Fiber is one of the foundations of wellness ! Fiber not only promotes health, it also help reduce the risk for some chronic diseases. For instance, fiber prevents constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis. Fiber is also linked to prevent some cancers especially colon and breast cancer. In addition, fiber may help lower the LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) and the total cholesterol therefore reducing the risk of heart disease. Furthermore, fiber can help lower blood sugar therefore help better manage diabetes.

What are the types of fiber?

There are two types of fiber:  Soluble Fiber and Insoluble Fiber
Both soluble and insoluble fiber are undigested and  therefore not absorbed into the bloodstream.   Instead of being used for energy, fiber is excreted from our bodies. Soluble fiber forms a gel when mixed with liquid, while insoluble fiber does not. Insoluble fiber passes through our intestines largely intact. Thus they act  like a toothbrush cleaning the inside of your digestive tract .

Insoluble Fiber

Functions of Insoluble Fiber

• passes thru intestines largely intact
• move bulk through the intestines
  control and balance the pH (acidity) in the intestines

Benefits of Insoluble Fiber

• promote regular bowel movement and prevent constipation
  remove toxic waste through colon in less time
  help prevent colon cancer by keeping an optimal pH in intestines to prevent microbes from producing cancerous substances

Food Sources of Insoluble Fiber

• Vegetables such as green beans and dark green leafy vegetables
  Fruit skins and root vegetable skins
  Whole-wheat products
  Wheat bran
  Corn bran
  Seeds & Nuts

Soluble Fiber

Functions of Soluble Fiber

• foms a gel when mixed with liquids
• bind with fatty acids
  prolong stomach emptying time so that sugar is released and absorbed more slowly

Benefits of Soluble Fiber

• lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) therefore reducing the risk of heart disease
  regulate blood sugar for people with diabetes

Food Sources of Soluble Fiber

• Oat/Oat bran
  Dried beans and peas
  Nuts
  Barley
  Flax seed
  Fruits such as oranges and apples
  Vegetables such as carrots
  Psyllium husk

How much fiber do we need?

An average diet contains 75%:25% insoluble fiber: soluble fiber. When making a food choice decision, don’t worry about choosing a specific type of fiber. Many foods such as oat, oat brans, psyllium husk and flax seed are rich in both insoluble and soluble fiber. Eating enough fiber is more important! The be healthy, you need 30 to 40 grams of fiber a day. The average person only gets around 10. That’s just 1/3 of the optimum. Studies show only about 5% of the population eat the recommended amount.

Fiber Content of Foods By Amount

The following fiber sources are specifically ranked for fiber content. The “A” category is the highest, with over 7 grams per serving. “B” is next with 3 or more. And “C” foods have less than 3 grams. For more detailed information, go to the list of high fiber foods with fiber content.

High Fiber Food Chart

Category A (more than 7 grams per serving)

Category B (more than 3 grams per serving)

Gen-Ji-Mai Rice ( Nutri-Whole Grain Brown Rice) – Tastes & looks similar to white rice yet has 64% more fiber, 286% more potassium, 582% more magnesium, 161% more Vit B6, 1021 more Vitamin E, 400% more antioxidants ( Gluten Free) 1 cup = 6 gm of fiber.

This rice can be purchased at T and T stores, 2KG is about $7.59.

Category C (less than 3 grams per serving)