By: Carissa Anderson, Elite Nutrition Intern

Fiber is an extremely important part of our diet, resistant to digestion, it helps keep us feeling full longer, while also contributing to so many other health benefits. The recommended daily intake for fiber is 25 grams for women, 35 grams for men. Since most adults are lacking I thought it might might be good to highlight just a few of it’s star qualities. Here is a little fiber 101..

Soluble fiber is called so because it is water soluble. When eaten it swells, prolonging digestion and keeping you feeling fuller longer. Excellent sources of soluble fiber are oats, bran, barley, nuts, flax seed, carrots, oranges and apples. Because of it’s slow absorption fiber also prevents insulin from spiking, which is a huge plus, especially for diabetics. Soluble fiber also lowers cholesterol and risk for heart disease.

Insoluble fiber is more prominant in dark, leafy greens, fruit and root vegetable skins, whole-wheat products, and nuts. Moving food through the body’s GI helps prevent constipation, and by removing toxic waste can lower risk for certain cancers like colon cancer.

Tips for a fiber-ful diet:

• Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables
• Choose whole-wheat products and pass on processed, enriched wheat products
• Brown rice, quinoa
• Nuts & Legumes

Soluble, insolube, as long as your including the above foods in your daily diet you are should be getting plenty of each. Give your day a jump start by eating a fiber-full breakfast. A bowl of oats and a handful of nuts can do wonders for a Monday morning!

What to do if you need more fiber

Track your food intake for a few days and if fiber is less than 20 grams a day, you should take steps to get more. But don’t just jump from 10 grams to 30 grams a day. Your body needs to gradually adjust. Otherwise, you could feel pain, bloating, or constipation! Yuck… To avoid, increase your water intake and add about 5 grams a day until you reach your goal.