Are any of you struggling to maintain your weight? It seems like a lot of the people I talk with are. Weight maintenance can be a tricky balancing act! To try and maintain his weight, one of my friends lowered his caloric intake a bit, but he found that his stomach was growling within an hour after every meal! My friend is a smart guy and knew he was still eating enough calories. So the other day, he came to me, wondering why he was so hungry.
After he and I reviewed a food log that he had been keeping, we found the culprit: fiber! It turns out that my friend’s fiber intake was really low. Most days of the week he was consuming less than 10 grams of fiber! Meanwhile, the recommended fiber intake for adults is 20-35 grams a day.
So once my friend realized he wasn’t getting the amount of fiber he should, he had a few questions about what he should know about fiber. Here’s some of the background information I gave him.
There are two types of fiber: insoluble (doesn’t dissolve in water) and soluble (dissolves in water). Insoluble fiber helps keep our bodies regular while soluble fiber slows down the speed food is emptied from our stomach. And that is the reason that fiber can help you feel full longer. If you feel full longer, you’ll be less inclined to snack on excess calories which can help you maintain your weight!
If you are like my friend and are ready to start adding more fiber into your diet, here is a list of some foods and their fiber content:
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Black beans (1 cup, cooked): 15 grams
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Broccoli (1 cup, boiled): 5.1 grams
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Oatmeal, 1 cup: 4 grams
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Apple (medium with the skin): 4.4 grams
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Banana (medium size): 3.1 grams
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Almonds (1 oz.): 3.5 grams
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Baked potato (medium size with skin): 2.9 grams
For those of you who haven’t been consuming much fiber, I would suggest increasing your intake slowly, allowing your body has time to adjust. I began adding a few grams a day until I got up to 25 grams. Increasing your fiber intake too quickly may cause bloating, gas or abdominal discomfort.
For more foods and their fiber content, visit MayoClinic.com. The Today Show has a great article on the subject, as well!