What IS fiber anyway? Fiber is the portion of plant food
that cannot be digested. The two forms of fiber are soluble and insoluble. Soluble means that it dissolves in water. Insoluble,
on the other hand, does not dissolve in water.
We need fiber in our diet for several reasons. Fiber will keep your bowels regular and reduce your chances of disease. It
prevents constipation and the risk of colon cancer. It can keep you from eating too much, therefore maintaining a healthy
weight is easier. And it is possible that fiber helps to control cholesterol and blood sugar levels when eaten as part of
a healthy diet.
Good sources of soluble fiber are foods such as apples and citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, and oat bran. Insoluble fiber
can be found in foods such as
legumes, vegetables, wheat bran and whole grains. It is best to get your fiber intake from food instead of fiber supplements. Natural
fiber is more beneficial to your body.
Eating foods that are high in fiber is recommended for good health. The amount of fiber suggested for each person varies,
but as a general rule, adults should eat 25g-30g of fiber each day with at least 1/3 of your fiber intake from soluble fiber.
When you are talking about children, their intake is a little different. Just take the child's age and add 5 to it.
For example: My son is 3 years old, so I give him 3+5=8g of fiber each day.
It keeps him regular so I don't have to worry about him having health problems related to bowels.
This seems to be just the right amount of fiber for him, so the "age +5" theory works pretty well.
If you take in too much fiber, it can cause problems for you too. You may experience diarrhea or bloating and
it could interfere with your ability to absorb minerals. So, don't eat too much fiber either!
