Check out my progress on Fiber Talk
Recently, I’ve had fiber on the brain. Between discussing its effect on diabetes management in my classes and reading about it in the news, I’ve been contemplating my own fiber intake…and realized that my diet is pretty fiber-tastic. Just how fiber-tastic? Let’s take a look at the numbers.
- The recommended intake for the average adult is 25-30 grams per day.
- Intakes of 44-50 grams of fiber per day have been shown to help with glycemic control.
- According to some food diaries I had completed for a project a few years ago, I get anywhere from 65-80 grams of fiber per day.
Normally, with an intake of a nutrient intake that exceeds the recommendation by so much, I would be concerned about toxicity or other adverse effects. However, a high-fiber diet doesn’t really pose much risk. In fact, a high-fiber diet may decrease your chance of breast cancer risk. Nonetheless, it is important to note that, due to its effect on stool formation (sorry!), a high-fiber diet may decrease your absorption of valuable vitamins in minerals.
Do you eat a fibrous diet? What are you favorite high-fiber foods? I really love my veggies, obviously, but I also eat an apple a day, copious amounts of chickpeas, and plenty of oat bran—all of which probably contribute to my sky-high fiber count.
Let’s take a look at the day’s eats, shall we?
I started off what is sure to be a rough week with a lovely, comforting bowl of pumpkin oat bran.
Once home from work and class, I made a hot bowl of Tortilla Soup.
The evening meal featured Ellie’s Sweet and Sour Brisket.
My tweaks:
-I used tofu instead of brisket.
-I omitted the peppercorns…mostly because I didn’t feel like digging around in my pantry to find them. So shoot me.
This meal was pretty amazing. The sauce for the brisket lived up to its name perfectly—sweet and sour. It was a little reminiscent of ketchup, which made it ideal for dipping those sweet potato fries:) I also really loved how the raisins plumped up in the cooking process so that they were juicy little gems of sweetness. The major benefit of using tofu instead of beef here was that I didn’t have to wait two to three hours for it to cook. I just waited for it to get hot and bubbly (about 20-30 minutes) and dumped it on my plate.
Alright, I need to get some studying done! Good night 
Filed under: Meals
Caroline Yoder, dietitian-to-be and all-around foodie.
Have fun studying! The “brisket” looks fab
I eat a high-fiber diet without even really realizing that I eat a high-fiber diet. My natural preferences are for things like veggies, whole grains, beans, etc., so I don’t really have to make much of an additional effort. I’ve also never had issues with the effects of “too much” fiber, if you know what I mean, and in fact have had the opposite problem more often than not.
What’s key is to remember to hydrate along with all of that fiber, which is no problem for me, as I drink water like a freaking fish (do fish drink water? You get my point.)
Can’t eating too much fiber cause stomach troubles/discomfort? I know fiber is excellent for you, but I thought too much could be bad?
BroccoliHut Reply:
October 11th, 2011 at 8:56 pm
Yes, lots of fiber can cause GI discomfort, but if your body tolerates it without any problems (like mine) then there’s not much to worry about.
What would your suggestions be to someone that does experience discomfort? My stomach has been hurting lately and I’ve figured it’s either milk or too much fiber. I’m trying out soy milk to see if it helps but if all fails, then I think it’s the fiber. I don’t want to give up eating healthy, though. Are there any health foods that have no/low fiber?
You definitely can get too much fibre, and it can really inhibit vitamin/mineral absorption. It’s all about balance, just like anything else in your diet.