Thursday, April 7, 2011

F = Fiber

As I said in my earlier post, B = Benefiber, fiber is a friend to anyone who is trying to get healthy. A few of the benefits, I found on eheathmd.com, are:
  • Because fiber demands that food be more thoroughly chewed, it slows down the eating process and helps contribute to a feeling of being full, which in turn can help prevent obesity from overeating.
  • Fiber makes food more satisfying, probably because the contents of the stomach are bulkier and stay there longer.
  • Fiber slows digestion and absorption so that glucose (sugar) in food enters the bloodstream more slowly, which keeps blood sugar on a more even level.
So how much fiber should you get? According the American Dietetic Association, a healthy diet needs 20-35 grams of fiber per day. It is important to include both soluble and insoluble fiber in that amount. A great tip on how to identify whether a food is considered fiber, also from ehealthmd.com: only plants produce fiber.

My favorites are fruits and vegetables. I can tolerate eating some whole grains, like bread and cereal. What I can’t eat is whole-grain pasta and brown rice. They just taste too bland to me (so if anyone has a recipe that incorporates these to make them tastier, please share!) And finally what I would rather starve than eat (okay, maybe I’m being a little melodramatic, but it disgusts me nonetheless): beans. I haven’t tasted a bean by itself or in a recipe that I liked.

But like all things, it is best to ease into increasing fiber. The ehealthmd.com website suggests introducing high-fiber foods gradually, over two to four weeks. And to drink plenty of water. They say eight glasses a day, but I’ve never been able to reach that amount so I’m not going to push it here.

9 comments:

  1. When I started drinking water, I had to force myself but now I look for it. Yum. And I love my friut and veges (wish my hubby liked them as much I do)

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  2. So very hard to do the 'right' things, but I've back at the gym again, so one step at a time. :0)

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  3. I found your blog on the A to Z challenge, and I'm dismayed to learn that blogging doesn't burn hundreds of calories. In fact, extra pounds can actually come from cyberspace? Fiber to the rescue. I guess I'll go eat a paper bag now. Good luck with the challenge!

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  4. I didn't know fiber slowed digestion. For some reason I thought it sped digestion up. But then, I guess bananas have fiber in them and I know they slow digestion.

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  5. I mostly get fiber from fruits and veggies too. Pasta is not readily available here. When I lived in the US, I ate pasta a lot just because it was cheap. Have you tried mixing the pasta? Half whole wheat and half regular. I had a friend who hated the taste and use to mix it that way she still got at least some of the fiber but not all of the bland taste.


    Dafeenah

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  6. As a vegetarian, I have to rely on a lot of fibre and protein from pulses.. Thankfully they're readily available here.. :)

    Following you from A-Z challenge!

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  7. I know I don't eat enough fibre. Slapping my wrist right now!

    Ellie Garratt

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  8. Great and useful advice. Wonderful choice for "F." As someone that works out quite regularly, fiber is all-too important. And I too, love a steady supply of fruits and vegetables (well mostly fruits).

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