A few years ago I followed a great eating guide that had only one requirement - eat 30 grams of fiber per day. In addition to regulating blood sugar, lowering cholesterol and keeping your colon shiny clean, fiber rich foods fill you up. So much so, that once you've gotten your 30 grams in, its hard to fit any junk in! Here are a few tips I've collected for ramping up your fiber.
Eat two apples per day, preferably within the hour before lunch and dinner. Apples pack in 5 grams of fiber each, Pectin to help lower cholesterol, procyanidin B-2 to refresh the skin AND they act as a natural toothbrush. It's no wonder Eve couldn't resist!
Mix a mega fiber cereal with a cereal you love. If you're a Saturday Night Live fan, you'll remember the spoof on high fiber cereals called "Super Colon Blow". I still think its hilarious. All bran doesn't taste great but it goes down a lot better with some Honey Bunches of Oates!
Beans, beans the magical fruit....we'll leave it at that. Kidney beans, garbanzo beans black beans all add loads of fiber to your day. Fiber contents vary but you can count on 7-9 grams of fiber per 1/2 cup. Dump some beans over whole grain brown rice - I like Truroots!
Make your own fiber loaded trail mix or muffins for your purse or desk. I know its not as exciting as the chocolate that resides in the break room, but we are on a mission here, right?
If all else fails....don't fear the Metamucil, Benefiber or Fibercon.
Finally, when shopping for fiber filled foods like cereal, bread and rice remember that the fiber resides in the husk of the grain and the FIRST listing of ingredients must say the word "WHOLE" when referring to the grain. Watch out for the trick of listing the "whole" grain second. Whole grains are more expensive and they think we're stupid enough to fall for it! When dealing with fruits and vegetables, the fiber resides in the skin of the fruit, the stringy part of the celery, etc. Go organic whenever possible. When cooking vegetables for fiber, make sure to steam only - its possible to lose half the fiber content in conventional cooking.
You're amazing! See you in the gym!
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