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Improve Your Health with a High Fiber Diet

Taking positive steps toward a healthier lifestyle means incorporating healthier foods into your diet. Everyone knows certain foods can positively impact your physical wellbeing, but did you know some foods can improve your health in such a way that reduces your risk of serious diseases like cancer? Specifically, foods that are high in fiber can improve your digestion and lower your chances of colorectal cancer. This Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, learn more about a high-fiber diet and how it can lead to a healthier, happier, and longer life.

What is fiber?

Fiber is an indigestible carbohydrate found in plant-based foods. Fiber can be broken down into two types — soluble and insoluble — both of which can be found in a wide variety of foods. Benefits of fiber include:

• Helps keep the digestive system healthy by treating constipation, hemorrhoids, diverticulosis, and feeding the good bacteria in our digestive tract
• Lowers blood cholesterol and assists in maintaining healthy glucose levels
• Helps decrease inflammation
• Promotes healthy body weight by helping us feel fuller more quickly and for longer periods of time following a meal
• Protects against many types of cancer, including colon and other cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, ovarian, endometrial, and breast cancer

How much fiber do you need daily?

The amount of fiber you should consume daily depends on both sex and age. Men ages 18-50 should consume 38 grams of fiber per day, while men older than 50 should eat 30 grams. Women ages 18-50 should eat 25 grams daily, while women older than 50 should eat 21 grams. Additionally, the USDA recommends eating 14 grams per 1,000 calories.

Tips for increasing fiber intake

• Increase the fiber in your diet slowly to give your digestive system time to adjust.
• Be sure to drink plenty of fluids — especially water — every day to prevent constipation.
• Choose whole grain bread, cereals, pasta, rice, and crackers when possible.
• Add berries, nuts, and seeds as well as nut butters to your cereal, yogurt, smoothies, and salads. For example, add a handful of walnuts, 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed, and ½ cup of raspberries in your oatmeal.
• Add beans, peas, and lentils to soups, stews, chili, tacos, casseroles, salads, and dips.
• Eat fruit or choose a fruit-based dessert for meals and snacking.

Fiber content of foods

Fruit

 

Vegetables

 

 

Beans/Peas/Lentils

 

 

Nuts & Seeds

 

 

Whole Grain Bread, Cereal, Pasta, & Rice

 

 

Culbertson dietitians can help you create a healthier diet and are available for consultations each Wednesday. For a referral, contact your primary care physician. To schedule an appointment, contact Patient Registration at (217) 322-4321, ext. 5271.