This week's Hellthy Habit is upping your fiber intake. The recommended daily [12] intake is 38 grams for men and 25 grams for women (which drops to 30 & 21 grams respectively for everyone over 51 years).
JUST
A WORD OF WARNING: fiber is not the thing you on which to go
overboard!! You definitely want to work your way up slowly, otherwise,
your stomach, intestines, and anyone living, working, or within a 10
feet radius won't be thanking you very much!!!
The first thing you need to do is figure out how much fiber your
getting already and then set about to increase it several grams a day
until you've reached your goal. So, how to up your fiber intake?
Fruits
Veggies
Whole Grains
Beans
Of course you can use supplements (think Metamucil or FiberOne),
but in the long run getting fiber from food is better, as foods that
have the most fiber, like fruits & veggies, have other benefits
(vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc, etc.).
So what's the point of bulking up your diet?
Not only does the fiber make you more regular (good pooping is
important!), but it lowers your risk for heart disease by lowering your
cholesterol and regulating your blood sugars (which also reduces your
risk of developing diabetes), and it helps you feel fuller longer, which
of course helps curb your appetite. No matter how you look at it, you
can't go wrong with more fiber!
~a little salt for your bloody mary & celery, for the fiber of course!
PS--don't forget to drink water, it helps the fiber work better!
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