We are half way through my 31 Days of Clean Eating, Meal Planning and Prep series and I cannot be more excited to talk with you about Fiber!
Yep it is my FAVORITE F-Word because without fiber we would be in a world of hurt.
It is recommended that most adults and children should have 25-30 grams a day, but sadly many of us fall short of the recommended amount.
Why Eat Fiber?
There are several reasons why we should eat fiber. First off fiber is a substance found in plants.
Dietary fiber, the kind you can eat is found in fruits, grains and vegetables.
Fiber is a carbohydrate that the body cannot break down, but it does help regulate the sugars in the body and helps clean it out.
Fiber is known to boost your heart health, it reduces your risk of diabetes, and makes weight loss easier. Yep, that is right, up to a pound a week lighter when consuming the correct amounts of daily fiber!
Fiber rich foods tend to have fewer calories, fiber helps keep you full longer, and takes up a lot of space when eaten in your stomach.
There also is a study that the National Cancer Institute did where it linked those who consumed a lot of fiber to less rates of cancer causing longevity in a person’s life.
(1) Schatzkin, et al., “Dietary fiber and whole grain consumption in relation to colorectal cancer in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2007 May
There are two types of fibers insoluable and soluable.
Insoluble fiber
This fiber type cannot be dissolved in water. This type of fiber does a help food move through your digestive system and helps with keeping your body regular, preventing constipation.
Soluble fiber
This fiber does dissolve in water, helps lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels.
Ways to get your fiber:
- Eat raw fruits and veggies.
- Get those beans into your diet.
- Start your morning off with a fiber cereal or breakfast bar.
- Make sure you eat whole grains rather than stuff like white pasta or breads.
The next time you think about an F-word think about fiber and what it can do for your health!
Tomorrow I am going to share with you why water is so important to clean eating.
