Fiber Supplement - Suggestions?

JustJenn419

When speaking to a friend recently, she told me that she uses a fiber supplement in the morning and it helps suppress her appetite from mid-morning cravings. It also helps with her daily intake as she was not getting enough in her diet with the foods she was eating.

After reviewing my own diet, I realized that I do not get anywhere near the recommended daily intake of fiber that I should be getting. I was considering using a supplement but have concerns. I don't want it to over-suppress my appetite. And of course, I have the normal "fiber" fears.

I would appreciate any suggestions, feedback, comments, or personal experiences that you may have.
Thanks!!!

vmessyness

i would just focus on getting as many fruits and vegetables into your system as possible. legumes too. they're all quite high in fiber. also add "fiber" as one of your tabs you track on MFP. but seriously, you don't need a supplement as long as you're consuming lots of plant-based food.
i track my fiber consumption, and i'm always way over my suggested amount. my diary is open if you want to get some ideas about what kinds of foods are high in fiber.
also, my digestive system is like iron clad. don't worry too much about that!

SuffolkSally

I used to take a capsule supplement years ago when I was doing Atkins, but really I think it's better to try to get it from food. I think the recommended minimum is 14g which isn't that hard to achieve really - I've set mine higher following genetic clinic advice about a family history of bowel cancer. The problem with supplements is that you are missing out on the other nutrients which are in the high fibre food, if you see what I mean.

Do remember to check for yourself that the nutritional information on foods you add is correct - unfortunately some people when entering food on the database only bother to enter the information they are interested in, not the full set - sometimes it's only the calories! I was thinking earlier that my day looked surprisingly low in fibre, and realised that some numpty had put black eye beans on the database as having zero fibre!

JustJenn419

I'm not looking for a full supplement. FiberOne is a powder that is mixed with whatever you're drinking and provides 3g of fiber. It's more of a boost than a supplement I guess.

adbayne

If you really want to boost your fiber intake without the use of a supplement/boost, increase your consumption of raw fruits and vegetables. If you peel your fruits and vegetables, you are often times taking away much of the fiber. When looking for vegetables, look for 'dark leafy green'.

Also, while low fat or fat free items often have less calories, they can also be less filling. So if you have room in your calorie/fat count... go with the regular version of whatever you buy fat free (unless you are really watching your fat intake). If you eat FF yogurt for breakfast, you will be hungry soon than if you had eaten regular yogurt. Eating protein at breakfast (oatmeal, turkey sausage, nuts, etc) can also slow the digestion of what ever else you have eaten, leaving you feeling fuller, longer.

If you are more active during the day light hours, concentrate your caloric intake during these times. You aren't doing your metabolism any favors by skimping on nutrients/calories during the day, then consuming a large amount of calories in the evening when we are less active (I'm guilty of this one). So go ahead and eat when your body says you are hungry! Just be balanced and sensible.


If you're concerned about the unwanted side effects of fiber supplements (bloating, gas, etc.), try looking for fiber 'caplets' rather than capsules. They are concentrated differently, and don't cause cramping, bloating, and gas.

tomhancock

Benefiber is the one that blends the best. The others I've tried were grainy.

However, if you aren't getting the right amount of fiber chances are you aren't eating right anyway. Try to eat more whole grains in place of whatever carbs you are eating now.

osucristinamo

Psyillium Husk. You can find it at most health food stores, or on Amazon. You add it to water, juice or smoothies. It's 100% from nature, and works great!

jasonp_ritzert

Psyillium Husk. You can find it at most health food stores, or on Amazon. You add it to water, juice or smoothies. It's 100% from nature, and works great!

I second this, you can add it to oatmeal too, it makes it very thick or they make it in pill form as well, which is what I take.

SuffolkSally

I'm not looking for a full supplement. FiberOne is a powder that is mixed with whatever you're drinking and provides 3g of fiber. It's more of a boost than a supplement I guess.

Yeah I hear what you're saying - when I first started MFP I looked at fibre supplements too (I take loads of other stuff!). But why not experiment with your diet a bit first?

If you're getting hungry mid-morning then I'd guess you're not eating enough for breakfast - try having something high protein like eggs - a two whole egg omlette with something like mushrooms or chicken is surprisingly low calorie for the feeling of fullness it provides.

And you could try for a week to plan your meals so they do give you sufficient fibre from natural dietary sources - google for a list of high fibre foods and plan to incorporate those you like (you could maybe learn to like!) into your meals.

Anyway there's really no right answer - and it's certainly better to be getting enough fibre in however you get it. It will help your digestion and may help you feel fuller - it's just fairly nutrionally empty, and in terms of reducing bowel cancer risk the advice I've had is to seriously up vegetable intake, especially of the leafy dark type.