| Improving
your fiber intake goes well beyond bulking up on food that tastes
like straw. Adding more fiber to ones diet may be recommended
for the following health issues:
To lose weight
Prevent hemorrhoids
The prevention of diabetes type 2
Reduce cholesterol levels
Decrease levels of glucose
Overcome irritable bowel syndrome
For the person who doubts the validity of a
fibrous diet, The National Academy of Sciences' Institute of
Medicine has made a few daily recommendations. Adult women under
the age of 50 should consume 25 grams a day. Men under the age
of 50 should have an intake of 38 grams per day. In aging adults,
women over 50 should eat 21 grams and men should have an intake
of 30 grams.
Regardless of anyones age or gender, adequate
fiber intake is a necessity. Boosting intake is a matter of
including a combination of raw or cooked vegetables, fruits,
whole-grain products, peas, legumes and dried beans.
Just because pasta, white bread and fruit juice
do not count as the best sources of fiber, there are other means
of acquiring sufficient amounts of fiber. Unlike foods high
in fiber, processed or refined foods are significantly lower
in than other foods. Use the following non-processed fiber guide
to include in your diet:
Apple, (medium with skin) 3.3
Raspberries (1 cup) 8.0
Boiled Broccoli (1 cup) 5.1
Cooked Green beans (1 cup) 4.0
Cooked Brown rice (1 cup) 3.5
Air-popped Popcorn (2 cups) 2.4
Cooked Split peas (1 cup) 16.3
Boiled Red kidney beans (1 cup) 13.1
Whole-wheat bread (1 slice) 1.9
Whole-wheat spaghetti (1 cup) 6.3
Oatmeal (Regular, cooked or instant) (1 cup) 4.0
Oat bran muffin (medium) 5.2 |
