How Much Fiber Do You Need A Day?

All Bran Challenge – All Bran Cereal

I recently purchased a high fiber cereal by Kellogg’s called All Bran Strawberry Medley. On the back of the box they have an All Bran 10 Day Challenge. They are challenging consumers to eat one serving of All Bran cereal for 10 days. They claim that due to fiber’s positive influence on our digestive system that we will have more energy and become more regular.

Are you up to the challenge?

High Fiber Snacks

High fiber snacks are a great way to help you get your recommended 25-35 grams of fiber each day. Most high fiber snacks are also low in fat and calories, making them an excellent choice if you are trying to shed some pounds. Below are some examples of high fiber snacks.

• High Fiber Cereal Snack – Snacking on high fiber cereals
To make a high fiber cereal snack first pick out your favorite high fiber cereal. In order to qualify as a high fiber cereal try to choose a cereal that has at least 5 grams of fiber per serving. My favorite is Fiber One Honey Oat Clusters because it tastes pretty good and provides me with a whopping 13 grams of fiber per serving! Take your cereal and add dried bananas (yes, bananas have fiber too)/ other dried fruits that you like. I just take the Fiber One Honey Oat Clusters and add dried bananas and raisins. I take it to work with me and snack on it throughout the day.
• Snack on a Pear – A pear is an excellent source of fiber
A medium sized pear has approximately 5 grams of fiber. A medium sized apple has approximately 3 grams of dietary fiber.
• Fiber One Snack Bars or Kashi Go Lean Bars
Create your own high fiber snacks with the items and fruits and vegetables that you like! If you come up with a high fiber snack or recipe worth sharing please let us know. We would love to post it on our site so other people looking to add fiber to their diet could benefit as well.

Drinks with Fiber

I recently found that Kellogg’s All-Bran has a fiber drink mix on the market (All-Bran Fiber Drink Mix). It provides you with a whopping 10 grams of fiber and only has 20 calories per packet(you add the packet to water just like you would crystal light). If you do not like artificial sweeteners then you most likely will not like this drink because it does have sucralose added.

You can also easily add a fiber supplement called Benefiber into many hot or cold beverages. All you do is stir a few teaspoons into your drink and it will dissolve. The great thing about this fiber supplement is that it does not alter the taste or consistency of the beverage in any way. Try adding it to your morning coffee or even to your water. The company that makes Benefiber does not recommend mixing with carbonated beverages.

Best Fiber Supplement

We have received a few emails asking what is the best fiber supplement on the market? Before we answer that question, there are some questions that you have to ask yourself (or your doctor if you have special circumstances in terms of your intestinal tract, colon, etc). Finding the best fiber supplement depends on your needs, preference, and body. There are many different types of fiber supplements:

• Psyllium or Psyllium Seed Husks – Psyllium is a soluble fiber that is found in many high fiber cereals. These cereals have gained much attention due to the fact that they may reduce cholesterol levels. Psyllium is the main ingredient in supplements such as Metamucil and Fiberall. Psyllium can be taken daily and helps with constipation, IBS, and diverticulosis. Side effects? Psyllium may cause gas.
• Glucomannan – Glucomannan is found in an Asian plant, the konjac. Glucomannan is a soluble fiber that is sometimes added to noodles, stews, and sauces as a thickener. This supplement helps with constipation, cholesterol levels, and even obesity.
• Methylcellulose – Methylcellulose is actually chemically produced and does not occur naturally. Methylcellulose is mainly used to combat constipation as it creates a softer stool. This supplement can also be used to treat diverticulosis, hemorrhoids, and IBS. Citrucel is the best known supplement on the market.
• Calcium polycarbophil – Also synthetically produced, polycarbophil absorbs water in the intestine and creates a bulkier stool. Polycarbophil is mainly used as a laxative. Popular products include Fibercon and Fiber-Lax. These can be used to treat constipation, diverticulosis, and IBS.

As with any fiber supplement, make sure you start slow and make sure you drink plenty of water.

So, what is the best fiber supplement? Personally, I like Benefiber. It’s tasteless, odorless, and doesn’t clump up in liquids. Let us know what you think is the best fiber supplement.

Treating diverticulosis

Most of you who arrived at this post are probably already familiar with diverticulosis and are probably looking for treatment options. For those of you who don’t know what diverticulosis is, here is a quick definition from Wikipedia:

Diverticulosis, otherwise known as “diverticular disease“, is the condition of having diverticula in the colon which are outpocketings of the colonic mucosa and submucosa through weaknesses of muscle layers in the colon wall. These are more common in the sigmoid colon, which is a common place for increased pressure. This is uncommon before the age of 40 and increases in incidence after that age.

Basically, your colon wall becomes lined with mucus filled pockets which makes it difficult to pass stools. So, what is the recommended treatment for diverticulosis? Quite simply…eat more fiber. Fiber makes your stools retain water, thus making it easier to pass. If you are having trouble getting enough fiber in your diet, see our previous post that offers a sample high fiber diet.