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Fixing your Hormone Problems with Fiber, Part 2



I hope you were inspired by my last post to start incorporating more fiber into your diet. I was inspired enough to write another post to share more helpful tips.

But first, a word of caution. Don’t just buy something because it has “fiber” in the name.  I do not want to specifically denounce any products on the shelves but if it says "fiber" but it’s drizzled with caramel, coated in chocolate, neon colored or something you would otherwise only think of eating on your birthday...it’s way too processed to be considered food! Do not eat it.

What about products labeled as a “Good Source of Fiber” or “High Fiber”?
Many cereals, bread products, granola bars and snacks use nutritional claims for marketing purposes. For a product to claim it is a “good source of fiber” it must contain between 2.5 grams – 4.9 grams of fiber per serving and those labeled as “high fiber” must have at least 5 grams of fiber per serving. To put these numbers in perspective before you pay extra for a food product with one of these claims, here's the fiber in a serving of some common foods:


Apple, 5 grams

Pear, 6 grams

Kiwi, 2 grams

Sweet potato, 4 grams

Broccoli, 3 grams

Black beans, 8 grams per ½ cup

Hummus, 4 grams

More tips to replace foods low in fiber with foods high in fiber: 
  • Bean soup or lentil soup are good lunch options, especially in the winter months and early spring when we may have trouble digesting raw garden salads.
  • Adding two tablespoons of ground flax seeds to your oatmeal adds 4 grams of fiber.
  • Check your “whole grain” bread products for fiber content. Sprouted bread such as Food for Life* brand has 3 grams of fiber per slice and their English muffins have 3 grams of fiber in each half!
  • Choose better cereals by finding the highest fiber and lowest sugars per serving: Nature’s Path* Optimum Slim cereal has 9 grams of fiber and 6 grams of sugars per serving, Kashi* brand Autumn Wheat has 6 grams of fiber with 7 grams of sugars per serving.
  • Anytime you are baking replace 1/2 of the called for all purpose flour with whole spelt flour or whole wheat graham flour, each have four times the amount of fiber of all purpose flour.
  • Use hummus or avocado instead of mayo in sandwiches.
(*I do not receive compensation, financial or otherwise from any of the companies mentioned)

 



                                                                                                                                                                               

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