By Patty Endres, Garden Square at Westlake Assisted Living
When I think of fiber I think of yucky things that don’t taste good, like the old-timey drink mixtures that tasted horrible and made you feel like an overfilled balloon. But there are a lot of great foods that put fiber into our diet. But first let’s talk about why fiber is so important. It’s that thing called elimination. We want it go smoothly, so to speak, but there are other health benefits that I didn’t know about. Proper fiber in the diet can lower cholesterol, regulate weight and reduce blood sugar levels. Fiber works in the system to soften stool and produce fermentation in the gut, which sounds terrible, but it helps to fight infection and chronic diseases. But there’s one thing you need to remember the eating fiber. You need to drink plenty of water. The fiber simply can’t do its job if you don’t soften it with fluids. If you don’t care for water, you can drink juices or herbal teas, but remember caffeine can counteract what water is trying to accomplish. So, coffee and soda with caffeine doesn’t count for fluid intake.
Now on to the foods- Fiber-rich fruits include: bananas, oranges, apples, mangoes, strawberries & raspberries. Veggies include carrots, beets, broccoli, collard greens, Swiss chard, spinach, artichokes & potatoes (russet, red, and sweet.) Beans and legumes are flavorful, fiber-filled additions to salads, soups, and chili. Navy, white, garbanzo & kidney beans, peas, or lentils are a few. Choose 7-grain breads, dark rye, cracked wheat or pumpernickel. Make sure “whole wheat” or other whole grain is listed as the first ingredient. Try bulgur wheat, brown rice, wild rice, and barley instead of white rice. And look for cereals with 5 or more grams of fiber per serving. So, you can see there are several yummy alternatives for fiber. Give some of them a try, drink your water & make your gut happy and healthy! Food choices obtained from Metawellness.com/.