What foods do you recommend for a high fiber diet?
March 31, 2010 by admin
Filed under Weight Loss Questions
I am dealing with hemorrhoids, and I’m only twenty two, but they have gotten pretty bad. As a result, i’m trying to eat a high fiber diet. Usually it consists of
–apples and pears
–triscuits
–raisin bran/raisin nut bran
–oatmeal
–whole grain pasta
Can anyone tell me what foods they eat that help them increase fiber in their diet? I know that regular fruits and veggies should do the trick, but its not in this case. I am going to see my doctor tomorrow, because its gotten so bad, but whether or not i have to have it surgically removed, I am still going to need a high fiber diet. It would be great if there were any snack foods you could suggest that I could munch on throughout the day. I guess you could say I’m looking for very high fiber foods in particular. A super fiber food (if you will). Any suggestions? The more specific the better.
Thanks!
Be careful about suddenly increasing your daily fiber intake. If you suddenly add large amounts of fiber to your diet, you may experience bloating, diarrhea, and severe stomach cramping. It is best to add fiber to your diet gradually, eating small amounts of fiber rich foods. Additional fiber can be added slowly until you are consuming a healthy amount.
Tips for Eating Fiber
* Eat a variety of foods
* Do not completely rely on fiber supplements
* Limit your intake of processed foods
* Increase your fiber intake gradually
* Try to consume 25 to 35 grams of fiber every day
Types of Fiber
There are two main types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fibers dissolve in water. Soluble fibers include: pectin, guar, carrageenan, gums, mucilage, and oat bran. Insoluble fibers do not dissolve in water. Insoluble fibers include cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin.
You already said most of the stuff I was gonna say! But here are a few more:
Bean based foods,like chili are high in fiber, or maybe you might just enjoy eating beans.
Whole wheat/whole grain bread
Whole wheat tortillas
Brown rice
Bran muffins
You want to take in as much insoluble fiber as you can, that is bran fiber. Anywhere you see bran, that is what you should be going for. If you are really having trouble increasing your fiber you can take Metamucil which is a fiber supplement, however, be careful, your body can only take so much fiber and if you go much higher than 35g per day, chances are its not going to have any benefits.
Like one of the previous answerers said, too much fiber really is not helpful. High fiber snack foods include dried fruit and nuts, and also Metamucil has something like cookies.
I really like black beans and pinto beans. If make a taco or burrito with a whole wheat tortilla, lots of lettuce, tomatoes and salsa, I make sure and load up on pinto or black beans. It is delicious, too.
Eating out, I can often order a taco salad with black beans. Delicious!
If I had to eat one more bran muffin, I was going to die.
I use to work in a hospital, and attended a lunch-time seminar put on by our nutrition department. They told us that beans and legumes were the best source of fiber.