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{Ask the RD} Fiber and Gut: how much do you really need?

Ask the RD fiber and gut

This month’s Ask the RD post is all about fiber and how much you really need. 

I discuss fiber quite a bit on Chocolate Slopes, and for good reason.  It not only helps manage weight by keeping you feeling satisfied longer, but it’s also great for your digestive system. Adequate amounts of fiber help lower cholesterol, reduce your risk of colon cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

Fiber is found in several food groups including fruits, vegetables, (whole) grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.

An important tip to know is when increasing your fiber intake, do so slowly and drink plenty of water.  This will help prevent unwanted side effects like gas or stomach cramps.

For those of you who like to see the specifics, here are the recommended fiber amounts based on age, but don’t worry too much about the number, just work on slowly adding higher fiber foods to your meals.

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Now to make it much simpler I have a sample meal plan below showing how to easily eat adequate amounts of fiber on any given day.

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Although I don’t include nutrition information with my recipes, you can assume that most of my recipes contain adequate amounts of fiber. This is because I cook with plenty of vegetables and try to use whole grains as much as possible. If you’d like to know more about whole grains, check out my Whole Grains: Consumer Confusion post.

I hope this post clears up any confusion.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

This post {Ask the RD} Fiber and Gut: How much do I really need? post first appeared on Chocolate Slopes.

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Kate

Tuesday 8th of September 2015

This a great way to write it all out. I like that you used a meal plan that exemplifies a pretty average eater. I tend to go overboard on fiber, but after realizing it's role in my digestive distress, I've backed off a little. Soluble fiber seems to be a little more gut friendly for me.

Kristy Hegner

Tuesday 8th of September 2015

That's great that you're consuming enough but sorry to hear it's caused you digestive distress. I'm glad you found what works best for you!

Lauren @ Eating with a Purpose

Monday 31st of August 2015

Great overview. My patients are always asking me how much fiber they should be eating- I think this is information rarely shared with the public- so thanks for sharing :)

Kristy Hegner

Friday 4th of September 2015

I agree Lauren. One of my goals is to help make nutrition information more applicable and easy to understand for the general public.

Liz

Monday 31st of August 2015

Interesting info.. didn't know the levels varied that much by age/gender! I'm right on track :)

Kristy Hegner

Friday 4th of September 2015

I'm glad it was informative and useful to you!

Carla

Monday 31st of August 2015

With my love of flax and Chia I swear I am one of the few… The very few :-) probably get a lot too much!!

Kristy Hegner

Monday 31st of August 2015

That's unusual - but great as long as it doesn't bother your digestive system :)

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