to bind to cholesterol, helping the body excrete it. This is also how soluble fiber helps slow the rate at which blood glucose rises—it slows the absorption of the glucose into the bloodstream.

Foods such as oats, beans, apples, carrots and flax are sources of soluble fiber, and they help to promote satiety, a healthy weight, cholesterol reduction and blood glucose control.

Encouraging Clients to Boost Fiber Intake

Many people begin an exercise program for weight loss, then find that they have increased hunger. This is due to increased energy expenditure. One way to help keep hunger in check is increasing fiber intake. Not only does fiber contain zero calories, but the foods that are high fiber are also lower in calories and fat than many other foods.

Caution not to go overboard as there is too much of a good thing. Too much fiber may cause constipation and decrease nutrient absorption. Increase fiber intake gradually and also increase water intake to prevent constipation.

Tip: Fiber is not recommended right before a workout as it may increase gastrointestinal upset. Focus on adequate fiber intake in the meals and snacks post exercise or training.

Easy Ways to Fiber Up

A great place to start with increasing fiber intake is by using the plate method, which includes filling half your plate with vegetables and fruit at each meal. The plate method is a more realistic way to track portions for a healthy weight than measuring cups or counting calories. Another method is to aim for the recommended 5 servings (or more) of vegetables and fruits per day. Tips to add more fiber:

• Choose whole grains with 3–5 g fiber per serving. Look for whole grain breads, brown rice and oats, and consume the whole intact grain versus milled.
• Enjoy a vegetable or fruit serving with each meal or snack.
• Add beans to soups, stews, pastas, omelets, salads and casseroles.
• Have oatmeal versus dry cereal at breakfast, and toss in some whole fruit chunks or berries.
• For sandwiches, add bulk (no pun intended) with lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, peppers and other garden favorites. If you’re not a vegetable eater, getting them on your sandwich makes them easier to consume.
• Prefer a grain at snack time? Try popcorn versus crackers.

A Quick Guide to Fiber Counts

Here’s a reference that will give you and your clients a good idea of how much fiber is in some popular foods.

References:

Duyff, R. L. 2012. American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide (Revised and updated 4th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Eat Right. Website. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. http://www.eatright.org

Fruits and Veggies More Matters. Website. Produce for Better Health Foundation. http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org

Hoy, M.K., & Goldman, J.D. 2014. Food Surveys Research Group Dietary Data Brief No. 12. Accessed July 20, 2017. www.ars.usda.gov.

https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/80400530/pdf/DBrief/12_fiber_intake_0910.pdf

How Much Fiber Should I Be Eating to Feel Regular?

And, according to AND, there is no “Tolerable Upper Limit” for fiber, meaning that, as far as research has found so far, there isn’t a level of fiber intake that is shown to have serious negative effects on either mineral levels or GI functioning. So basically, unless you’re experiencing GI symptoms or have a mineral deficiency, oodles of fiber is not something most people have to worry about. (This changes if you have some kind of GI or other medical condition.)

In reality, most of us aren’t eating enough fiber. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the average American gets just 16 grams of fiber a day. (To put that in perspective, this is the amount a girl aged 4 to 8 should be getting, per the Dietary Guidelines.) In fact, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and of Agriculture (USDA) label fiber a “nutrient of public health concern” given how important it is to our health and how underconsumed it is.

How to get enough fiber

While the recommendation is 14 grams per 1,000 calories, in reality many of us don’t count calories, let alone keep tabs on our fiber intake. The good news is that it’s actually pretty easy for most people to hit this ballpark number if they’re eating a wide array of plant foods, Lisa Young, R.D.N., C.D.N., Ph.D., adjunct professor in the department of nutrition and food studies at New York University and author of Finally Full, Finally Slim, tells SELF.

In other words, you shouldn’t really have to go out of your way to get enough fiber, because a well-rounded and generally healthful diet is also a fiber-full diet. So instead of meticulously tracking grams of fiber or seeking out specific foods, the easiest and most effective way to go about it is eating a variety of plant foods every day, Young says—fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds.

To give you a rough sense of what that variety can actually look like, the Dietary Guidelines has a handy list of the fiber content per serving for a number of different foods. For instance, a half-cup of chickpeas has about 8 grams of fiber, a pear has 5.5 grams, and a half-cup of frozen mixed vegetables has 4 grams—so it can add up pretty fast.

By the way, you generally don’t need to worry about how much of each type you’re getting either. Like we mentioned, most plant foods have both insoluble and soluble fiber, and most nutrition labels don’t break the fiber content down that way anyhow. (Fiber supplements and packaged foods with added fiber, like granola or protein bars, commonly contain just one or the other though, Young says—one more reason why it’s easiest to focus on naturally fiber-filled foods.)

Another low-effort way to up your fiber haul is by swapping out foods made with refined grains, which are stripped of most of their fiber content during processing, for versions made with whole grains, as SELF previously reported. When buying things like bread, cereal, pasta, and crackers, look for “whole wheat flour” instead of “wheat flour” at the top of the ingredients list. (The same applies to other grain-based foods, like rye bread: Look for “whole rye flour.”) And if you bake at home, experiment with replacing some of the all-purpose flour in the recipe with whole wheat flour.

Take it easy as you ramp up your fiber content, though. Increasing your fiber intake too quickly can result in some uncomfortable side effects, like gas, bloating, and cramping. The bacteria in your GI that help break down soluble fiber need a little time to adjust to the increased fiber, per the Mayo Clinic. So gradually up the fiber you eat over the course of a few weeks, instead of all at once. And remember, make sure to be drinking plenty of water.

A word on fiber supplements

There isn’t any evidence that taking daily fiber supplements (i.e functional fiber) is harmful, according to the Mayo Clinic. And if you’re having trouble getting enough fiber in your diet for whatever reason, these pills and powders are a convenient way to help you close the gap, Young says. It’s also great in a pinch if you’re experiencing constipation, Dr. Lee says.

90,000 Products for health and weight loss – why fiber is needed and where to get it

Today there are all the possibilities to be healthy, beautiful and slim. Foods rich in microelements and vitamins (fruits, vegetables), high-protein foods for athletes (protein sourdough, cottage cheese desserts), foods rich in healthy omega-3 acids (fish, vegetable oils) – all this is available in any supermarket.

In this article, we will talk about another component of a healthy diet – fiber: what fiber is, why you need it, how much you need it, and where to get it.

Who needs fiber and why

The presence of fiber in the diet is necessary in order to maintain a healthy weight and lose extra pounds, to ensure the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and to feel good.

Fiber-rich foods help to lose weight and detoxify the body. This is due to the fact that fiber is not digested in the stomach, but acts as an absorbent (that is, it absorbs toxins and helps to cleanse the body as gently as possible).As a result of regular consumption of a sufficient amount of fiber, cholesterol, toxic substances, etc. are removed from the body.

How much fiber do you need per day

The requirement for dietary fiber is 25 grams per day.

With a lack of fiber in the diet, problems with the functioning of the stomach and intestines, as well as an increase in cholesterol and blood sugar levels, can occur. Eating more fiber than you need can lead to a number of problems, including dehydration.

If you are increasing your dietary fiber intake, remember to drink more water.

Where to Get Fiber – 10 High Fiber Foods

1. Bran

The leading product in terms of fiber content is, of course, bran: wheat, rye, rice and oat. 100 grams of wheat bran contains three times the daily rate of fiber (79 grams of fiber in 100 grams of bran).

Bran is added to many products, fiber is found in bran bread and fermented milk sourdough with bran.

2. Cabbage and green leafy vegetables

A lot of fiber is found in cauliflower and broccoli, savoy cabbage, red cabbage, spinach, lettuce. 100 grams of cabbage contains 2-3 grams of fiber.

To increase the amount of fiber in your diet, try making cold ayran soup with broccoli – it’s very simple and delicious.

3. Berries

If you still haven’t added berries to your diet, now you have another reason to do so.There are about 7 grams of fiber in 100 grams of raspberries. In addition, fiber is found in blackberries, gooseberries, cranberries, and strawberries.

4. Legumes

100 grams of legumes contain about 6 grams of fiber.

5. Mushrooms

100 grams of porcini mushrooms contains about 2 grams of fiber. Fiber is found in shiitake mushrooms and portobello mushrooms. Also read: Cooking mushrooms in sour cream – 5 delicious recipes.

6.Fruit

Enough fiber is found in oranges (2 grams of fiber in 100 grams of oranges). Also, fiber is found in apricots and pears. We invite you to make a drink from milk with pear, vanilla and cinnamon – it’s simple and delicious!

7. Almonds

Fiber content is another reason why you should add almonds to your diet. In addition to fiber, almonds contain calcium, which is necessary for bones, magnesium, which is useful for a good mood, as well as the vitamin of beauty and youth, biotin.However, do not forget that nuts are high in calories, so you need to consume them in moderation.

8. Cocoa

A small amount of fiber is also contained in a cup of cocoa with milk (in 100 grams of cocoa powder – 34 grams of fiber, that is, in a teaspoon of cocoa powder – about 3 grams of fiber). Read about how to cook cocoa in the article Why hot cocoa with milk is useful and how to cook it – 5 recipes.

9. Figs

In 100 grams of figs – almost 3 grams of fiber, dried apricots – 7 grams, in raisins – almost 4 grams, in prunes – 7 grams.

10. Food additives with fiber

There are special fiber additives that can be added to salads, dairy and fermented milk products, smoothies and milk drinks, and other dishes. For example, there is fiber from flax seeds, fiber from sesame seeds, fiber from oat bran.

Read also: 10 useful products for those who follow the figure and want to be healthy.

Official website of the state budgetary health care institution “Vyborg interdistrict hospital”

What is healthy food?
If there are healthy food products, then, first of all, these are apples.They are low in calories, high in vitamins and iron. But try to eat only apples for two weeks: you will experience a sharp weight loss, loss of immunity, the first symptoms of anemia and other signs of protein-calorie deficiency.
If there are unhealthy foods, it’s first and foremost butter. This is “solid fat”. However, a “spider web” of butter applied to a piece of fresh rye bread is not only a breathtaking taste, but also 20-25 kilocalories, that is, about 1 percent of an adult’s energy requirement and quite tangible amounts of vitamin A.
There are many such examples. The fact is that each product is unique in its chemical composition, and there is no one among the products that could fully satisfy the needs of an adult in all food and biologically active substances necessary to ensure health. Only a combination of different products can solve this problem.
Let’s talk about how the foundations of a healthy diet should be formed.

The first law of healthy eating
Correspondence between the calorie content of food that a person consumes and the energy that his body expends.
Human energy is spent on maintaining body temperature, performing all physiological functions and biochemical processes, performing mechanical work by muscles, as well as digesting and assimilating food. The human body receives calories from macronutrients, the name of this word comes from the words “macro” – large long and “nutritio” – nutrition. These are the substances that a person should consume with food a lot, that is, tens and hundreds of grams. Let’s talk in more detail about each type of macronutrient.

Fats.
The energy value of fats is more than twice the energy value of proteins or carbohydrates. This means that foods containing fat are the most high-calorie. However, you should not abandon them altogether, because fats are also a building material for the synthesis of substances that serve as building materials for cell membranes and other structures of the body.
Fatty acids are involved in the synthesis of compounds that regulate the mechanisms of immunity, allergies and other processes.
Fats of animal origin because of their special chemical structure are called saturated, and vegetable fats are called unsaturated. They have different physical properties and physiological and biochemical effects. A high intake of saturated fatty acids leads to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, so their intake should be limited. Vegetable fats are another matter. In their composition, doctors especially distinguish the so-called polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega-3 and Omega-6. Their consumption contributes to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, has a beneficial effect on the state of all body tissues.Your need for these healthy fats can be satisfied with 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil per day and at least three servings of fish per week.

Proteins are the most important components of food. In the human body proteins are split into amino acids, from which the body itself synthesizes the thousands of proteins it needs with diverse functions. All the huge variety of proteins are, in fact, different combinations of 20 amino acids. Some amino acids can be converted into one another, and only 9 are indispensable for an adult, and 10 for a child, that is, they are simply not synthesized by the body.
These amino acids must be supplied from day to day throughout our lives as part of the protein we consume. It does not matter from what products proteins will be obtained: meat or potatoes, milk or peas, fish or bread or other products – the main thing is that your body receives all the nonessential and essential amino acids in sufficient quantities.
Most of the protein is found in animal products: meat, fish, dairy products, poultry, eggs. Complete protein is present in significant quantities in legumes, that is, in peas, beans, lentils and soybeans, as well as in nuts and seeds.Proteins are the most important components of food.

Carbohydrates . The function of carbohydrates in the human body is mainly reduced to supplying it with energy. They are widely found in plant foods as complex carbohydrates such as starch and simple sugars such as glucose and fructose. Fruits and vegetables contain both simple sugars and starch. All grain products – flour, cereals and pasta – contain mainly starch.
Of course, refined sugar, as well as sugar-containing confectionery, are sources of extremely simple carbohydrates.It is termed “added sugar” because it is added to a variety of foods and drinks. Consumption of significant amounts of added sugar leads to the development of diabetes, obesity, tooth decay, and cardiovascular disease. Therefore, if you strive for health, then the amount of sweets in your diet should be limited, and if possible, even excluded altogether.

Fiber . In the composition of complex carbohydrates, polysaccharides such as cellulose are released, which are not absorbed by the body.Such substances are called dietary fiber, one of their representatives is fiber. Dietary fiber is practically indigestible. However, they significantly affect the processes: digestion, assimilation and evacuation of food, and are also important for maintaining the intestinal microflora.
Dietary fiber is abundant in fruits and vegetables, unrefined grains such as rolled oats, and bran.

The second law of healthy eating
The chemical composition of a person’s daily diet must correspond to his physiological needs for food and biologically active substances.
Vitamins and minerals are often referred to as micronutrients because the daily amounts required by the body are quite small and are most often measured in milligrams or even fractions of a milligram. The human body cannot produce these substances on its own and store it for future use for any length of time. For normal life, the human body requires several hundred different micronutrients – these are vitamins and minerals, as well as many biologically active substances from other groups.Micronutrients are found in a wide variety of foods, and different foods are different. Therefore, for the normal functioning of your body, include in your diet both fruits and vegetables, and necessarily cereals, and other plant products, and meat and dairy products.

Making your own menu
We hope that we have convinced you of the need to have a variety of products on your table. Now let’s try to figure out how to eat right – how often and in what quantities a particular product or dish should be included in the daily diet.

The main groups of food products and the recommended quantities of their use:

Test yourself!

Easy Test
Form a fold of skin over the sternum with your fingers. If the fold of your skin exceeds the thickness of a finger or 2 cm, then this indicates excess weight, and you need to reduce the number and size of servings to the minimum value. And if the fold is less than 1 cm, then this is a signal of a lack of weight.

Do you consume enough vitamins and minerals?
It is much more difficult to check if your diet is fulfilling the second law of nutritional science.There are special medical tests that a doctor can prescribe for you in case of health problems and suspicion of a lack of any micronutrient.
However, if you follow the recommendations of nutritionists on the composition of the diet, and there are sufficient quantities of foods of all groups, including fish, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, then you will satisfy most of the needs of your body. To prevent vitamin deficiency, use fortified foods (bread, milk) in food.
But still, vitamins and minerals for a balanced diet may not be enough, especially if a person’s physical activity is very low, and not a very large amount of food is required to provide the body with energy. But, if physical activity is very high, then a person needs additional trace elements and vitamins.
Talk to your doctor about your diet. Perhaps he will advise you on the regular use of vitamin-mineral complexes or individual preparations.

Information provided by the Research Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. Edited by Prof. Dr. med. Sciences A.K. Baturin. © Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation, 2009

10 rules for a balanced diet
Eat a lot, varied and do not be afraid of the inedible. Nutrition is important, and a few simple rules can help you organize a healthy diet that helps you maintain a healthy weight and feel good.

Rule 1.Eat as much as you need
And it’s not about hunger. A person’s daily diet should contain as many calories as he can spend during this day. Otherwise, you will begin to either lose weight or get fat. And, most likely, to gain weight, since a modern person moves very little, but does not forget to eat.
The energy value of food and energy consumption are measured in calories. You will spend at least 1200 kilocalories per day, which includes the basic costs of maintaining work and body temperature, as well as minimal physical activity.The more you move, the more calories you can afford.

Rule 2. Eat well
The ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates per day should be approximately equal to 1: 1: 4. You can remember the correct proportions using a simple mnemonic technique: imagine a plate divided into three identical parts. Two of them are occupied by carbohydrates, and the third is equally divided by proteins and fats.

Rule 3. Diversify your diet
The same foods on the table are boring and fraught with a lack of important nutrients.You can get the necessary set of vitamins, trace elements and minerals only from a long list of products, most of which are quite affordable: vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, nuts, dairy products, legumes, bread, durum wheat pasta, berries and greens.
Switching to a healthy diet is easy!

Rule 4. Stick to a normal weight
The normal weight range is quite wide, and there is no need to get up on the scale every day.But the absence of underweight or overweight already reduces the risks of numerous diseases. Therefore, having normalized weight, you can use a complete and varied diet as a working method of maintaining health.

Rule 5. Eat more often
Paradoxically, in order not to get fat, you need to eat more often. Have a hearty breakfast and then eat 4-5 small meals a day. Thus, you will never feel hungry and will be able to control the quality and quantity of food you eat.

Rule 6. Eat inedible

Called fiber, indigestible dietary fiber improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and cleanses it. Fiber is found in vegetables, legumes, bran, cereals, and whole grains. Brown rice is preferable to white, and don’t forget about fruits and berries.

Rule 7. Limit fat content

Fat is essential: sunflower, olive, corn oils and fish oils contain vitamins and essential fatty acids.However, in the daily diet of a city dweller, there is an excess of fat without a payload, but closer to atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.

Choose foods with a low percentage of fat, replace fried foods with boiled or baked foods, and use non-stick cookware to reduce cooking fat. Remember that vegetable oils also contain fat, and limit yourself to a teaspoon of oil per person when dressing your salad.

Rule 8.Less sugar
Sugar irreversibly damages teeth and leads to excess weight. Sugar is especially harmful to children who are incapable of self-restraint. Teach yourself and your children to eat fruits instead of pastries and sweets, and limit the consumption of sugary drinks. Changing your eating habits will have a beneficial effect on your health, appearance and well-being.

Rule 9. Be careful with salt
Table salt is a source of sodium, but too much salt increases blood pressure, which leads to hypertension.If you often eat out and do not know how much salt you are consuming, reduce the amount in your own kitchen. Eat less salty foods, do not snack on chips and nuts, and do not add salt to food on the plate. It is also helpful to replace regular salt with iodized salt to avoid iodine deficiency.

Rule 10. Alcohol is not food
A healthy adult can easily maintain moderate alcohol consumption: no more than 20 g of pure alcohol per day, which is 50-60 g of spirits, 150-200 g of dry wine or 300-500 g beer.But do not make alcohol a part of your daily diet, as alcohol is not only high in calories, but also whets your appetite by forcing you to eat more.

Almost everyone from time to time experiences discomfort from digestive disorders. It can be upset stomach, constipation, bloating, nausea.
Experts believe that dietary habits have a major impact on the health of the gastrointestinal tract. How can you change them to keep your digestive system healthy for a long time?

Carefully evaluate your diet
The first step to improving digestion is to evaluate your diet soberly.Modern people abuse fatty, sweet, processed and refined foods, forgetting about vegetables, fruits and grains.

Learn to eat slowly
If you have occasional bloating or an upset stomach, watch not only what you eat, but also how you eat. People who are accustomed to absorbing food quickly and snacking on the run tend to overeat and swallow large amounts of air with their food. Remember that any meal takes time.So stop looking at your watch and enjoy your meal.

Switch to fractional meals
For many people, large meals three times a day have become the norm. However, in order not to experience the feeling of hunger during the day, which makes you pass on during lunch or dinner, it is better to divide the daily diet into five to six parts.
Healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fermented milk can help you snack throughout the day, regulate digestion and avoid overeating.

Add fiber
A diet rich in dietary fiber has a beneficial effect on bowel function. Unfortunately, the average person in developed countries has an average of about ten grams of fiber per day in the diet, while experts recommend 25 to 50 grams of fiber daily. Fiber can be found in a wide variety of foods. It is richest in raw vegetables, fruits and whole grains. They prolong the feeling of fullness by preventing overeating, and also stimulate the colon, increasing the volume of stool and protecting against constipation.

Get rid of excess fat
Foods with a high abstinence of fat not only contribute to weight gain and the development of cardiovascular disease. They provoke indigestion and often lead to indigestion and liver disease. In addition, lovers of fatty foods often refuse vegetables and fruits, significantly depleting their diet. It’s easy to start controlling the amount of fat in your diet. For starters, skip frying in oil. Baked and grilled foods are just as tasty, but much healthier.

Start cooking
Processed foods – canned food, ready-made snacks and frozen convenience foods – have long been an essential part of the modern human diet. They are popular for their convenience, but they tend to be too high in calories, fatty, oversalted and do not provide the body with the necessary nutrients. In addition, it is not uncommon for prepared foods to contain too much sugar. For example, refined grains, which are used in baking white bread, are devoid of dietary fiber and complex carbohydrates, but at the same time are rich in simple carbohydrates.Such a composition turns out to be a “shock” for the body: it leads to sharp fluctuations in blood sugar levels and disruption of the digestive system. Any convenience food has a healthy alternative: vegetables that cook for 10-15 minutes, fish and poultry that do not require long cooking, cereal bread and fresh fruit.

Most important
The health of the digestive system directly depends on the human diet. Choose foods rich in fiber, take your time with your meals, and cut out excess fat and processed foods.

Prepared based on materials from the site http://www.takzdorovo.ru.

90,000 Fiber. One answer to many troubles / on the website Roskontrol.rf

Why are people in developed countries experiencing fiber deficiency?

Sad statistics – today only about 3% of the population of developed countries consume a sufficient amount of fiber.

Why do we all need fiber?

Previously, fiber was called “ballast substances”, well, until they found out its true role in our body, after which the offensive name was canceled.

What is fiber and why do we need it? Fiber, or dietary fiber – these are the components of food that are not digested in the digestive tract, forms a food lump and is a nutrient medium for the microflora of our intestines. And at the same time it performs a lot of vital functions, such as stimulating intestinal peristalsis (which in turn prevents constipation) and secretion of intestinal glands, reducing the absorption of fat and slowing down the absorption of sugar, lowering cholesterol levels, and eliminating toxins.

Under the general name “cellulose” lies a mass of dietary fiber, both soluble and insoluble, by origin – polysaccharides: cellulose and its derivatives, hemicellulose, pectins, gums, mucus, guar and others and non-carbohydrate – lignin.

Fiber is “traditional”, which we get from the usual food – cereals, legumes, vegetables, root crops, fruits, berries, citrus fruits, nuts, mushrooms, algae – and “unconventional” – from deciduous and coniferous wood, cereal stalks, reeds, herbs.

For the intestines and our entire body to function like a clock, we absolutely need to consume 30-40 grams of fiber per day, but our modern refined diets often contain at least 5-7 grams of these vital fibers.

How much fiber are in different foods?

Cereals

Fresh vegetables and legumes

Legumes

Dried fruits, nuts

Fresh fruits, berries

Dried mushrooms

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90,000 Dietary fiber is the norm per day. What foods contain fiber in the maximum amount? Insoluble dietary fiber

We are already accustomed to hearing constant advice: “eat more vegetables and fruits”, “include raw vegetables and fruits in your diet.” And what exactly is their benefit? How do they “work” in the body, how do they improve our health? One of the most important ingredients is fiber.

Latest research data from around the world show that nine out of ten people do not eat enough fiber.That being said, fiber has also been shown to strengthen the immune system and overall health, help us look and feel our best, and much, much more, just as important to us.

The more natural and unprocessed food is, the more fiber it contains. There is no fiber in meat, dairy products, sugar. Refined or “white” foods such as white bread, white rice, and baked goods are virtually devoid of fiber.

For women, the rate of fiber intake is 25-30 g per day, for men – 35-40 g.We usually eat no more than 15 grams of fiber per day.

Why do we need fiber?

1. Blood sugar control:
   Soluble fiber in fiber often slows down the breakdown of carbohydrates in our body and slows down the absorption of sugar. This eliminates the jumps in blood sugar levels so familiar to many.
2. Healthy heart:
   found an inverse relationship between fiber intake and heart attacks. Studies have determined that if you consume at least 25-30 grams of fiber per day, the likelihood of heart disease drops by 40%.
3. Decreases the risk of stroke:
   scientists came to an interesting conclusion. By adding 7 grams of fiber to our daily intake, we reduce the likelihood of stroke by 7%. Etc!
4. Weight loss and appetite control:
   Among the vast majority of overweight people, increased fiber intake has led to weight loss. Including because fiber always gives a feeling of fullness.
5. Healthy skin:
   Fiber, and especially the shell of psyllium seeds and bran, helps to remove yeast and various types of pathogenic fungi from our body.When fiber is low, the body tries to flush it out through the skin, forming blackheads, pimples, or rashes.
6. Reduces the risk of diverticulitis:
   Dietary fiber (especially insoluble fiber) reduces the risk of intestinal polyps formation and inflammation by 40%.
7. Hemorrhoids:
   Eating foods with a total fiber content of at least 30 g also reduces the risk of this disease.
8. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS):
   Fiber helps to get rid of unpleasant changes in the intestines.
9. Gallstones and kidney stones:
   High-fiber meals reduce the risk of gallstones and kidney stones, including through the ability of fiber to regulate blood sugar.
10. Cancer
    : Some studies have suggested that enough fiber in food prevents colon cancer, although research is not yet complete. Doctors have also linked a diet that contains healthy levels of dietary fiber to a lower risk of other common cancers of the digestive system.

Not all fiber is created equal!

Bran buns, whole grains and cereals are often touted by manufacturers as the best way to get fiber. But the constantly growing number of doctors and scientists confirms the fact that from the most ancient times, from the moment of human origin, we are NOT adapted to eat grain. And if we do it inadvertently, we can seriously harm our intestines. Too coarse food removes its natural mucous membranes from the walls of the small intestine.But it is on them that our protection against viruses and bacteria depends. Human immunity is based primarily on gut health.

Compared to fruits and vegetables, cereals are rather poor in vitamins and minerals. In addition, fiber overload can lead to effects such as bloating, gas, and abdominal cramps. Too frequent consumption of cereals also leads to a feeling of fatigue, skin rash, joint pain, allergies, and psychological discomfort. And while fiber can lower blood sugar levels, an excess of grains in your diet has the opposite effect.

There are also studies showing that excess dietary fiber can increase the risk of diverticulosis.

High fiber content in the diet is contraindicated for people with chronic bowel disease, diarrhea, flatulence, leaky gut syndrome, food allergies. In these cases, fiber fibers can serve as a food base for pathogenic bacteria, yeast and fungi present in the diseased intestine. To reduce their amount, a diet containing, on the contrary, a minimum amount of fiber is recommended.Probiotics are prescribed for such people, well-boiled soups and other dishes from peeled vegetables without seeds are prepared for them.

Foods high in fiber

Conclusions

• Fiber-rich foods rid our body of cholesterol, toxins, lower blood sugar and protect against the development of many diseases. N
  Rates of fiber intake:
  90,448 women 25-30 g daily, men 35-40 g
• Increase your fiber intake gradually
  , 1-2 g per day, until the daily dose is close to normal. It is also advisable to drink 1.5-2 liters of clean water per day. The amount of water you drink should also be increased slowly.
• Whole grains are rough enough for the intestines. If you decide to include more fiber on your menu, resist the temptation to do it with whole grains or bran.Instead, try to eat more vegetables and fruits.
  .
• Excess fiber
  in the diet sometimes leads to diverticulosis, bloating, gas formation, fatigue, skin rash, allergies, joint pain, psychological discomfort, high blood sugar.
• Contraindicated
  Eating fiber-rich foods if diarrhea, chronic bowel disease, flatulence, leaky gut syndrome, food allergies occur.

You certainly know that we need fiber. And on the pages of my blog it has already been said about it many times. But as practice shows, it is not enough just to know about the need. You also need to be able to use it to be meaningful. Therefore, today on the menu: fiber for weight loss, how to take it correctly, we will talk with you about all its subtleties and nuances.

Friends, hello. Svetlana Morozova with you. Go!

Friends! I, Svetlana Morozova, invite you to mega useful and interesting webinars! Host, Andrey Eroshkin.Health Restoration Expert, Chartered Nutritionist.

Topics of upcoming webinars:

• How to lose weight without willpower and so that the weight does not come back again?
  
• How to get healthy again without pills, the natural way?
  
• Where do kidney stones come from and what can you do to prevent them from reappearing?
  
• How to stop going to gynecologists, give birth to a healthy baby and not grow old at 40?
  

A subtle approach

It would seem that fiber is – what could be simpler.Is it really necessary to strain here too? But we must. If you want it to go for the future, you need to follow the following rules:

1. Daily rate. It is individual for everyone and depends on the purpose, weight, age, type of activity. How much fiber a day should be minimal – about 25 g. Where to get this amount, I will tell you further.
2. Time. Slow, high-fiber cereals are the ideal way to start your day. We wake up the body, cleanse the intestines from accumulated overnight.
3. .In order for fiber to fully cleanse the intestines of toxins and remove them, you need enough liquid, 1.5 – 2 liters. Especially if you take extra dry fiber.
4. Variety. It is better to lose weight when you do not just sit on cereals for a week (on buckwheat, for example). When you eat everything: fruits, vegetables, beans, bran in salads, add or mix with kefir.
5. Processing. Ideally, fiber should come in raw. And here is just the case when it is better to undercooked than mashed potatoes.Fresh salads, just vegetables for a snack and with the skin. Someone even has a snack, slowly chewing a spoonful of bran or flax seeds. For cereals, choose whole or minimally processed. For example, rolled oats should be preferred to oatmeal, bran bread to wheat, and pasta from durum wheat.
6. Combination. Vegetables go well with meat and fish, with legumes. Fruit is best eaten separately. Dry fiber is first diluted in liquid (water, fermented milk drinks) or added to porridge.

Sources of Fiber

In the standard sense, fiber is a coarse fiber that is not digested, and it is found in plant products. We will go further and analyze the fiber in more detail:

1. Insoluble

Rough enough fibers that do not change upon contact with water and leave us exactly as they entered. These are lignins and lignans, cellulose and hemicellulose, and they are found in the skin and cell walls of plants.

What is their role:

• protection against tumors,
• cleansing the intestines and liver from toxins,
• improving the blood supply to the intestinal walls and assimilation of nutrients from food,
• stimulating and normalizing peristatics (movement of food throughout the gastrointestinal tract from the beginning to the end),
• lowering surplus and glucose.

Foods containing a lot of insoluble fiber:

• Grains, cereals, bran, cereals, seeds
• Vegetables, especially cabbage (all types), spinach, celery, zucchini, tomatoes, green beans, corn.
• Fruits: kiwi, mango, apples, pears, avocado
• Nuts, seeds
• Walls of legumes
• Herbs: lemongrass, greens.

2. Soluble

Contacting with water, it changes its consistency and becomes jelly-like. It includes pectin, inulin, gum, resins that are in the pulp.

Fiber for weight loss, how to take it correctly: the effect of soluble fiber

• Formation of a nutrient medium on the intestinal walls, where bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, prebiotics, and generally healthy intestinal microflora can develop.
• Protecting food from premature destruction in the stomach
• Fighting tumors
• Protecting the intestines from mechanical damage, plus helping in the healing of wounds and ulcers
• Maintaining the composition and density of blood
• Participation in blood purification – removal of bile acids, cholesterol, products protein breakdown
• Prevention of premature aging.

What is it in:

• Berries: strawberries, wild strawberries, currants, gooseberries, plums
• Fruits: apples, bananas, pears, papaya, citrus fruits, bananas
• Vegetables: potatoes, carrots, beets, garlic, onions, artichoke, pumpkin, eggplant, pepper, tomato pulp, cucumber
• Beans: soybeans, lentils, chickpeas, beans
• Plants: chicory, seaweed
• Cereals: oats, barley, wheat, buckwheat, flax seeds, chia Nuts
• – almonds.

Fiber for weight loss, how to take it right: proper distribution

What is the best way to get these 30 g of fiber? You can see in the table how much and where it is contained in grams. And I will help you roughly distribute for the day.

For example:

Breakfast: 2 sandwiches made from whole grain bread and low-fat curd cheese

Lunch: 2 soup ladles and vegetable stew for the second

Dinner: oven-baked vegetables or vegetable casserole.

And plus for snacks, eat a vegetable, fruit, a handful of nuts or berries. Something protein that you like (meat, fish, mushrooms) is added to the main meals. You can drink a glass of yogurt in the morning with 1 tbsp. l. bran. Such food is normal, everyday, for a healthy lifestyle. And the following is suitable for losing weight.

Diet food on fiber

Fiber should be included in any diet, even protein (as fasting days or when leaving the diet)

But there is a special

diet with
fiber.What’s the point:

• Fiber-rich foods are filling, so it’s easier to eat less without sacrificing energy.
• Weight loss occurs due to cleansing the intestines and the body, accelerating metabolism.
• There must be plenty of water so that all this fiber can be removed without difficulty.
• In addition, take dry fiber. As I said above, it is added a teaspoon (5 g) to the porridge and additionally diluted with 2 tsp. in water or yogurt, kefir and so they drink.Some recipes suggest replacing flour with milled fiber. For example, this is how you can make ordinary pancakes.

The most common types: milk thistle cake ,
pumpkin, flaxseed, oats, wheat bran, or fiber mixtures.

It not only tells, but even shows what products to buy, what to do in order to eat deliciously and make a new way of life permanent. Your gradually dropped kilograms will not return, the author promises.Because you will not, like unreasonable ones, type-drop, type-drop, but you will simply live and enjoy life.

The course can be downloaded at any time by following the link. Together with him you will get the opportunity to contact the author with questions, get acquainted with updates and additions.

Where
they can be bought

Basically, in any nutrition store or sports food. Sometimes they offer it right on the forums.

It’s time to make the right choice for your health.Before it’s too late – take action! Now 1000-year-old recipes are available to you. 100% natural complexes Trado

Is the best gift for your body. Start recovering your health today!

The beginning should be gradual, because you are walking to lose weight, and not volvulus. And you cannot sit on such a diet for a long time, because many vitamins and microelements are lacking. No longer than 2 weeks is possible.

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Modern food consists mainly of processed foods – high in calories, easy to digest and, alas, not healthy.Getting used to such food, our stomachs lose the habit of working and gradually become clogged. And chronically uncleaned intestines mean a bad complexion, acne and early wrinkles, not to mention the numerous pages of medical diagnoses, covered with illegible handwriting of district doctors. This, of course, does not apply to wellness people, because they know the best recipe for cleansing – fiber.

What is fiber?

But it is this property of dietary fiber that makes it indispensable in the diet of a person who strives for a healthy active life.

Why is fiber important for health?

The answer to this question would take more than one page of medical commentary and life stories, because such “frivolous” fiber can protect against many very serious health problems. Let’s start in order.

Fiber begins its important mission in the mouth: while we chew it, salivation is stimulated, which facilitates the digestion of carbohydrates. And we have to chew food with fiber for a long time, and for this we should say special thanks to her, because the habit of thoroughly chewing food adds health to our stomach and cleans our teeth.

In the stomach, fiber absorbs water (4-6 times its own volume!), Providing a feeling of fullness and protecting us from overeating. Due to its hollow structure, fiber absorbs accumulated toxins and toxins (which we have in abundance due to unfavorable ecology, generously “flavored” foods with nitrates, the use of drugs and other “abuse”), and takes all this garbage outside. Do I need to explain that through the cleansed intestines nutrients enter the body by a shorter route, without getting lost along the way ?!

Thanks to fiber, glucose enters the bloodstream slowly and evenly, which protects us from surges of hunger, which are so difficult to resist.

Fiber binds cholesterol and tactfully removes it from the body. Cholesterol levels decrease, and with it, the risk of atherosclerosis and other diseases. It would seem – where is the digestive tract and where is the heart! But statistics show that increasing fiber intake to at least 16 grams per day reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 67%!

Bile acids, fraught with the formation of stones in the gallbladder, also have no chance of harming our health if we fulfill the “fiber norm”.

Fiber reduces the time that food spends in the gastrointestinal tract. Compare: food poor in fiber can “travel” through the intestines for 80 hours (that is, 3-4 days!), And fiber shortens the process to 24-36 hours. Fiber makes the entire digestive tract work harder. This is stomach shaping! Fiber protects against constipation (which, according to medical statistics, affects 47% of the adult population of Russia), and they lead to a number of unpleasant diagnoses and incidents, funny and sad.

And finally – attention! – fiber helps to lose weight. Fiber-rich food is low in calories, and it takes a lot of effort to digest it: assimilating the daily intake of fiber burns as many kilocalories as with a 20-minute run! One chocolate candy or a basket of tangerines – which would you prefer, given that the second is lower in calories and more healthy?

Different types of fiber have different functions. For example, cellulose absorbs water, helps flush out toxins and waste products, and regulate glucose levels.Lignin, a wood fiber, helps remove cholesterol and bile acids found in the gastrointestinal tract. The gum and gum arabic dissolve in the water, creating a feeling of fullness. Pectin prevents cholesterol and bile acids from entering the bloodstream.

Here we step from the facts onto the shaky ground of assumption: if fiber so easily solves many problems, why do these problems even exist? And the main difficulty is that 90% of our diet consists of foods that do not contain fiber at all – meat, dairy products, fish, eggs, etc.And only the remaining 10% give a chance to get as much fiber as the body needs. The chance, we note, is small.

What is the rate of fiber?

So how do you get the right “dose”?

According to doctors, every inhabitant of the planet suffers from a fiber deficiency. Our agrarian ancestors, who ate mainly cereals, consumed up to 60 g of fiber every day. And for us who eat semi-finished products, “eat” as much as 35 grams of this valuable product is tantamount to a miracle!

Here is a sample diet that contains a daily amount of fiber.

So, every day we should eat:

1 serving of bran porridge (9 g fiber)

4 slices of wholemeal bread (6 g fiber)

1 serving of broccoli (3 g fiber)

1 serving beans (8 g fiber)

1 serving fresh green peas (3 g fiber)

1 oat biscuit (1.5 g fiber)

1 banana (3 g fiber)

1 serving of cooked brown rice (2 g fiber)

Doesn’t shine with variety, does it?

You can do it differently: eat a different “fiber” diet every day.For example: on Monday eat 4 servings of beans, on Tuesday – 10 bananas, on Wednesday – 15 servings of rice or 30 slices of bread … But even this is not very popular with anyone.

There are several dietary rules – simple but important and effective – that will help you get the right “dose” of fiber and get the most of its benefits.

Aim to eat at least five vegetables and at least three fruits every day. If possible – fresh and with skin. And if you cook them – boil, fry, stew – then do not bring them to a too soft state; in such products, fiber is destroyed.The vegetables on your table should be slightly crunchy.

Include legumes more often. It has been proven that by increasing the consumption of legumes from one to four times a week, the risk of developing pancreatic diseases is reduced by 20 times!

Dried fruits are an excellent source of fiber. They can be added to Formula 1 cocktail recipes or added to cereals instead of sugar – delicious and healthy!

Nuts and seeds also contain a lot of fiber, but eat them a little – they are high in calories.

Eat something from grain products every day – bread, rice, cereals from various cereals. Give preference to coarsely ground bread with bran: one slice of this bread contains more fiber than eight slices of white bread.

Simple advice: add a little bran to cereals, soups and cocktails – this practically does not change the taste of the dishes, and the benefits are huge, because the bran is 44% fiber, and, in addition, contains proteins, minerals, vitamins and other useful substances …

And finally, the simplest and most ingenious rule – take Activated Fiber
… It contains a mixture of different types of fiber (cellulose, fiber from apples, oranges, bran). These natural ingredients help reduce the absorption of fat from food, help eliminate waste and toxins, and keep you feeling full. 1-2 tablets 3 times a day will provide you with your daily fiber intake.

So, fiber, which was undeservedly called a ballast substance.Is it ballast ?! Useless rubbish that must be ruthlessly disposed of ?! Quite the opposite! This is a general cleaning of the body – a brush, a sponge and a vacuum cleaner combined, the most natural and effective way to clean the inside and out.

And a little note in the end: fiber is not a medicine that is used as needed. It is an indispensable component of nutrition every day.

Fiber is a type of complex carbohydrate that is unable to be digested by the enzymes of the human stomach, but useful for the intestinal microflora and general functions of the digestive system.The main foods rich in fiber are primarily the stems and grains of plants – in fact, it is fiber (or “dietary fiber”) that forms their dense structure.

Although fiber is virtually unabsorbed by the body, it plays a critical role in digestion by allowing food to move mechanically through the gastrointestinal tract (1). In addition, it helps regulate and balance blood sugar levels, thus influencing hunger and satiety, ultimately helping to lose weight.

It must be remembered that you cannot blindly trust the tables of fiber content in foods found on the Internet – many of them have gross errors. For example, charts like these often rank grapefruit as the highest in fiber, oddly implying that it is eaten with the peel.

A role is also played by the fact that the fiber content in plants varies quite significantly depending on the variety and method of cultivation, and in finished food products (for example, whole grain bread or pasta) – on specific production technologies.That is why it is better to focus on general logic than on a specific figure.

Table of fiber rich foods:

Fiber-rich foods

As can be seen from the table, the foods richest in fiber are bran (in fact, it is a hard grain shell), flaxseed and whole grains (for example, barley, buckwheat and oats) – they contain up to 10-15 g of fiber per 100 g of dry product. In addition, all types of legumes (including lentils and peas) are high in fiber.

We also note that the fiber contained in oatmeal – beta-glucan – is especially useful for the body. Scientific studies show that regular consumption of beta-glucan in food not only normalizes the feeling of hunger and satiety, but also reduces the level of bad cholesterol in the blood. That’s why .

Daily allowance for fiber in the diet

The daily intake of fiber for children and adults is 20-30 g (1). Athletes need up to 40 g of fiber per day due to the higher calorie intake and, accordingly, the increased volume of food consumed (2).Unfortunately, the diet of a typical city dweller contains at least half the fiber.

The reasons for this are commonplace – love for potatoes, bread, sweet pastries, desserts, semi-finished products and fast food, poor not only in dietary fiber, but also in vitamins and minerals. However, let us remind you once again that you need to replenish the daily intake of fiber not by taking pharmacy supplements in tablets, but by using fresh vegetables and various cereals.

What is the danger of a lack of fiber?

Chronic lack of fiber in the diet provokes numerous metabolic disorders – from an increase in glucose levels and the associated constant feeling of hunger, overeating and weight gain, ending with constipation.However, it must be understood that a lack of fiber is primarily a consequence of a complex nutritional disorder.

Since fiber is found in common vegetables and cereals, there is absolutely no need to look for fiber-rich recipes, buy drugstore supplements or expensive “fiber-fortified” foods. It is enough just to include natural vegetables in your daily diet, while minimizing (sugar, white flour products).

Fiber for the treatment of constipation

If you practically do not eat vegetables and cereals, and you see fruits only in the form of desserts covered with sugar, be sure that you will have digestive problems (primarily constipation), obesity, and diseases of the cardiovascular system.At the same time, a healthy diet always begins with natural food, and not with taking vitamins in tablets.

Pharmacy dietary supplements with fiber, as well as various sports supplements containing dietary fiber, are significantly inferior to conventional plant products in terms of cost. In fact, a jar weighing 150-200 g contains the amount of fiber for only a few days – however, a pack will be much cheaper and more effective for normalizing health and digestion.

Fiber for weight loss

FitSeven already wrote that fast carbohydrates (such as sugar) cause a sharp increase in blood glucose levels – this forces the body to produce large doses of insulin for.At the same time, the presence of fiber in the stomach slows down the absorption of glucose into the blood, which has a positive effect on the normalization of insulin levels.

In simple terms, the more fiber you eat, the fewer calories are stored as fat. In addition, dietary fiber physically fills the intestines, causing it to block hunger and send a satiety signal to the brain, which prevents overeating. However, this does not mean that taking fiber pills will help you lose weight.

***

Fiber is an important component of a healthy diet that influences hunger and lowers glucose levels and.At the same time, fiber is not a panacea for weight loss, and pharmaceutical dietary supplements and sports supplements are inferior to natural sources of dietary fiber (vegetables and cereals) both in price and in ease of use.

Scientific sources:

11/12/2015 19:46

Fiber – what is it, and why does everyone unanimously talk about its benefits for beauty and health?

If you are also asking similar questions, and want to know more about fiber
, make yourself comfortable – it will be interesting!

What is fiber and what types of it exist?

Fiber is a dense dietary fiber that has a huge impact on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.Cabbage leaves, the shell of legumes and various seeds are all fiber.

In other words, fiber is complex, which does not supply the human body with energy, but is necessary for its vital activity.

First of all, fiber can be divided into soluble and insoluble.

Soluble fiber is fruit and vegetable pulp, insoluble fiber is peel and husk. Both types are useful and necessary for our body.

Soluble fiber includes:

Pectin. It is found in large quantities in apples, carrots, citrus fruits, cabbage and even ordinary potatoes. Pectin helps lower cholesterol levels and slows down the absorption of sugar, making it indispensable for diabetics.

Gum.
Oatmeal and dried beans are the main sources of gum. Like pectin, this type of fiber affects the digestibility of food.

Lignin.
Without knowing it, we often eat lignin at breakfast – it is found in the greatest amount in cereals.Another source of lignin is stale vegetables (meaning not spoiled, but slightly wilted foods).

The insoluble type includes two types of fiber:

Cellulose.
It can be found in a wide variety of foods – bran, cabbage, apples, green peas and even in the skin of cucumbers.

Hemicellulose.
This type of fiber is found in large quantities in cereals, bran, beets and Brussels sprouts.

The greatest benefit of insoluble fiber is to remove waste and toxins from the body.

What are the benefits, and does fiber have harmful properties?

The beneficial properties of fiber are undeniable:

• It maintains the normal composition of the intestinal microflora and fights inflammatory processes.
• Reduces the risk of colon cancer.
• Regular intake of fiber will help to cope with dysbiosis and constipation, stabilize blood sugar levels.
• Another important plus of fiber is its low calorie content, which makes it safe for your figure.This is why foods high in fiber are on the menu of many diets.

About the cons of fiber
it should only be said that, when used correctly, it is not dangerous at all. The main thing is not to overeat!

Excessive fiber content is capable of:

• Lead to constipation, flatulence and diarrhea.
• Cause an exacerbation in people with diseases of the pancreas and intestines.
• Another danger of fiber is that it absorbs a lot of moisture and fluid entering the digestive system, which can lead to dehydration and constipation.To avoid these unpleasant consequences, drink more water – at least one and a half liters per day.

List of Fiber-Rich Foods

As mentioned, bran and legumes contain the most fiber. But it is also found in other products. After reviewing this list, you can create a useful and varied menu for yourself.

Fiber-rich foods (per 100 g):

• White cabbage – 2.4 g
• Carrots – 2.4 g
• Boiled beets – 3 g
• Stewed cauliflower – 2.1 g
• Corn – 7.1
• Boiled pumpkin – 3, 2 g
• – 6.7 g
• Apple with peel – 4 g
• Banana – 1.7 g
• Pear with peel – 2.8 g
• Raisins – 9.6 g
• Dried apricots – 18 g
• Wheat bran – 43.6 g
• Whole grain bread – 9.2 g
• Rye bread – 5.2 g
• Oatmeal – 6 g
• Boiled buckwheat – 3.7 g
• Lentils – 11.5 g
• Beans – 12.4
• Chickpeas – 9.9 g
• Flax seeds – 27.3 g
• Raw peanuts – 8.1 g

It is very important to get adequate amounts of fiber.

To do this, follow these simple tips:

1. Eat fresh fruit instead of purchased fruit juices.
2. Use brown rice and whole grains instead of white rice, bread and pasta.
3. Replace unhealthy foods (chips, croutons, candy) with fresh vegetables rich in fiber.
4. Cook meals with beans or boiled vegetables 2-3 times a week.
5. Divide your fiber intake into several servings throughout the day, and remember to drink plenty of fluids.
6. Remember: natural fiber is much healthier than its counterparts sold in pharmacies.

Nutritionists answer important questions

What role does dietary fiber play for pregnant and breastfeeding women?

For expectant mothers, fiber will help to cope with a delicate, but very common problem – constipation. It is highly undesirable to take medicines during pregnancy so as not to harm the fetus, so fiber can be safely called a panacea in the fight against intestinal problems.In addition, she is an excellent assistant in the fight against extra pounds – both before and after childbirth.

Eating fiber prevents the development of various metabolic diseases. It is no secret that during lactation the female body undergoes hormonal changes, due to which the level of glucose in the blood rises. It is fiber that stabilizes blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of diabetes.

Fiber in the diet of diabetics

Since fiber evens out blood sugar levels, it is essential for diabetics.

The most useful type of fiber for diabetes is natural cellulose.
To enhance the antidiabetic effect, it is better to consume fiber along with complex carbohydrates (especially starch).

The basis of the diet of people with diabetes should include vegetables containing a minimum of carbohydrates and a maximum of fiber, as well as bran bread and various cereals. Cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, eggplants, cabbage – all these vegetables are rich in fiber and form the basis of a healthy diet for diabetes.

Allergy to fiber-rich foods

Except for individual intolerance to specific foods, fiber itself is practically safe for allergy sufferers. Moreover, for many types of food allergies, it is recommended to include it in the diet – dietary fiber restores the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and reduces the permeability of the mucous membrane of the digestive tract, thereby reducing the number of allergens entering the bloodstream.

The main rule when using fiber is not to overeat and eat in small portions throughout the day.

Menu for adults and children

By consuming fiber, and not forgetting about a balanced diet, you can not only lose weight, but also improve your health. The diet below will help you shed those extra inches, improve digestion, cleanse the body of toxins, and normalize bowel function.

Monday:

1st Breakfast. 1 egg omelet, cucumber, whole grain bread, black tea.
2nd Breakfast.
1 apple or pear.
Lunch.
Vegetable soup, whole grain bread, 150 g of boiled lean meat.
Afternoon snack.
25 g raisins, herbal tea.
Dinner.
100 g of boiled Brussels sprouts or green beans, 150 g of cottage cheese 2% fat, a glass of kefir with 2 teaspoons of bran.

Tuesday:

1st Breakfast.
Oatmeal, a glass of low-fat milk, herbal tea.
2nd Breakfast.
1 pear or banana.
Lunch.
Chicken broth soup, 100 g of boiled chicken fillet, cucumber, lettuce, water.
Afternoon snack.
Salad of grated carrots, beets and walnuts, tea.
Dinner.
150 g of boiled green beans, a glass of kefir with 2 teaspoons of bran.

Wednesday:

1st Breakfast.
150 g of cottage cheese, 2 walnuts, tea.
2nd Breakfast.
1 banana or grapefruit.
Lunch.
150 g of baked red fish, 100 g of boiled lentils, herbal tea.
Afternoon snack.
25 g dried apricots.
Dinner.
Sweet peppers, baked in the oven, 100 g of lettuce leaves, a glass of kefir with 2 teaspoons of bran.

Thursday:

1st Breakfast.
100 g of boiled pasta, yoghurt, tea or coffee without sugar.
2nd Breakfast.
1 apple or orange.
Lunch.
Vegetable stew, 150 g of boiled lean meat, herbal tea.
Afternoon snack.
25 g cashews or almonds.
Dinner.
100 g of boiled cauliflower, 150 g of low-fat cottage cheese, 1 whole grain loaf.

Friday:

1st Breakfast.
1 hard-boiled egg, 2 cucumbers or tomatoes, herbal tea.
2nd Breakfast.
1 pear or apple.
Lunch.
Veal with vegetables, avocado salad, tea.
Afternoon snack.
3 prunes.
Dinner.
Pumpkin baked with vegetables, a glass of kefir with 2 teaspoons of bran.

Saturday:

1st Breakfast.
100 g of boiled white rice with green peas, tea or coffee.
2nd Breakfast.
1 orange or grapefruit.
Lunch.
Cabbage soup, 1 whole grain loaf, herbal tea.
Afternoon snack.
25 g raw peanuts.
Dinner.
Boiled vegetables (broccoli, carrots, beets), a glass of kefir with 2 teaspoons of bran.

Sunday:

1st Breakfast. Oatmeal, 100 g of grated carrots, seasoned with olive oil, tea.
2nd Breakfast.
1 apple.
Lunch.
Fish fillet with baked vegetables, herbal tea.
Afternoon snack.
25 g dried apricots or raisins.
Dinner.
Boiled buckwheat with tomatoes, whole grain bread, a glass of kefir.

How can I increase the fiber content of my baby’s diet?

Fiber in the children’s diet will help prevent dysbiosis and cope with constipation.

The recommended age from which fiber should be included in the child’s diet is 8 months.
The daily intake of fiber should be increased gradually, by 1-2 g per week. Babies from 8 months to 3 years old need about 18 g of fiber every day, and children under 8 years old need 25 g.

You should not get carried away with various dietary supplements containing fiber – natural products will bring much more benefit to your child.

You can easily diversify your child’s diet by following simple rules:

• Add vegetables to different dishes – sandwiches can also be made with vegetables.
• Introduce corn porridge, rye and oat flakes into the diet of children over 9 months of age – they are very useful and contain a large amount of fiber.
• Instead of store-bought sweets, use fresh fruits harvested at your dacha.

Fiber for weight loss – dietary guidelines

Losing weight with fiber is an effective and gentle method. And the rules for the use of fiber depend on the products in which it is contained.

How to use fiber for weight loss correctly:

• Vegetables are best eaten with fish or meat – this combination contributes to better absorption and saturation of the body with vitamins and minerals.
• But fruits, on the contrary, should be eaten separately, not mixed with other products.
• Bran or pure fiber must be included in the dietary menu – they are diluted with water or kefir in a ratio of 1 tablespoon per glass, or added to various cereals.
• The main rule in compiling a diet for weight loss is a balanced diet, a sufficient amount of liquid and the replacement of various sweets and pickles with healthy vegetables and fruits.
• In addition, once a week, you can arrange a fasting day on fiber – even one day will help cleanse your body and restore your feeling of lightness!

Nutritional Opinion

Before fiber was thoroughly researched, it was considered something like plant waste, unnecessary waste, and was not recommended for consumption.

Since the 70s of the last century, the opinion of nutritionists has changed dramatically: now fiber is called the key to slimness and health and is recommended to be included in the diet for everyone who cares about their body.

90,000 22 High Fiber Foods You Should Eat

Fiber is incredibly important.

It leaves your stomach undigested and travels to the colon where it harbors beneficial gut bacteria, which brings various health benefits.

Certain types of fiber can also help you lose weight, lower blood sugar, and fight constipation.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends consuming about 14 grams of fiber for every 1000 calories you consume daily. This equates to approximately 24 grams of fiber for women and 38 grams for men.

Unfortunately, approximately 95% of adults and children in America do not meet the RDA for fiber. In America, the average daily fiber intake is 16.2 grams.

Fortunately, increasing your fiber intake is relatively easy – just include high fiber foods in your diet.

What is fiber?

Fiber is a general term that applies to any type of carbohydrate that your body cannot digest. The fact that your body doesn’t use fiber for fuel doesn’t make it less valuable to your overall health.

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Dietary fiber has the following benefits when consumed:

• Reducing cholesterol. The presence of fiber in the digestive tract can help reduce the absorption of cholesterol in the body. This is especially true if you are taking statins, which lower cholesterol, and if you are taking fiber supplements such as psyllium fiber.
• Maintaining a healthy weight. Foods that are high in fiber, such as fruits and vegetables, tend to be lower in calories. Plus, the presence of fiber can slow down digestion in your stomach so you feel fuller longer.
• Increase in the volume of the digestive tract. Those who are struggling with constipation or a generally sluggish digestive tract may want to add fiber to their diet. Fiber naturally increases the volume of the digestive tract because it cannot be digested by the body. This stimulates the intestines.
• Promote blood sugar control. It may take longer for your body to break down high fiber foods.This helps maintain more stable blood sugar levels, which is especially beneficial for people with diabetes.
• Reducing the risk of gastrointestinal cancer. Eating enough fiber may have a protective effect against some types of cancer, including colon cancer. There are many reasons for this, including the fact that certain types of fiber, such as the pectin in apples, may have antioxidant properties.

Fiber has many health benefits, but it is important to gradually incorporate fiber foods over several days to avoid side effects such as bloating and gas.

Drinking plenty of water while increasing fiber intake can also help control these symptoms.

Here are 22 high fiber foods that are both healthy and enjoyable.

1. Pears (3.1 grams)

Pear is a popular fruit that is both tasty and nutritious. It is one of the best fruit sources of fiber.

Fiber content: 5.5 grams per uncooked medium pear or 3.1 grams per 100 grams.

2. Strawberries (2 grams)

Strawberries are a tasty and healthy option that can be eaten fresh.

Interestingly, they are also some of the most nutrient-dense fruits you can eat, boasting loads of vitamin C, manganese, and various powerful antioxidants. Try a little in this banana strawberry smoothie.

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Fiber content: 3 grams per 1 cup fresh strawberries or 2 grams per 100 grams.

3. Avocado (6.7 g)

Avocado has a unique fruit. Instead of carbohydrates, it contains a lot of healthy fats.

Avocados are very rich in vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, vitamin E and various B vitamins. They also have many health benefits. Try them in one of these delicious avocado recipes.

Fiber content: 10 grams per 1 cup raw avocado or 6.7 grams per 100 grams.

4. Apples (2.4 grams)

Apples are one of the most delicious and satisfying fruits you can eat.They are also relatively high in fiber.

We especially love them in salads.

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Fiber content: 4.4 grams per medium raw apple or 2.4 grams per 100 grams.

5. Raspberries (6.5 g)

Raspberries are very nutritious with a very strong aroma. They are rich in vitamin C and manganese.

Try mixing a little with this raspberry tarragon dressing.

Fiber Content: One cup of raw raspberries contains 8 grams of fiber, or 6.5 grams per 100 grams.

6. Bananas (2.6 grams)

Bananas are a good source of many nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin B6 and potassium.

A green or unripe banana also contains significant amounts of resistant starch, a type of indigestible carbohydrate that acts like fiber. Try adding them to your peanut butter sandwich for some protein.

Fiber content: 3.1 grams in a medium banana or 2.6 grams per 100 grams.

Other high-fiber fruits

• Blueberries: 2.4 grams per 100 grams serving
• Blackberries: 5.3 grams per 100 grams serving

7. Carrots (2.8 grams)

Carrots are a delicious, crunchy and highly nutritious root vegetable.

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It is rich in vitamin K, vitamin B6, magnesium and beta-carotene, an antioxidant that converts to vitamin A in your body.

Add diced carrots to your next vegetable soup.

Fiber content: 3.6 grams per 1 cup of raw carrots or 2.8 grams per 100 grams.

8. Beetroot (2.8 grams)

Beetroot or beetroot is a root vegetable that is high in various important nutrients such as folic acid, iron, copper, manganese and potassium.

Beets are also rich in inorganic nitrates, which have been shown to have various benefits related to blood pressure regulation and exercise.

Fiber content: 3.8 grams per cup of raw beets or 2.8 grams per 100 grams.

9. Broccoli (2.6 g)

Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable and one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet.

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It is rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, B vitamins, potassium, iron and manganese, and contains antioxidants and powerful cancer-fighting nutrients.

Broccoli is also relatively high in protein compared to most vegetables. We love making them slaves for various purposes.

Fiber content: 2.4 grams per cup or 2.6 grams per 100 grams.

10. Artichoke (5.4 grams)

The artichoke rarely makes headlines. However, this vegetable is rich in many nutrients and is one of the best sources of fiber in the world.

Just wait while you taste them fried.

Fiber content: 6.9 grams in 1 raw globe or French artichoke, or 5.4 grams per 100 grams.

11. Brussels sprouts (3.8 g)

Brussels sprouts are cruciferous vegetables, related to broccoli.

They are very high in vitamin K, potassium, folate and powerful cancer-fighting antioxidants.

Try Brussels sprouts sauteed with apples and bacon or drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

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Fiber content: 3.3 grams per cup of raw Brussels sprouts or 3.7 grams per 100 grams.

Other vegetables with a high fiber content

Almost all vegetables contain significant amounts of fiber. Other notable examples include:

• Cabbage: 3.6 grams
• Spinach: 2.2 grams
• Tomatoes: 1.2 grams

All values ​​are for raw vegetables.

12. Lentils (7.3 g)

Lentils are very cheap and one of the most nutritious foods. They are very high in protein and many important nutrients.

This lentil soup is flavored with cumin, coriander, turmeric and cinnamon.

Fiber content: 13.1 grams per cup of cooked lentils or 7.3 grams per 100 grams.

13. Beans (6.8 g)

Beans are a popular type of legume. Like other legumes, they are loaded with vegetable protein and various nutrients.

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Fiber content: 12.2 grams per cup of cooked beans or 6.8 per 100 grams.

14. Split peas (8.3 g)

Split peas are prepared from dried, split and peeled pea seeds. They can often be seen in pea soup after the ham festivities.

Fiber content: 16.3 grams per cup of cooked split peas or 8.3 grams per 100 grams.

15. Chickpeas (7 grams)

Chickpeas are another legume that is rich in nutrients, including minerals and protein.

Chickpeas are the base of hummus, one of the easiest pastes to make.You can spread it on salads, vegetables, whole grain toast, and more.

Fiber content: 12.5 grams per cup of cooked chickpeas or 7.6 grams per 100 grams.

Other legumes high in fiber

Most legumes are high in protein, fiber and various nutrients. When properly prepared, they are some of the world’s cheapest sources of quality nutrition.

Other high fiber legumes include:

• Cooked black beans: 8.7 grams
• Cooked edamame: 5.2 grams
• Cooked lima beans: 7 grams
• : 5.5 grams

16.Quinoa (2.8 grams)

Quinoa is a pseudo-cereal that has become incredibly popular with health conscious people over the past few years.

It is rich in many nutrients, including protein, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium and antioxidants to name just a few.

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Fiber content: 5.2 grams per cup cooked quinoa, or 2.8 grams per 100 grams.

17. Oats (10.1 g)

Oats are one of the healthiest grains on the planet.They are very rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

They contain a powerful soluble fiber called beta-glucan, which has great beneficial effects on blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Oats at night have become one of the staples for a light breakfast.

Fiber content: 16.5 grams per cup of raw oats or 10.1 grams per 100 grams.

18. Popcorn (14.4 grams)

If your goal is to increase your fiber intake, popcorn may be the best snack you can eat.

Popcorn is very rich in fiber, calories for calories. However, if you add a lot of fat, the ratio of calories to fiber will drop significantly.

Fiber content: 1.15 grams per cup of popcorn or 14.4 grams per 100 grams.

Suggestions: Eat Less Carbohydrates

Other High Fiber Grains

Almost all whole grains are high in fiber.

19.Almonds (13.3 g)

Almonds are a popular type of tree nut.

They are very rich in many nutrients, including healthy fats, vitamin E, manganese and magnesium. Almonds can also be made into almond flour for baking with added nutrients.

Fiber content: 4 grams per 3 tablespoons or 13.3 grams per 100 grams.

20. Chia Seeds (34.4 g)

Chia Seeds are tiny black seeds that are very popular in the natural health community.

They are very nutritious, high in magnesium, phosphorus and calcium.

Chia seeds may also be the single best source of fiber on the planet. Try mixing them with jam or homemade muesli bars.

Fiber content: 9.75 grams per ounce dried chia seeds or 34.4 grams per 100 grams.

Other high fiber nuts and seeds

Most nuts and seeds contain significant amounts of fiber.Examples include:

• Fresh coconut: 9 grams
• Pistachios ;: 10 grams
• Walnuts: 6.7 grams
• Sunflower seeds: 11.1 grams
• 6.5 grams

All values ​​are for a 100 gram serving.

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21. Sweet potatoes (2.5 g)

Sweet potatoes are a popular tuber that is very satisfying and deliciously sweet.It is very high in beta-carotene, B vitamins and various minerals.

Sweet potatoes can be a delicious bread substitute or base for nacho.

Fiber Content: Medium-sized boiled sweet potatoes (without skin) contain 3.8 grams of fiber, or 2.5 grams per 100 grams.

22. Dark chocolate (10.9 g)

Dark chocolate is perhaps one of the most delicious foods in the world.

It is also surprisingly nutrient-dense and one of the most antioxidant and nutrient-rich foods on the planet.

Just make sure to choose dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 70–95% or higher, and avoid foods with added sugar.

Fiber content: 3.1 grams per piece of 30-85% cocoa or 10.9 grams per 100 grams.

Summary

Fiber is an important nutrient that can promote weight loss, lower blood sugar and fight constipation.

Most people do not meet the recommended daily intake of 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men.

Try adding some of the foods listed above to your diet to easily increase your fiber intake.

Last update –
September 30, 2021, last reviewed by an expert
September 27, 2021 90,000 Fiber for gaining muscle mass. Nutrition for gaining muscle mass

The usefulness of fiber has long been known to modern nutritionists and without it healthy eating is impossible, which many have heard about, but not everyone understands what it is, and also not everyone adheres to it.Fiber, in addition to normalizing bowel function, also helps to lose weight. We read further about what it is and how much it needs to be used.

Fiber
is a coarse, indigestible part of plant food that is found in most plant organisms. The cell walls of plants are usually made of fiber.

Fiber is soluble and insoluble.

Soluble fiber
– on contact with water turns into jelly, which is a favorable place for the development of some beneficial bacteria.
Insoluble fiber
– does not change when ingested, some beneficial bacteria like insoluble fiber.

There are several types of fiber:
Hemicellulose
– Found in Brussels sprouts, cereals, beets, bran
Cellulose
– Found in cabbage, peas, green beans, Brussels sprouts, cucumber peels, peppers, apples, carrots.
Hemicellulose and cellulose
– prevent constipation, colon cancer, hemorrhoids and varicose veins.
Gum
– Found in oat and barley foods.
Pectin
– found in apples, peel of all citrus fruits, carrots, all types of cabbage, peas, potatoes, beans, strawberries, strawberries.
Gum and Pectin
turns into jelly when exposed to water. They reduce the absorption of fat and lower cholesterol levels, speed up gastric emptying and slow down the absorption of sugar.
Lignin
(present in cereals, eggplants, peas, strawberries) – improves the absorption of other fibers and lowers blood cholesterol levels, accelerates the passage of food through the intestines.

Every day you need to eat about 30 grams of fiber, it all depends on your lifestyle and your age.
Men under 50 should consume 38 grams of fiber, after 50 years – 30 grams.
Women under 50 are recommended to eat 25 grams of fiber per day, after 50 years – 21 grams.
Pregnant women need 25 to 25 grams of fiber from their diet.

Fiber content in various products

• Half a cup of lentils, a cup of lentil soup, half a cup of beans – 7 grams
• A cup of barley, a cup of spaghetti, a cup of pea soup – 6 grams
• Half a cup of raspberries – 5 grams
• Apple, a cup of blueberries, a cup of brown rice, 1 jacket potatoes, 1 green peas – 4 grams
• 3 Dried plums, banana, pear, orange, cup of strawberries, Brussels sprouts, carrots -3 grams
• A cup of grapes, 0.25 cup dried apricots, a cup of peaches, 2 plums, a cup of couscous, a cup of pasta, broccoli, cabbage, corn, green beans, spinach – 2 grams
• Cantaloupe, a cup of watermelon, half a grapefruit, white rice, asparagus, 1 bunch of celery, half a green pepper, 1 lettuce, half a tomato – 1 gram

Most of the fiber is found in cereals, fruits and vegetables.Therefore, by eating a plate of porridge, a couple of vegetables and 1 fruit per day, you can provide yourself with the necessary minimum of fiber for the day. The pros add a couple more plates of salad to this menu.

To conclude this article, I invite you to take a look at fiber from Dr. Luigi Gratton, a family medicine practitioner, sports medicine and rehabilitation at UCLA, author of a huge number of articles on nutrition.

When it comes to nutrition for gaining muscle mass, everyone assumes that words such as proteins, carbohydrates, protein and more will be used.But few in bodybuilding will think of such a healthy nutrient as fiber.
.

Scientists have long proved that man is like a monkey. So we need fiber for good digestion. Diseases such as intestinal obstruction, constipation, ulcers and others appear if our diet contains foods that are very far from natural products.

Fiber is the part of the plant that our bodies cannot digest. This is a type of carbohydrate, but so that it is well digested and then absorbed in the human body, there are no necessary enzymes.

There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble.

Soluble fiber, when in contact with water, turns into jelly. And then it becomes a favorable place in which some beneficial bacteria are bred.

Fiber is insoluble, when it enters our body, it does not change, so some beneficial bacteria prefer this kind of fiber more. So they are whimsical.

Two types of fiber are found in plant foods, so you shouldn’t pay too much attention to it.

Fiber for the human body is not a source of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Do we need it in our diet?

Firstly, it improves the passage of food through our gastrointestinal tract, relieves constipation, and with age, the inevitable polyps of the large intestine, it also helps to eliminate painful bacteria, toxins from our body, as well as the prevention of hemorrhoids.

In addition, it has a good effect on the metabolism in the body, and when consumed, the level of cholesterol in the blood decreases.

Quite an important effect is the delayed flow of glucose into the blood. This, in turn, does not allow an insidious increase in blood sugar levels to occur, as well as insulin production and does not increase abruptly, this is the whole thing, well, it does not lead to fat deposition, which is more interesting for bumps.

It has long been believed that foods enriched with fiber contribute to weight loss, which means that body weight is reduced due to this. From such food, we get a feeling of satiety, even if we have consumed a small portion.

We must never forget that in everything it is necessary to observe the measure and even in the intake of fiber. If the diet lacks it, then it is not recommended to immediately switch to large doses. This in turn can lead to bowel disorders. As you increase your fiber intake, you need to increase your water intake as well. Its food and sources should be different.

Most of all fiber contains unpeeled vegetables and fruits, as well as whole grains.

To increase the fiber content in the diet, you can change the use of products of the same type.To make it clearer for you, we will give such an example: we replace the consumption of white bread with bread that contains bran, or white rice with brown, or mashed potatoes can be replaced with whole potatoes only baked in a peel, and we can replace juices with whole fruits, etc. …

It is also necessary to introduce into our diet foods that are rich in fiber. These are such as peas, beans, tomatoes, apples, broccoli, corn, oranges and others.

But, as in everything, it is necessary to observe the measure, because a healthy diet is, first of all, a balanced diet.And for bodybuilders, nutrition and muscle gain should be healthy in the first place.

Fiber is dietary fiber, which is a nutrient that, like water and minerals, does not give a person energy, but plays a very important role in his life. It has long been proven that fiber slows down the absorption of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, this can be useful for losing weight, but when gaining weight, on the contrary, it will harm, therefore, before using fiber in bodybuilding, you need to determine your goals.

Recent studies from the United States have shown that eating more than 200g of fruit and fiber per day reduces the risk of cardiovascular mortality in athletes by 40%. Also, recent experiments by French scientists have shown that increasing the daily fiber intake by only 5g will help reduce the risk of obesity by 10%. Why it happens? First, eating fiber foods will keep you fuller longer, and fiber can also lower insulin, a transport hormone that stimulates your appetite.Secondly, the processes of digestion and assimilation of food with fiber require more energy, as a result of which you spend more calories. Third, fiber diets are low in calories, so you can naturally control changes in your weight, so fiber in bodybuilding can be very beneficial for weight loss.

There are 2 types of dietary fiber:

Differences between 2 types of fiber:

• Soluble dietary fiber slows down the movement of food, inhibits the processing of carbohydrates, and lowers cholesterol levels.
• Insoluble fiber, on the contrary, accelerates the movement of food through the gastrointestinal tract, has a laxative effect (sometimes used to prevent constipation), reduce the risk of cancer, and restore the intestinal microflora.
• Identical properties for both – reduce appetite, slow down the absorption of food, but accelerate the absorption of elements such as minerals, vitamins, essential fatty acids.

As you can see, fiber in bodybuilding can be both useful (for weight loss) and harmful (for weight).But these dietary fibers are very important for our health, and they need to be consumed constantly, then what should an athlete do on mass gain? If fiber slows down the metabolism, then we will need to speed it up, this can be achieved with the help of fractional nutrition or exercise. To combine fiber intake and bodybuilding, you need to eat in small portions 7-8 times a day, as well as exercise 3-4 times a week, so you will find a middle ground – fast mass gain and a fairly promoted metabolism.

As for fiber for weight loss, in this case dietary fiber will be a good tool to fight subcutaneous fat. They will also help you reduce the number of calories you eat, since fiber perfectly saturates the body, and the feeling of appetite disappears.

Fiber Intake

Since you’ve decided to combine fiber and bodybuilding, it’s worth knowing how to consume fiber properly. To get your daily intake of these dietary fiber, you will need to eat a kilogram of oatmeal or 2.5kg of cabbage, which by itself is almost impossible, so we recommend buying pure fiber, it is sold in almost all supermarkets. We need to consume about 30 g of bran, and you also can’t eat the whole amount at a time, it is better to divide them into 3 servings and eat them between meals during the day.

Video about fiber in bodybuilding

In general, athletes pay maximum attention to the rules of a healthy diet. The quality of their diet is directly related to professional achievement.There are many adherents of a healthy diet among those who have health problems. With the help of a balanced diet, they strive to relieve unnecessary stress from their already unhealthy body. Nevertheless, the principles of healthy eating should become a starting point for absolutely all people. This is all in order to balance your diet, saturate it with substances that are really necessary and important for health, and thereby prevent premature wear and tear of the body. So, for everyone who wants to join the masses of properly nourishing people, the first most important term will be fiber.

The right types of carbohydrates contain increased amounts of fiber. It is present only in plant foods. Primarily in whole and almost unprocessed. Passing through the human digestive system, they are practically not digested. And depending on the ability to dissolve in water, fiber is divided into two types. Soluble and insoluble. The first, found mainly in beans, fruits and whole grains, can be dissolved in water. It includes plant material such as resins, adhesives, some hemi-cellulose, pectin.The second, which comes mainly with vegetables, beans, whole wheat and fruit skins, does not dissolve in water. It contains lignins, cellulose and small amounts of semi-cellulose. These two types of fiber improve bowel function. Although they act in this in different ways. Soluble, usually sticky and viscous, slows down the movement of food through the digestive tract. Insoluble promotes the promotion of food and softens the stool.

Include an additional 5 grams of fiber in your diet daily.Just 5 extra grams a day will prevent the risk of excess weight and an increase in your waist. A recent study in France found that a 5-gram increase in daily fiber intake could reduce the risk of obesity by up to 11%. And the likelihood of an increase in waist size is almost 15%. This is even more noticeable when using insoluble fiber, which comes with nuts and seeds, with fresh or dried fruits.

How does fiber help you achieve such amazing results? First of all, eating foods rich in it, you stay full for a long time.Then, it lowers the level of insulin, an appetite-stimulating hormone. It also takes more energy to digest and absorb fiber-rich foods. Finally, high fiber diets are lower in calories and help you manage your weight naturally.

In addition, studies show that one of the main reasons people achieve systematic weight loss is to regularly follow a diet rich in fiber.And further. By avoiding the risk of obesity with the help of such a diet, you reduce the likelihood of the occurrence and development of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and diabetes, and cancer.

Foods that contain a lot of fiber:

Fresh fruit with skin, dried fruit and fruit juices with pulp, potatoes, sweet potatoes and sweet potatoes with skin, peas, carrots, boston and bibb, large pumpkin, tomatoes, romaine lettuce. As well as whole grains and cereal dishes, cereals, muesli.

Fiber & Bodybuilding

In bodybuilding, fiber can be both useful (for weight loss) and harmful (for weight). But these dietary fibers are very important for our health. You need to use them constantly. What should an athlete do while mass gaining? If fiber slows down the metabolism, then we will need to speed it up. This can be achieved through exercise or fractional nutrition. In order to combine the consumption of fiber and bodybuilding, you need to eat in small portions 7-8 times a day.And also train 3-4 times a week. Thus, you will find a middle ground – fast mass gain and a fairly promoted metabolism.

Let’s admit to ourselves right away: we bodybuilders consume too few fruits and vegetables. We monitor the amount and quality of protein in our diet. We keep track of how much carbs we consume. But we prefer cereals and root vegetables as a source of carbohydrates. Well, maybe we also eat a couple of fruits ( apples, bananas
).But products such as cabbage ( cabbage, leafy, cauliflower, broccoli
) other greens are not so frequent guests on our table.

Fiber – the main component of plant-based foods – is an important substance that is not only beneficial for health, but also can help in maintaining good physical shape and gaining lean muscle mass. Of course, if you have enough protein and carbohydrates in your diet.

# 1. Basics

Fiber is a non-digestible food substance.In other words, your body is unable to break it down and it just passes through you. Imagine making juice – orange, apple, or vegetable juice – with a juicer. So what goes into the cake container – particles of the peel and pulp of the fruit – this is fiber.

Indirectly, fiber can help anabolic processes in the body. How? It increases the absorption of nutrients, as it passes through the digestive tract, cleansing the walls of the small intestine, on which there are villi.It is through these villi that nutrients are absorbed. Fiber cleanses these villi and stimulates their functioning. As a result, the absorption of nutrients is improved. And this simply cannot but affect the growth of muscles.

# 2. Fat binding

Fiber binds some of the fats you eat and removes them from the body. If you decide to try a fatty steak or anything from whole milk products ( cheese, yogurt, milk
), then a vegetable salad for a side dish or a fruit for dessert will help neutralize some of the fat calories.

# 3. Fiber affects the digestion of carbohydrates

As you probably know, the best sources of carbohydrates are foods like red potatoes, oatmeal and multigrain bread. They not only provide the body with glucose ( source of energy necessary for muscle work and growth
), they are also digested more slowly than many other carbohydrate foods. This is because these foods are rich in fiber, which slows down the process of digestion and the entry of carbohydrates into the bloodstream.

As a result, you receive a steady flow of energy over an extended period of time. It helps you stay mentally focused, which goes a long way toward increasing your training intensity. In addition, when carbohydrates are digested slowly due to the presence of fiber, the body tends to store them more as glycogen rather than fat.

# 4. Insulin Sensitivity

When you eat carbohydrate foods, your body releases insulin, a powerful anabolic hormone.Insulin is responsible for the delivery of glucose and amino acids to the muscles. The end result is improved muscle recovery and growth. However, a potentially limiting factor in the usefulness of insulin is the so-called “insulin sensitivity”.

Here’s the thing. There are insulin receptors on the surface membrane of muscle cells. The more sensitive these receptors are, the more likely it is that insulin will deliver glucose and amino acids to the muscles. Training to stimulate muscle growth and reduce body fat helps to increase this sensitivity.Fiber does its bit too.

Soluble fiber, such as those found in oatmeal, apples, pears, and legumes, also increases the ability of muscle cell receptors to seize and use this anabolic hormone ( insulin
). If your goal is to build a lean and muscular physique, then consuming foods rich in soluble fiber is essential to success.

# 5. Fiber helps you eat less

It is also obvious that fiber helps you lose weight.For example, 3 cups of broccoli contains only 75 calories. You will chew these 3 servings for a long time, and as a result, consume a meager amount of calories. Plus, fiber dulls your appetite and makes you feel fuller longer. This is not only due to a slowdown in the digestion process. Fiber also plays a role in the release of cholecystokinin, a hormone produced in the small intestine that sends a signal of satiety to the brain.

Adding vegetables to rice and pasta or salad to baked potatoes helps control appetite, which is extremely important for anyone losing weight.

# 6. Fiber helps you look leaner

Certain fiber-rich vegetables, such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and spinach, contain substances called indoles. Indoles are able to lower estrogen levels to a small extent in men, which leads to a decrease in water retention and a slight increase in testosterone levels.

# 7. Least Good Timing for Fiber

Avoid fiber in the post-workout meal. The goal of this meal is to get glucose from carbohydrates into the bloodstream as quickly as possible to stimulate muscle recovery and growth.Fiber slows down the digestion process, so foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, oatmeal, yams are best eaten at other meals.

90,000 Fiber for all – “Our House”

“ And God said: behold, I have given you every herb that sows seed, which is on all the earth,

and every tree that has a tree fruit that sows seed; – this will be food for you “

Gen. 1:29

From the beginning, food of plant origin constituted the diet of people.Today, advanced science confirms the benefits of plant-based foods. One of the important reasons for this is the fiber they contain. What is fiber? What are the types of fiber? Are they all equal? How much fiber do we need? What are some good sources of fiber? How is fiber good for you? Let’s take a look at these questions.

Fiber is a vegetable fiber found in fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, that is, all products of plant origin.It is completely absent in animal products. Plant fibers give the plants shape and texture.

Distinguish between soluble and insoluble fiber. In the process of digestion, insoluble fiber is excreted in the stool in an undigested form, and soluble fiber is absorbed in the intestine.

These two types of fiber work differently in the body. Below we will consider their effect, however, let’s say right away, each of them is vital for the body.

How much fiber do we need? According to the National Academy of Sciences (USA) (NAS) – 25 BC.per day for women under 50, and 38 for men of the same age. For men and women over 50 years old – 21 years and 30 years, respectively. This does not mean that people need fiber less as they age. “The recommendation is to get 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories, and older adults need to eat fewer calories,” explains Thomas Wolever, a fiber researcher and professor of nutrition at the University of Toronto. Most people in developed countries consume half the recommended amount: women – 13 g., and men – about 17 g.

What is the danger of not getting enough fiber? What is the relationship between fiber intake and health?

Cardiovascular diseases

The above “target for fiber is based on the fact that fiber prevents cardiovascular disease (CVD),” said Joanne Slavin, a researcher at the University of Minnesota who also works at the NAS (USA) on dietary fiber.

Scientists of the National Academy of Sciences (USA) in a number of studies have shown a decrease in the risk of CVD in people who ate a lot of fiber (about 29 g per day for men and 23 g for women). Each of these studies has shown that it is the fiber from cereals, breads and other grains, rather than fruits and vegetables, that protects the cardiovascular system (CVS). However, scientists are in no hurry to argue that it is fiber that has such an effect. After all, whole grains still contain many substances that may affect the state of the CVS.

Soluble or insoluble fiber?

Although all fruits, vegetables and grains have both soluble and insoluble fiber, most grains, such as wheat, are rich in insoluble fiber that is not broken down by enzymes in the stomach or bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract).

But there are several grains (such as oats and barley) that are rich in viscous soluble fiber, which is broken down by bacteria in the digestive tract.

In large studies relied on by the US National Academy of Sciences, lowering the risk of CVD has been associated with foods rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber.

“This is why we have always recommended that people consume fiber from whole grains,” says Joanne Slavin.

Diabetes

Several scientific studies have shown that eating grains rich in particularly soluble fiber (oats, barley) helps control blood sugar levels in diabetics and prevent the development of diabetes. “There is good evidence that fiber prevents the rapid absorption of carbohydrates from food into the bloodstream, which in turn helps stabilize blood sugar levels (no spikes) and reduce insulin requirements,” explains JoAnn Manson, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical Center. institute.

Scientists suggest that insoluble fiber also helps control diabetes. “When we fed insulin resistant women with grains rich in insoluble fiber for a year, nothing happened for the first six months,” says Thomas Woolever, “but then the microflora in the large intestine began to change, and women became more sensitive to insulin. “.

Why? “We think the bacteria in the large intestine affect the GI hormones that prevent the death of the pancreatic beta cells,” he suggests.Beta cells produce insulin.

Colon cancer

Whole grains have been criticized for their phytic acid content. But the critics died down. Phytic acid is now viewed more as a friend than an enemy. Additional evidence of this was reported in the 2000 Carcinogenesis issue. They say that bran and phytic acid contained in them enhance apoptosis (self-destruction) of unnecessary cells and increase the number of cancer resistance factors due to improved colon cell differentiation.In Sweden, Larson and his associates have surveyed about 61,000 women for over 14 years. They found that those who ate whole grains were 35% less likely to have bowel cancer.

Obesity

Can fiber help you maintain an optimal weight by slowing down the transport of food out of your stomach so you don’t feel hungry for longer?

A study of 75,000 women found that those who increased their fiber intake by 12 grams per day gained 3.5 kg less over the next 12 years.And in a study of 22,000 men that lasted 8 years, it was found that those who increased their fiber intake by 20 grams per day gained 5.5 kg less.

“We noticed that women who ate a diet high in fiber gained less weight,” says JoAnn Manson, who co-authored the study in women. “It is likely that fiber contributes to satiety as well as reduced calorie intake, but long-term research is still needed.”

Of course, if foods high in fiber help control weight, it is because people are eating whole fruits and vegetables, not low-calorie crackers, grains, or fiber-added ice cream.

Regularity of bowel movements

Several studies have shown that people who eat more fiber have a lower risk of diverticulosis.

However, the main role of fiber in the gastrointestinal tract is to soften the stool.Insoluble fiber helps in bowel movements by making stools soft.

“We know that insoluble fiber like wheat bran promotes increased stool mass and bowel movement, while soluble fiber like pectin doesn’t,” explains Joanne Slavin of the University of Minnesota.

After several dozen studies, scientists were able to assess the relationship between increased fiber intake and increased stool mass.For every gram of fiber eaten, stool increases by: 5.4 grams for wheat bran, 4.9 grams for fruit and vegetable fiber, 3 grams for cellulose isolate, and 1.3 grams for pectin isolate.

Insoluble fiber from bran prevents constipation by increasing stool mass. “Bran fiber is still in its natural state at the end of digestion, and it contains water, thus increasing stool mass,” explains Joan Slavin.

Soluble fiber, such as pectin found in fruits and vegetables, is broken down by microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract, “so they are not left at the end of the digestion process.”

However, soluble and insoluble fiber play an important role in the digestion process, so they do not need to be classified as good or bad.

Total

1. Whole grain breads and whole grains, which are rich in fiber in their original form, help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, colon cancer and diabetes.