Are you fiber smart?

I consider myself very conscious of general nutrition issues and specifically the need for fiber (or fiber in some countries) in my diet. However, what I recently discovered is that I wasn’t getting as much fiber as I thought. Then I set out to become more “fiber-smart,” and here’s what I learned.

I already knew from personal experience that increasing my fiber intake had eliminated the word constipation from my life. That felt good! I also learned that the extra fiber is probably lowering my chance of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attack, cholesterol, and obesity.

When I studied my diet using the “USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference,” available free from the United States Department of Agriculture. I found that although my fiber intake had improved, I was not doing as well as I thought. Experts recommend that women consume 25 grams a day, or 21 for people over 50. Men need 38 grams per day, or 30 for the 50+ group.

What was I doing to increase my intake? I got a lot of my fiber from bran cereals (you know how they say breakfast is important!), which is great for fiber. Unfortunately, wheat bran contains phytates, which are chemicals that bind to minerals and make them inaccessible to the body. Therefore, I needed to increase the fiber that I was getting from fruits and vegetables. In this category I focused on salads to supply fiber. The database told me that lettuce is not as good a source as I had thought, a typical salad only provides one gram of fiber.

Another factor that must be taken into account is that there are 2 types of fiber, soluble and insoluble. Legumes, oats, barley, apples, pears, strawberries, and citrus fruits mostly have the soluble variety. Bran, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and many vegetables are primarily of the insoluble variety. You need a balance, and experts suggest that just under one third should be soluble and the other two thirds should be insoluble. Therefore, more vegetables than fruits.

Let’s look at 10 additional tips to increase your fiber intake.

(1) Do you use white bread for your sandwiches? Those 2 slices have one gram of fiber. Switch to whole wheat bread and you’ll triple the fiber content.

(2) Try to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables. Some of the best vegetables are lentils, beans, peas, artichokes, Brussels sprouts, carrots, beets, corn, broccoli, and cauliflower. Some of the best fruits are passion fruit, elderberries, raspberries, oranges, pears, apples, figs, and raisins. Whenever possible, leave the skins on, but well washed.

(3) For your three servings of whole grains, you can choose from brown rice, whole grain breads, wild rice, and oatmeal.

(4) Start your day with a high-fiber cereal. I always have some bran flakes, and the side of the box says there are 5 grams per serving. Another trick is to take your favorite cereal, even if it’s low in fiber, and add some 100 percent bran cereal to it. Another trick is to sprinkle berries, raisins, nuts, seeds (flax seeds are great), or dried cranberries on your favorite cereal.

(5) Look for recipes that use vegetables like navy beans, lentils, black beans, or chickpeas. Google is great for this.

(6) Here is one that surprised me. Popcorn is high in fiber! Just don’t load up on butter and salt.

(7) Unless you or a loved one is allergic, eat nut products as a snack.

(8) Only use fiber supplements in emergencies. Strive to get your fiber directly from natural sources.

(9) When you go shopping, learn to read the nutrition information on the side of checkouts at the grocery store.

(10) As you increase the fiber in your diet, you also need to increase the amount of water you drink. Not coffee; do not pop; not even juice; Water!