Fiber is essential in any diet for keeping things flowing and helping us feel full throughout the day. Fiber is a form of carbohydrate that the body can’t break down and digest. There are two forms of fiber and it is equally important to include both in our diets for optimal health and benefits.

Soluble Fiber is water soluble, meaning it will turn into a gel like substance in water. This type of fiber is great for keeping things moving along in your GI tract. Some examples of foods that contain soluble fiber are vegetables such as artichokes, tomatoes, and carrots; fruits such as bananas, oranges, blueberries, and apples; and other sources like fortified breads and cereals, some nuts, some seeds, and dried beans.

Insoluble Fiber is usually found in plants (specifically in their cell walls). This type of fiber will help ensure regular bowel movements and add some bulk to them. Some examples of foods that contain insoluble fiber are: dark leafy green vegetables (think spinach, kale, broccoli, etc), celery, root vegetables, whole grain seeds, fruit and vegetable skins (think eating a potato with the skin).

Benefits of Regularly Eating Fiber:

• Regular bowel movements
• Feeling more full throughout the day
• Can help lower cholesterol
• Boosts a healthy gut

How Much Fiber:

The standard fiber recommendation for the average woman is 25g a day and for men its 35g a day. Another recommendation standard is eating 15g of fiber for every 1,000 kcal consumed. Some people are better able to tolerate high fiber intakes than others. If you are someone who has IBS, IBD, or another GI tract issue you may feel better with more or less fiber depending on flare ups.

How to Incorporate More Fiber:

Incorporating more fiber into your diet can be done my simply eating a variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the day. You can also start reading nutrition labels while food shopping (most products will usually break down the fiber content under the carbohydrates and will usually even designate whether or not it is soluble/insoluble). If you are not used to eating high quantities of fiber, start by adding it into your diet slowly to see how your body handles it.

There are a few things to keep in mind where fiber is concerned. Eating excess amount of fiber 50g+ / day can cause some constipation or bloating. Eating more fiber than you’re used too (specifically soluble fiber) can cause the scale to spike because your body will be holding onto extra water (this is not a big deal and is just a reminder to not panic every time the scale spikes).