More Health Talk: How to Keep you Movin’ & Groovin’ with FIBER!

Morning!

So glad you all are entering that Chobani giveaway! It’s pretty awesome stuff and I’m glad you agree. For those of you who haven’t entered yet, get on it! 

Onto bigger and better things. I’ve been doing some posts kind of inspired by my experiences as a health & nutrition counselor. We’ve talked about  how carbs are NOT the devil, why fats don’t make you fat and even protein.

Today it’s time to discuss another important facet of eating….fiber. Yes, fiber. The stuff that makes you…ya know…go.

Let me be the first to tell you….(well hopefully..NOT the first, but the LAST so you actually do it!)

Put down the Fiber One and walk away. Fiber is NOT just found in Fiber One. I promise.

First, like always, lets go over…what is fiber?

Fiber is super important because it has an influence on the digestion process from beginning to end: (source)

• Fiber actually makes you chew your food well. 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.
• 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. (IE: NO sugar highs and CRASHES)
• Fiber is broken down in the colon and the simple organic acids produced by this breakdown helps to nourish the lining of the colon.
• These acids also provide fuel for the rest of the body and may have an important role in metabolism.

There are also two types of fiber: (source)

• Insoluble fiber is mainly made up of plant cell walls, and it cannot be dissolved in water. It has a good laxative action. Insoluble fiber offers many benefits to intestinal health, including a reduction in the risk and occurrence of colorectal cancer, hemorrhoids, and constipation.
• Soluble fiber is made up of polysaccharides (carbohydrates that contain three or more molecules of simple carbohydrates), and it does dissolve in water. It has a beneficial effect on body chemistry, such as lowering blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Soluble fiber has many benefits, including moderating blood glucose levels and lowering cholesterol.

(It’s recommended to get a combination of both types of fiber, generally a 3:1 ratio of insoluble to soluble, but you don’t need to track this. Just eat fiber rich foods!)

Let’s Talk & Get the Facts:

• You should be getting 25-30g of fiber per day.
• Fiber is ONLY in plants… you cannot find them in animal products!
• Americans consume only 10% of the fiber they did 100 years ago.
• Fiber keeps your stool (yes I just wrote that) in good “shape” and keeps it moving.
• Fiber is the cell wall of plants. It keeps the plant protected.

How do you get the fiber you need? It’s NOT in junky cereals! You don’t need to be downing the Fiber One just to get what you need. Try WHOLE FOODS! (see the WHOLE FOOD pattern here?!)

To give you an idea, 1 medium apple has 5g of fiber, 3 figs have 10.5g, 1 slice watermelon 4g, steam broccoli 4g, artichokes 4.5g, zucchini 3g, black beans 10g, 1/2 cup oats 4gs!

For more fiber grams check this out: fiber in fruit, fiber in vegetables, fiber in nuts, beans, grains!

Some favorite FIBER FILLED recipes are:

• Hemped up Hummus with carrots or Mary’s Gone Crackers
• Spelt Veggie Burgers
• Janetha’s Protein Packed Peach Muffins
• Pure2Raw’s Kale Artichoke Tomato Quiche
• Cat’s Chocolate Covered Strawberry Voluminous Oats

What’s your favorite FIBER RICH food? Have you ever thought you *HAD* to eat Fiber One to get your fiber in?

Tagged as: blogs, fiber, fiber one, fitfluential, health talk, healthy, protein, whole food, whole grains