Fiber - The Next Piece Of The Puzzle

Fiber is such an important part of a healthy diet.  But the very sound of the word conjures images of tree bark or straw.  The truth is that many of my  (and I bet your) favorite foods are rich in it - fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

I've talked a lot about the importance of eating a low fat diet.  But when it comes to certain, especially hormone-driven cancers, the other piece to the power-eating puzzle is eating high fiber.  Lignin, a form of fiber, actually has anti-estrogen effects in the body, and can be potent medicine in helping to stave off breast cancer.  Besides this anti-estrogen affect, it is believed that fiber can bind with carcinogens in the gut, rendering them harmless.  Recommended levels are 25-35 grams a day, which corresponds with the "5 or more a day" recommendation for fruits and vegetables, and the 5 or 6 servings per day of whole grains, cereals, and legumes. 

There are two types of fiber: insoluble fiber which increases bulk in our digestive tract and helps us eliminate impurities; and soluble fiber, which actually lowers the cholesterol in our blood and helps fight inflammation.  For that reason, it is important to make sure that you are getting both types in your diet.  The following lists contain common foods for each category:

Insoluble Fiber (Increases Bulk)
Green Beans
Brown Rice
Peas
Nuts
Seeds
Wheat Bran
Whole-Grain Products
Skins of Fruits and Vegetables

(The above items contain about 3 grams of fiber for Nuts (1 o.z), 4 grams for Green Beans (1 cup), 5 grams for an Apple with its skin, up to 6 grams for 1 cup Whole Grain Pasta, up to 7.9 grams for a cup of Brown Rice, and 8.8 grams for a cup of Peas. )

Soluble Fiber (Lowers Cholesterol)
Barley
Brocolli
Carrots
Fruits, esp. Citrus
Corn
Legumes
Oat Bran
Oats (a great way to start your day!)
Potatoes
Rye

(A medium Carrot has 2.6 grams, Corn has 4.6 per cup, a medium Potatoe with skin (sweet or regular) has almost 5,  1 cup Brocolli has 4.5, Oats have 3 grams per 1/4 cup serving (dry), but your power fiber comes from beans.  Black beans have 14 grams of fiber for a 1 cup serving!  Other beans have between 6 grams for Garbanzo beans to 8.6 for both Soybeans and Lima Beans, and 11.6 for Kidney Beans.)

As you can see, getting fiber into your diet is easy.  If you prefer to start your day with a cold cereal rather than oatmeal, an excellent and delicious high fiber cereal is Kashi's Go Lean, which comes in at least 4 different varieties, including Go Lean Crunch, Go Lean with Almonds, and Go Lean Crisp (which has berries in it).  A good-sized serving of beans or lentils can get you over halfway the daily recommended allotment of fiber.  And if you add some whole grains and fruit, you're there!  

A note on cholesterol and fiber - it has been shown that if you eat a cup of oatmeal every day for breakfast, it can actually lower "bad" (or LDL) cholesterol.  Add to that a cup of beans and you have powerful medicine.  I actually have a friend who lowered her cholesterol by sticking faithfully to such a diet. She did not want to take medication if she didn't have to - and succeeded!  Since there are different causes for high cholesterol, including purely hereditary ones, your results may vary.  But I promise you, making fiber a regular part of your diet can only help!

Until next time, happy and healthy eating!