How to Increase Fiber in Your Diet
Increasing fiber in your diet has many health benefits. Fiber is shown to lower cholesterol levels, lower the chances of getting type 2 diabetes, decrease the possibility of heart disease and even lower the chances of getting colon cancer. It also helps with irritable bowel syndrome, hemorrhoids and bloating. Sounds good? Here’s how you can increase fiber in your diet.
Fruits and Vegetables
Add more fruits and vegetables in your everyday diet. To be more specific, eat at least two cups of fruits and two and a half cups of vegetables daily. Some fruits and vegetables are more fibrous than others, so try to incorporate the following food items more often:
Fruits
Eat the whole fruit if you can, which includes the pulp and the skin, if possible. These parts of the fruit are the most fibrous.These include:
Avocado
Citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits and lemons
Apple
Berries
Figs
Pears
Prunes
Pineapples
Dried fruits
Nuts and seeds such as almonds and sunflower seeds
Vegetables
Vegetables are an excellent source of fiber, but even more so when eaten raw. These vegetables are especially rich in fiber. Here are some suggestions:
All beans are rich sources of fiber
Beet greens
Cabbage
Cooked peas
Potatoes
Spinach
Artichokes
Whole Grain
Increasing fiber in your diet means you’ll have to make a few choices from what you were used to. Going whole grain means replacing refined grain products like white bread. This goes for your cereal choices as well. Here are some examples of whole grain products that you should go for:
Whole grain cereals such as bran cereal
Whole oats
Oatmeal
Bran muffin
Whole wheat bread
Multiple-grain cereals
Brown rice
How Much Fiber?
Like everything else, you have to introduce the increase in the fiber in your diet gradually. For men age 50 and younger, the recommended fiber intake should be at least 38 grams per day. For women age 50 and younger, 25 grams of fiber per day should do the trick. It’s really up to you how to slowly integrate the correct amount of fiber in your system, but doing it too quickly can cause bloating and constipation.
Don’t forget to drink the recommended amount of eight to ten glasses of water daily. The water helps your body digest the fiber faster.