Fiber

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  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    I take psyllium husk powder in the morning, it's a natural root powder that literally is pure fiber.

    where in the store is that stuff?
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    I take psyllium husk powder in the morning, it's a natural root powder that literally is pure fiber.

    where in the store is that stuff?

    Metamucil is psyllium husk. Find it in the pharmacy section.

    The "mixes clear" types of fiber, which I occasionally use and are in a lot of "high fiber" products, are generally chicory root.

    Incidentally, a traditional drink in New Orleans is "coffee & chicory" which is like dark roast coffee but a bit bolder and smoother. The chicory smooths out the bitterness of the dark roast.
  • castlerobber
    castlerobber Posts: 528 Member
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    I generally eat way too little fiber. Can someone please give me some tips on how to increase fiber intake without a whole lot of calories. Also what does fiber really do for you?

    You want to eat more fiber, but you don't know why...

    Fiber simultaneously speeds up your digestion, moving food through more quickly, and slows down your digestion, thus improving it. (Which is it, slower or faster? Cognitive dissonance, anyone?)

    Fiber helps with constipation. Just like when your sink drain gets clogged, you fill it full of more bulky stuff to force the clog out...oh, wait, you don't?

    My husband changed seizure medications two or three years ago. His neurologist warned him that the new med could be constipating, and that he should get plenty of fiber. Hubby started on a fiber supplement, drank lots of fluid, and was routinely constipated. Needed stool softeners on a regular basis. A couple of months ago, I stumbled across a link to a study that claimed that reducing fiber, not increasing it, could relieve constipation. I told hubby about it, and he decided to give it a try. He dropped the fiber supplements, and stopped forcing the high-fiber foods, instead eating normal amounts of fruit and veggies, and little bread. Guess what? The constipation is much improved.

    The link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22969234. Also, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23326148

    But..but...fiber prevents colon cancer! Got to eat lots of it! Oh, never mind, studies don't back that up. No benefit shown at all.

    According to the FDA:
    “Based on its review of the scientific evidence, FDA finds that (1) the most directly relevant, scientifically probative, and therefore most persuasive evidence (i.e., randomized, controlled clinical trials with fiber as a test substance) consistently finds that dietary fiber has no [preventive] effect on incidence of adenomatous polyps, a precursor of and surrogate marker for colorectal cancer; and (2) other available human evidence does not adequately differentiate dietary fiber from other components of diets rich in foods of plant origin, and thus is inconclusive as to whether diet-disease associations can be directly attributed to dietary fiber. FDA has concluded from this review that the totality of the publicly available scientific evidence not only demonstrates lack of significant scientific agreement as to the validity of a [preventive] relationship between dietary fiber and colorectal cancer, but also provides strong evidence that such a relationship does not exist.”
    U. S. Food and Drug Administration – Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling, and Dietary Supplements

    Now, why was it you wanted to increase your fiber, again?

    Yeah, I know, this wasn't what I was supposed to say, because it goes against what everyone "knows" is true. I shall bow out now.
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    I take psyllium husk powder in the morning, it's a natural root powder that literally is pure fiber.

    where in the store is that stuff?

    Metamucil is psyllium husk. Find it in the pharmacy section.

    The "mixes clear" types of fiber, which I occasionally use and are in a lot of "high fiber" products, are generally chicory root.

    Incidentally, a traditional drink in New Orleans is "coffee & chicory" which is like dark roast coffee but a bit bolder and smoother. The chicory smooths out the bitterness of the dark roast.

    Thank you.
  • lisaanne1369
    lisaanne1369 Posts: 377 Member
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    I do sugar free orange Metamucil mixed with tangerine emergen-C . it' has a nice orange zingy taste to it - maybe I 'll throw in some vodka ?!??
  • sammniamii
    sammniamii Posts: 669 Member
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    I use a powdered supplement in my protein shakes, mainly to offset the higher protein levels. Found out the hard way too much protein can be like dairy (or glue). Once I added a little more fiber, that stopped.
  • jpace00
    jpace00 Posts: 55
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    @castlerobber I didn't say that I wanted to increase my fiber per say, I just know that by the accepted standards I don't get much of it. As someone earlier suggested I do eat high fiber whole wheat or 12 grain bread but I don't eat much bread (usually 2 slices a day) My breakfast is usually a protein shake so I'm not getting any fiber there either. I generally have a very low fiber intake and was trying to understand why I "should" be taking more in as everyone seems to say.
  • sc0ttm0
    sc0ttm0 Posts: 6
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    I have a fiber one bar every morning on my commute with a bottled water. It's tasty and low in calories (140 I think).

    Almonds are a good source too, if you eat the unsalted variety long enough, they begin to taste delicious (the salted/smoked ones are way better, and if you eat them you'll not like the unsalted variety much at first).

    Two servings of almonds (two ounces) and one fiber one bar gives me 16g of fiber, which is exactly 16g more than before... it's not enough by itself, but I get plenty from the rest of my diet.

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fiber-foods/NU00582
  • sc0ttm0
    sc0ttm0 Posts: 6
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    The "should" part is easy...

    from the mayo clinic website:

    "Fiber — along with adequate fluid intake — moves quickly and relatively easily through your digestive tract and helps it function properly. A high-fiber diet may also help reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes. "

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fiber-foods/NU00582
  • castlerobber
    castlerobber Posts: 528 Member
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    Can someone please give me some tips on how to increase fiber intake
    I didn't say that I wanted to increase my fiber per say,

    Sorry, I must have misunderstood?

    The point is, maybe you don't need to increase your fiber, at least not to the huge amounts some are striving for. If you eat a reasonable number of servings of fruit and vegetables, maybe a serving of nuts a day or a small serving of beans, you probably get enough fiber. Insoluble cereal fiber isn't particularly beneficial; the soluble fiber that comes from oats (for instance) may have some benefit. I think psyllium husk (e.g., Metamucil) contains both.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    I generally eat way too little fiber. Can someone please give me some tips on how to increase fiber intake without a whole lot of calories. Also what does fiber really do for you?
    You seem to consistently get 15-20 grams a day. I wouldn't really worry about it much. It would be a good idea to try to get some more veggies, whole grains, beans, or other high-fiber foods though.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    I generally eat way too little fiber. Can someone please give me some tips on how to increase fiber intake without a whole lot of calories. Also what does fiber really do for you?

    You want to eat more fiber, but you don't know why...

    Fiber simultaneously speeds up your digestion, moving food through more quickly, and slows down your digestion, thus improving it. (Which is it, slower or faster? Cognitive dissonance, anyone?)

    Fiber helps with constipation. Just like when your sink drain gets clogged, you fill it full of more bulky stuff to force the clog out...oh, wait, you don't?

    My husband changed seizure medications two or three years ago. His neurologist warned him that the new med could be constipating, and that he should get plenty of fiber. Hubby started on a fiber supplement, drank lots of fluid, and was routinely constipated. Needed stool softeners on a regular basis. A couple of months ago, I stumbled across a link to a study that claimed that reducing fiber, not increasing it, could relieve constipation. I told hubby about it, and he decided to give it a try. He dropped the fiber supplements, and stopped forcing the high-fiber foods, instead eating normal amounts of fruit and veggies, and little bread. Guess what? The constipation is much improved.

    The link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22969234. Also, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23326148

    But..but...fiber prevents colon cancer! Got to eat lots of it! Oh, never mind, studies don't back that up. No benefit shown at all.

    According to the FDA:
    “Based on its review of the scientific evidence, FDA finds that (1) the most directly relevant, scientifically probative, and therefore most persuasive evidence (i.e., randomized, controlled clinical trials with fiber as a test substance) consistently finds that dietary fiber has no [preventive] effect on incidence of adenomatous polyps, a precursor of and surrogate marker for colorectal cancer; and (2) other available human evidence does not adequately differentiate dietary fiber from other components of diets rich in foods of plant origin, and thus is inconclusive as to whether diet-disease associations can be directly attributed to dietary fiber. FDA has concluded from this review that the totality of the publicly available scientific evidence not only demonstrates lack of significant scientific agreement as to the validity of a [preventive] relationship between dietary fiber and colorectal cancer, but also provides strong evidence that such a relationship does not exist.”
    U. S. Food and Drug Administration – Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling, and Dietary Supplements

    Now, why was it you wanted to increase your fiber, again?

    Yeah, I know, this wasn't what I was supposed to say, because it goes against what everyone "knows" is true. I shall bow out now.

    This is an excellent post.
  • kmccormick42
    kmccormick42 Posts: 78 Member
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    Fiber One Bars!
  • likeabanner
    likeabanner Posts: 88 Member
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    My fiber intake is supposed to be 55g/day, but that's super unrealistic for me.

    I use the clear fiber powder, lots of berries, apples, beans, and dark green leafy vegetables. I also go to wheat breads instead of white. If I am short for the day, I usually just go to the calorie powder and work it into my drinks for the day. It's tasteless.

    55?? According to who?
    My gastro. I had 2 scopes done last year for TMI reasons, but the culprit was not enough fiber. We tried tapering me down to say 30-40g daily and the problems started back up again. So sad.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    My fiber intake is supposed to be 55g/day, but that's super unrealistic for me.
    use the clear fiber powder, lots of berries, apples, beans, and dark green leafy vegetables. I also go to wheat breads instead of white. If I am short for the day, I usually just go to the calorie powder and work it into my drinks for the day. It's tasteless.

    55?? According to who?
    My gastro. I had 2 scopes done last year for TMI reasons, but the culprit was not enough fiber. We tried tapering me down to say 30-40g daily and the problems started back up again. So sad.

    Holy cow. That's a big number. At least it's under a doctor's orders though.
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    My fiber intake is supposed to be 55g/day, but that's super unrealistic for me.

    I use the clear fiber powder, lots of berries, apples, beans, and dark green leafy vegetables. I also go to wheat breads instead of white. If I am short for the day, I usually just go to the calorie powder and work it into my drinks for the day. It's tasteless.

    55?? According to who?
    My gastro. I had 2 scopes done last year for TMI reasons, but the culprit was not enough fiber. We tried tapering me down to say 30-40g daily and the problems started back up again. So sad.

    I feel for you.
    My oldest son has GI issues, so we have to make sure he gets good food in him w/ decent fiber Or he can get backed up very badly, and then he is out of commission for a week.....til he gets it worked out.

    So we have to keep him on Mirilax and Zantac.
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
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    My fiber intake is supposed to be 55g/day, but that's super unrealistic for me.

    I use the clear fiber powder, lots of berries, apples, beans, and dark green leafy vegetables. I also go to wheat breads instead of white. If I am short for the day, I usually just go to the calorie powder and work it into my drinks for the day. It's tasteless.

    55?? According to who?
    My gastro. I had 2 scopes done last year for TMI reasons, but the culprit was not enough fiber. We tried tapering me down to say 30-40g daily and the problems started back up again. So sad.
    I don't know if everyone missed it or what but just go to a bulk food store and get psyllium husk. It's what they use in all these fibre products for a fraction of the cost and you can put it in whatever you like to eat in whatever quantities you need.
  • coolraul07
    coolraul07 Posts: 1,606 Member
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    My fiber goal is 40g/day and I reach it more often than not. Here are my go-to choices::
    • clear fiber powder = 3g/serving
    • medium Fuji/Gala apple = 5g
    • black beans = 9g/srv
    • large banana = 3g
    • Fiber One choc. bar = 9g
    • Almonds (dry roasted; no sodium) = 5g/srv

    40?? Why so high?

    Reasoning is #TMI and #TL;DR, but I can say:
    1) It was neither constipation nor diabetes (though I do have a STRONG family history of the latter)
    2) I went over my research and before/afters with my PCP and he signed off on the number.

    I do NOT advocate such a high amount on a frequent basis without doctor approval. 20-25g is enough for most. I just show from personal experience that it can be easily achieved (e.g. 4 apples/day and done).
  • jess1992uga
    jess1992uga Posts: 603 Member
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    I have opposite problem and get WAY too much fiber and here is how...maybe we can learn to meet in middle haha

    Fiber one cereal 1/2 cup=60 calories=14g fiber
    Vitacake fudgy=50 calories=7g fiber
    Tumaro's high fiber tortilla=7 g fiber
    Light bread 2 slices=80 calories=6 g fiber
    Ole Extreme high fiber tortilla=70 cals=5 g fiber
    Thomas English muffin Light=100 cals for whole thing=8 g fiber (higher fiber and lower cal than their double fiber bran)

    Then there is just the fiber found in prunes, apples, spinach, other fruits and veggies.

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