All you need to know about High Fiber Diet

Posted on April 8, 2008 in Latest News

Are you depressed because you are overweight?? Think about High Fiber Diet plan. Fiber could be effective in cutting down those extra pounds in your weight. It is observed that people neglect fiber and don’t take sufficient amount of fiber daily. Fiber is not only useful in weight lose but prevents you from various conditions and illnesses.

How Much Fiber to Consume Daily?

According to US government dietary recommendation on an average 25gms of fiber is to be consumed daily. But according to UK government average daily requirement is approximately 18gms. Daily fiber consumption for women should vary between 21-25gms and for men 30-38gms. But according to statistic report an average person in US hardly consumes 11gms of fiber daily.

Types of Fiber:

Basically there are 2 types of fiber categorized as: Soluble and Insoluble Fiber. As the name suggests soluble fiber is easily and completely soluble in water whereas insoluble is not. The main function of soluble fiber is to reduce the blood cholesterol level. Where as insoluble fiber assist in elimination of waste material from the body. Hence both types of fibers are essential for proper functioning of your body. Apples, beans and other fruits are rich in soluble fiber and best source for insoluble fiber are vegetables and nuts.

Top 8 High Fiber Source:

Generally whole meal bread or bran flakes are considered to be the best source of fiber. But an average serving of about 40gms provides you with 5.1gms and 6gms of fiber respectively. Below is the list of food items which serve as the ultimate source of fiber:

Beans: Different varieties of beans like kidney beans, baked beans, etc serve as an ultimate source of fiber. ½ a tin of baked beans will provide you with 7.9gms of fiber.
Raspberries: Shocked to see raspberries in high fiber food list. But 100gms of raspberries contains 6.5gms of fiber.
Whole grain pasta: A serving of 90gms dried weight whole grain pasta contains 8.1gms of fiber.
Crisp bread: You can use them as a best alternative for sandwich. Around 4 crisp breads contain 6gms of fiber.
Potatoes: 300gms of medium sized potatoes gives you around 4.8gms of fiber.
Oatmeal: 50gms of oats contain 3.5gms of fiber. In case you want to add on the fiber content then add few raisins in it.
Lentils: 100gms of lentils contains 4.9gms of fiber.
Mixed nuts, fruits or seeds: A typical mix of fruits and nuts of 50gms contains 4.7gms of fiber.

9 Fiber Facts: You need to know

Fiber is essential and powerful nutrient in your diet. But research study says that most of the people don’t take this nutrient seriously. Here are 9 facts everyone should know about fiber:

Fiber is essential in fighting against diseases like colon cancer. Fiber is highly effective in curing constipation. It not only helps in eliminating waste material but also essential to regulate cholesterol levels.
It can also help you in overcoming your overeating problem. Since high fiber diet takes time to get digested hence makes you feel satisfied.
The best source of fiber are grains and concentrated grain foodstuffs.
Even children need to consume fiber daily. Children above 2yrs need to consume fiber daily. For children the best fiber sources are fortified breakfast cereals, fruits and vegetables.
As you increase your dietary fiber intake you also need to drink lot of water. This because water keeps fiber moving in the digestive tract. So at least you need to drink 8 or more glasses of water.
You cannot cook fiber. Hence fiber remains unchanged even after cooking. So you enjoy benefit of vegetable fiber even after it is cooked.
Excess of fiber (more than 50gms/day) might be harmful as it can interfere with the body’s assimilation property. Hence can cause bloating and diarrhea.
Popular food contains insufficient fiber content. So if you like to consume popular food then it is necessary for you to take fiber rich food also.
Lastly, by eating right food you can get daily sufficient amount of fiber daily. It is not that difficult to include fiber in your diet.

Benefits of High Fiber Diet:

There are numerous benefits of high fiber diet but few are listed below: