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Fabulous
Fiber
Fiber
comes from plants, not animal foods.
It is highest in fresh fruit, vegetables,
whole grains, and dried beans and peas. Nuts
and seeds contain fiber, but are also high
in fat and calories so be careful with these.
At all times, but especially during pregnancy, a high fiber diet is recommended
to prevent constipation. This means a goal or 25 to 35 grams of fiber
a day. Most people who eat a high fat, high meat diet or who rely on processed
foods do not get enough. In fact, 10 to 11 grams is the estimated daily
fiber intake of typical westernized diets. Low-fiber diets are strongly
linked to colon diseases and a high fiber diet provides protection.
As you
increase fiber in your diet, do it slowly and increase fluid intake. This
is important because the action of fiber is facilitated by water. The
two must work together. Normally,
6 to 8 cups of fluid per day is recommended. With a high fiber intake,
you may need to boost this a bit more.
Two
types of fiber, soluble
and insoluble, contribute to total dietary fiber. These two act quite
differently in the intestine. You need both of them, but may want to emphasize
one over the other depending on your goals. Look for "total fiber"
in the table below. Compare the soluble to insoluble fiber contributions.
| FIBER
CONTENT OF SELECTED FOODS |
| Food |
Serving
Size |
Total
Fiber (gms)
|
Soluble
Fiber (gms) |
Insoluble
Fiber (gms) |
| Fruits |
| Apple,
with skin |
1
medium |
4.2
|
1.6 |
2.6 |
| Banana |
1
medium |
2.3
|
0.7 |
1.6 |
| Grapes |
1
cup |
0.6
|
0.1 |
0.5 |
| Orange |
1
medium |
2.5
|
1.6 |
0.9 |
| Pear,
Bartlett |
1
medium |
4.0
|
0.8 |
3.2 |
| Prunes,
dried |
4 |
3.1
|
1.3 |
1.8 |
| Strawberries |
1
cup |
1.6
|
0.6 |
1.0 |
| Vegetables |
| Beans,
green, cooked |
1/2
cup |
2.0
|
0.8 |
1.2 |
| Broccoli,
raw |
1/2
cup |
1.5
|
0.1 |
1.4 |
| Brussel
Sprouts, Cooked |
1/2
cup |
3.6
|
1.7 |
1.9 |
| Carrot,
raw |
1
medium |
2.6
|
1.1 |
1.5 |
| Cauliflower,
raw |
1/2
cup |
1.0
|
0.4 |
0.6 |
| Celery,
raw |
1/2
cup |
0.9
|
0.2 |
0.7 |
| Corn,
cooked |
1/2
cup |
4.7
|
0.2 |
4.4 |
| Lettuce,
Butterhead |
1 cup |
1.3
|
0.6 |
0.7 |
| Lettuce,
Iceberg |
1 cup |
1.0
|
0.3 |
0.7 |
| Lettuce,
Romaine |
1 cup |
0.7
|
0.3 |
0.4 |
| Peas,
cooked |
1/2
cup |
4.4
|
1.2 |
3.2 |
| Pepper,
green, raw |
1/2
cup |
0.9
|
0.3 |
0.6 |
| Potato,
with skin |
1 medium |
2.4
|
0.6 |
1.8 |
| Sweet
potato, peeled |
1 medium |
3.4
|
1.7 |
1.7 |
| Tomato |
1
medium |
1.3
|
0.3 |
1.0 |
| Dried
Beans and Peas (cooked) |
| Blackeyed
peas |
1/2
cup |
4.1
|
0.5 |
3.6 |
| Garbonza
beans |
1/2
cup |
4.0
|
1.2 |
2.8 |
| Kidney
beans |
1/2
cup |
8.2
|
3.6 |
4.6 |
| Lentils |
1/2
cup |
4.5
|
0.7 |
3.8 |
| Pinto
beans |
1/2
cup |
10.3
|
3.9 |
6.4 |
| Split
peas |
1/2
cup |
3.4
|
1.1 |
2.4 |
| Breads/Rice/Pasta |
| Pumpernickel
bread |
1
slice |
1.0
|
0.5 |
0.5 |
| Rye
bread |
1
slice |
1.6
|
0.7 |
0.9 |
| Sourdough
bread |
1
slice |
2.8
|
0.9 |
1.9 |
| White
bread |
1
slice |
0.6
|
0.3 |
0.3 |
| Whole
wheat bread |
1
slice |
2.2
|
0.5 |
1.7 |
| Brown
rice |
1/2
cup |
1.8
|
0.2 |
1.6 |
| White
rice |
1/2
cup |
0.6
|
0.2 |
0.4 |
| Wild
rice |
1/2
cup |
1.3
|
0.2 |
1.1 |
| Spiral
pasta, cooked |
1
cup |
1.3
|
0.2 |
1.1 |
| Spiral
pasta, whole wheat. cooked |
1
cup |
3.7
|
0.7 |
3.0 |
| Nuts
and Seeds |
| Almonds |
1/4
cup |
3.9
|
0.4 |
3.5 |
| Cashews |
1/4
cup |
1.1
|
0.6 |
0.5 |
| Peanuts,dry
roasted |
1/4
cup |
2.5
|
0.7 |
1.8 |
| Walnuts |
1/4
cup |
1.4
|
0.5 |
0.9 |
| Sesame
seeds |
1/4
cup |
3.3
|
0.7 |
2.6 |
| Sunflower
seeds |
1/4
cup |
2.2
|
0.7 |
1.5 |
| Breakfast
Cereal |
| All-Bran
with Extra Fiber |
1/2
cup |
15.0
|
1.0 |
14.0 |
| Bran
Buds |
1/3
cup |
10.7
|
2.8 |
7.9 |
| Cherrios |
1
cup |
1.6
|
1.0 |
0.6 |
| Corn
Flakes |
1 cup |
0.7
|
0.4 |
0.3 |
| Fiber
One |
1/2
cup |
13.0
|
1.0 |
12.0 |
| Oatmeal,
cooked |
1
cup |
4.0
|
2.4 |
1.6 |
| Shredded
Wheat, small biscuits |
1
cup |
4.2
|
0.7 |
3.5 |
| Total
Raisin Bran |
1
cup |
6.0
|
0.9 |
5.1 |
Insoluble
Fiber
Insoluble fiber
doesn't absorb water, it simply adds bulk to your stool. It helps to sweep
everything through. If you put wheat bran in water, the water will evaporate,
but the bran will not have absorbed any water. This type of fiber helps
to prevent constipation, diverticulosis and colon diseases.
Soluble
Fiber
Soluble
fiber helps hold stools together. It can be helpful for people who
have diarrhea, or loose stools. It can also help in the management
of high cholesterol by trapping cholesterol particles in intestines.
This fiber works by absorbing water and forming a soft, sticky gel.
As a result, stools form and hold together better when soluble fiber
is included in the diet.
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