Remember sitting at the dinner table as a kid?  If you were like me, you wanted to skip the broccoli, but mom wasn’t having it.  “You need to get some roughage in your diet,” she’d say.  Reluctantly, you’d hold your nose and force down your veggies. 

Twenty years later, it turns out mom was right. 

That ‘roughage’ mom was talking about is fiber.   And fiber is proven to be an essential nutritional component to a healthy diet. 

Research shows that an adequate fiber intake is crucial to maintaining good health.  A lack of fiber can lead to problems with digestion and increased risk for colon cancer.

The Food and Nutrition Board recommends adults over age 50 get about 21 to 30 grams of daily fiber; and adults under age 50 get  25 to 38 grams. 

Obtaining proper fiber levels offers several benefits. 

• Foods higher in fiber help to control appetite by slowing the rate that the stomach empties - creating a feeling of fullness. 

• It speeds movement of undigested food through the intestines making it easier for the body to eliminate waste. 

• In addition, fiber aides in a healthy heart by lowering “bad” cholesterol and increasing the “good” cholesterol.

• A fiber-rich diet is also helpful to those suffering from diabetes and those at risk for the disease.  A recent Harvard study revealed that people who ate at least three servings of whole-grain foods each day were 27% less likely to develop type II diabetes after ten years.

Like with most things, too much of anything can hurt you. Despite the benefits of high fiber, experts warn against excessive fiber consumption.  Too much fiber can interfere with the absorption of much needed vitamins and minerals, so don’t over do it.

A high-fiber diet requires drinking an adequate amount of water because fiber absorbs water in the intestines.  Drink at least 5 glasses of water a day.  If you work out, and sweating heavily, drink more.

Getting the fiber you need is simple.  It’s never too late to develop a healthy diet.  A few simple changes in food choice will lead to a diet higher in fiber and a healthier life.  Here are a few rules of thumb: 

• Start by adding fruit, vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals to your meals. For example, have some strawberries with your breakfast cereal or grab an apple before you head out the door in the morning. 

• Refrain for breads made of white flour. Instead eat, sandwiches with whole-wheat breads containing at least 2 grams of fiber per serving. 

• Instead of a glass of fruit juice, eat a piece of fruit. 

• The less processed a food is, the better it is for you.  Eat less fast food. Fresh food is best.

Use the chart below to help blend your mix of foods to get the right fiber intake.

 

Dorian Jones, is a native of St. Louis, Missouri. She has a B.S. in biochemistry from Xavier University of Louisiana and a M.S. in nutritional sciences from the University of Missouri-Columbia. In her spare time Dorian enjoys writing about nutrition. She's also known to hop on her TREK mountain bike and blaze a trail when she gets the chance. Ms.Jones welcomes your questions and comments.