Not So Boring Fiber
In the 1800s, Sylvester Graham traveled up and down the East Coast, praising the virtues of fiber, and leaving behind the legendary graham cracker! Unfortunately, the graham cracker in today’s market does not count as a fiber source, but scientific evidence supports this early promotion of fiber as part of a healthy diet. If you’re like most Canadians, you’re probably not getting enough fiber each day. In fact, it’s estimated that most people need twice as much as they’re getting (25g each day).
Fibers can be classified as “soluble” or “insoluble” based on their properties. As the name suggests, “soluble fiber” dissolves in water, whereas “insoluble fiber” does not.
Soluble vs. Insoluble Fiber
Soluble fiber, aka soft fiber, helps regulate blood sugar, lowers blood cholesterol levels, and delays gastric emptying by forming a gel in your intestines (think about blobs of Jello in your digestive system to visualize what I mean). Sources include: oat bran, oatmeal, legumes, brown rice, barley and pectin rich fruits (apples, strawberries, and citric fruit).
Insoluble fiber, aka roughage, helps prevent constipation and bowel problems, and may reduce the risk of bowel cancers (colon). Because this fiber doesn’t dissolve in water, it passes through the intestines quickly and speeds up the passage of food and waste. Sources include: wheat bran, flax, whole grain breads and cereals, and fruits and vegetables.
…Are you sold on fiber yet?
If not, here are some helpful tips for eating more fiber:
Start your day off right by eating a high-fiber cereal (at least 4 grams per serving), with no more than 5 or 6 grams of sugar – sorry!
Eat at least one vegetarian meal a week, which usually implies that beans will be your meat alternative. Baked beans, kidney beans, or red lentils contain 6 grams of fiber per serving!
Choose whole grains.
Eat slowly and give your system time to adjust.
As you increase fiber, drink more fluids!
Thanks Mr. Graham for all your hard work!
S’more anyone?
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Image courtesy of PerfectSnacks
