{"id":32779,"date":"2014-10-08T07:15:42","date_gmt":"2014-10-08T11:15:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=32779"},"modified":"2016-07-14T16:05:40","modified_gmt":"2016-07-14T20:05:40","slug":"how-much-fiber-high-fiber-foods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/how-much-fiber-high-fiber-foods\/","title":{"rendered":"Are You Getting Enough Fiber?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Fiber
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fiber may not be the sexiest nutrient around, but it is one of the most important. Staying regular is far from the only health benefit of this type of carbohydrate<\/a>, says Tanya Zuckerbrot, M.S., R.D., author of The F-Factor Diet<\/i><\/a>. \u201cFiber does help prevent constipation, but it also helps protect against heart disease, diabetes and various cancers,\u201d she says. \u201cSo adding foods rich in it to your diet is one of the best things you can do to increase your chances for a long, healthy life.\u201d Read on to learn if your diet is lacking and the best way to increase your intake of this dietary powerhouse.<\/p>\n

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“Many people rely too much on processed foods \u2014 and those have been stripped of fiber.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Facts on Fiber
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So how exactly does this nutrient benefit your body?\u00a0 Fiber can decrease your risk of heart disease and stroke by lowering cholesterol<\/a>, says Zuckerbrot. \u201cFiber absorbs cholesterol in the gastrointestinal tract and removes it from the body before it can reach the bloodstream and clog arteries,\u201d she explains. Consume enough of it and your chance of developing diabetes also drops by 30 percent<\/a> \u2014 because it helps you maintain a healthy weight by stabilizing blood sugar levels, says Zuckerbrot. Fiber can also slash your risk of breast cancer and getting more than 30 grams a day has been shown to lower your risk of colon cancer<\/a> by 40 percent.<\/p>\n

The nutrient promotes clear skin, good sleep<\/a> and a flat belly (by nixing bloating) and can pump up your energy levels as well, says Zuckerbrot.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b>20 Healthy Snacks Under 200 Calories<\/a><\/p>\n

The Right Dosage
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Even if you think your diet is nutritious, you likely aren\u2019t consuming enough fiber. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) recommends a daily intake of at least 25 grams for women<\/b> and 38 grams for men<\/b>. Yet the average American takes in a measly nine to 11 grams per day. <\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the reasons is that many people rely too much on processed foods \u2014 and those have been stripped of fiber,\u201d says Zuckerbrot. Get an inadequate amount and you could suffer from constipation, bloating, nausea or constant hunger. Weight gain or dramatic swings up or down in energy after you eat can be signs you need to up your intake too, says California-based nutritionist Michele McRae, M.S., C.N.<\/p>\n

The recommended AND guidelines don\u2019t vary depending on your activity level \u2014 but if you work out a lot, make sure you\u2019re downing eight to 12 glasses of water daily. If you don\u2019t replenish the liquid you lose through sweat<\/a>, the fiber you ingest might not have access to enough water to soften it and help it move through the GI tract, warns Zuckerbrot.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b>10 Ways to Stay Hydrated (That Aren\u2019t Water)<\/a><\/p>\n

How to Get More\u00a0
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\u201cTo get the most bang for your buck, you need to eat a wide variety of fiber-rich foods,\u201d says McRae. She advises consuming both soluble <\/b>and insoluble<\/b> fiber.\u00a0The soluble variety turns into a gel-like substance in your stomach, where it slows digestion (to increase nutrient absorption), removes toxins, and helps you feel full. You can find it in oats<\/a>, oat bran, peas, beans, apples<\/a>, carrots and citrus fruit such as oranges. Insoluble fiber soaks up water (to make you feel fuller) and helps the body eliminate waste quickly and efficiently. It\u2019s found in whole-wheat bread and pasta, wheat bran cereals, nuts<\/a> and cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower and kale.<\/p>\n

Getting your fiber from food is always ideal, says McRae, \u201cbut a supplement can help you fill any dietary gaps.\u201d She notes that they\u2019re especially helpful for anyone on a calorie-restricted diet, for pregnant women and for anyone experiencing symptoms of low fiber intake. One McRae recommends trying: Rainbow Light\u2019s Fiber Garden Gummies, which provide four grams of fiber per serving.<\/p>\n

Take It Easy
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It might seem like a cure-all, but be careful not to go overboard on fiber, warns McRae. \u201cIt is possible to take in too much and an excessive amount can decrease the absorption of certain nutrients, including iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium and beta carotene.\u201d If you want to start elevating your intake, ramp it up gradually, suggests Zuckerbrot, as increasing the amount you consume too quickly can cause cramping, bloating and diarrhea. \u201cThe good news is that within a few days, your body will become accustomed to the increased intake and the symptoms will stop,\u201d she says. And within weeks, you can begin reaping the healthy benefits.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fiber doesn’t just aid digestion; it also protects against heart disease and diabetes. Read on to learn if you\u2019re getting enough fiber-rich foods in your diet. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":32781,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,7],"tags":[126,71,345,350,215],"class_list":["post-32779","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-health","tag-fiber","tag-nutrition","tag-tax1conditions","tag-tax2type-2-diabetes","tag-vitamins"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32779","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32779"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32779\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32781"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32779"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32779"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32779"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}