Nutrition 101 - Fiber
Talk of fiber seems to be everywhere these days. We wanted to help you break it down!
Fiber is so important! Fiber comes from plant-based food and passes through your system undigested. Some fiber types dissolve in water (soluble), while others do not (insoluble). Both soluble and insoluble fiber are essential for your health.
Dietary fiber is usually described as "soluble" or "insoluble" based on its ability to dissolve in water. For example, the inner portion of an apple contains soluble fiber, whereas the peel is made of insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber contributes to a feeling of fullness and helps maintain a healthy weight. Fiber may slow the absorption of sugar and help improve blood sugar levels. That is especially true of soluble fiber. Soluble fiber also serves as a food source for the beneficial bacteria that inhabit the digestive tract. A healthy diet that includes soluble and insoluble fiber may also lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. Soluble fiber found in beans, oats, flaxseed, and oat bran may keep the body from absorbing some cholesterol from other foods. As a result, it may lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also called "bad," cholesterol levels in the blood. High-fiber foods may affect heart health differently, such as lowering blood pressure and lessening swelling in the body or inflammation.
The insoluble fiber in plant foods helps move waste products through the digestive tract. It also provides bulk to the stool and is beneficial in preventing constipation, hemorrhoids, and diverticula (or little out pouchings in the colon). Increasing fiber consumption increases estrogen clearance (hence the importance of certain breast cancer prevention/reoccurrence) and eliminates other toxins from the body. Getting more fiber is linked with a lower risk of dying of any health condition, including heart disease.
The Dietary Reference Intakes for dietary fiber (soluble and insoluble fiber, combined) are as follows:
men, age 50 and under | 38 grams per day |
women age 50 and under | 25 grams per day |
men, over 50 | 30 grams per day |
women over 50 | 21 grams per day |
Most Americans do not get enough fiber!
So, how do I get more fiber in my diet?
Food labels have the fiber amount listed just below the total carbohydrates. The important thing is to SLOWLY increase your fiber so that you do not experience any adverse gastrointestinal side effects from suddenly filling your system with fiber. I would say start low and slow then work your way up to the goal.
I usually give my patients a cheat sheet because most of us do not know how much fiber is in foods that are not labeled. Here are some examples:
Fruits:
Apple with skin 1 - 4g
Avocados 1- 9g
Blackberries 1 cup - 8g
Blueberries 1 cup - 4g
Cranberries 1 cup - 5g
Dates 3 - 2g
Grapes 1⁄2 cup - 1g
Kiwi 1 - 2g
Orange 1 - 3g
Pear with skin 1 - 5g
Legumes:
Black Beans 1 cup - 15g
Chickpeas 1 cup - 15g
Kidney Beans 1 cup - 16g
Lentils 1 cup - 16g
Lima Beans 1⁄2 cup - 6g
Split Peas 1 cup - 16g
White Beans 1 cup - 19g
Grains:
Brown Rice 1 cup - 4g
Oats 1⁄2 cup - 5g
Quinoa 1 cup - 8g
Wild Rice 1 cup - 3g
Nuts, Seeds & Other
Almonds 1 oz - 3g
Cashews 1 oz - 1g
Chia Seeds 2T - 10g
Flax Seeds 2T - 6g
Macadamia Nuts 1 oz - 2g
Pistachios 1 oz - 3g
Pumpkin Seeds 2T - 2g
Let us know how this goes this week!
All material was gathered and researched through my amazing fellowship program, The Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine.
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