Roughing It!

To quote Havard University's School of Public Health [14]: it's time to start roughing it!

Here are some recommendations they make for increasing fiber

1. Eat whole fruits instead of drinking fruit juices.
2. Replace white rice, bread, and pasta with brown rice and whole grain products.
3. Choose whole grain cereals for breakfast.
4. Snack on raw vegetables instead of chips, crackers, or chocolate bars.
5. Substitute legumes for meat two to three times per week in chili and soups.
6. Experiment with international dishes (such as Indian or Middle Eastern) that use whole grains and legumes as part of the main meal (as in Indian dahls) or in salads (for example, tabbouleh). 

Okay, so how?  Well, again, the good folks at Harvard (all on the same website link above), nicely provide us a list of foods that you can add to your diet to increase both types of fiber (because they are both equally important!)

Soluble fiber is that which dissolves in water and is responsible for helping lower your cholesterol and regulating your blood sugar.

• Oatmeal, oatbran
• Nuts and seeds
• Legumes
• Beans
• Dried peas
• Lentils
• Apples
• Pears
• Strawberries
• Blueberries

Insoluble fiber is that which does not dissolve in water, and thus, really good at cleaning you out!

• Whole wheat bread
• Barley
• Couscous
• Brown rice
• Bulgur
• Whole grain breakfast cereals
• Wheat bran
• Seeds
• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini
• Celery
• Tomatoes

Also, another great source of information on fiber is www.dietaryfiber.com which will provide you will all the information--and much more--you could ever want or need to know about fiber!

And again (yes, you're getting this on ever fiber post!) remember to drink your water and take it slow on increasing your fiber to avoid any unfortunate, um, side effects!

~a grain of salt for your bloody mary (because it has tomatoes and a celery stick, both of which help boost your insoluble fiber!)