fiber (the never ending question)

Hey all,

I would like to increase my fiber intake without using supplements.  My nut states that based on a 600 - 800 calorie diet we need 6-8 grams of fiber.  Do you all get that much naturally...and if you do, do you still have any constipation problems?

 

Anne

When I was still doing daily shakes, I actually added spinach to mine. I was sooooooo regular...and it was green too! LOL sorry, TMI. I was definitely very constipated and only had bowel movements 1-2x's a week during the first few months. But once I committed to adding some type of green salads and broccoli, etc, I became regular on a daily basis. I also noticed that when I started doing spinach in my shakes and doing salads often, that I wasn't always so extremely cold all the time (good source of iron). Currently, I also eat quest protein bars often b/c they have 17 grams of fiber and 20+ grams of protein. Some people don't believe in them as a routine staple in our diet, but I do! The stats are great and it doesn't make me sabotage my daily calories.

Yep...the quest bar was what prompted my email exchange with my NUT.  Her desire is for me to get as much as possible from what she (and I) consider whole/clean/real food.  sigh.  I love spinach, but it takes 4 cups to get 2 grams of fiber.  All problems have a solution, right?

Thanks!

Anne

I usually get about 7 - 14 g of fiber daily and my daily calories run between 600 - 800, usually on the lower side. I don't take fiber supplements, although some things I use like protein shakes may have added fiber. Just as a sample, here are some of the things I have had over the past three days with fiber in them:

1/4 c. refried beans - 3 g fiber

2 T. homemade guacamole - 2 g. fiber

2 prunes - 1 g. fiber

1 c. Hood Calorie Countdown nonfat dairy drink - 1 g. fiber

1/3 c. frozen raspberries (added to protein shake) - 3 g. fiber

1/2 scoop Chike Banana Magic protein powder - 2 g. fiber

2 T. baba ghanoush - 1 g. fiber

1/2 Premier Protein chocolate shake - 2 g. fiber

1/4 c. frozen blueberries - 1 g. fiber

I keep my carbs under 60 and my protein over 75, so I am not going hog-wild with fiber bearing foods, but I get enough. And it does keep me mostly regular -- not perfect, but only needing a dose of Miralax once every couple of weeks. I'm usually an "every day" kind of person on this diet.

I added fiber tracking to my MFP settings and I keep a close eye on it.

I've been researching this as well.  for regularity it's not just a simple matter of total dietary fiber consumed.  for constipation you need the insoluble fiber.  the soluble kind is good as well, but apparently that is more for general health and cleaning the blood.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/fiber-health-benefits-11/insoluble -soluble-fiber

bran flakes seems to be the best natural source of insoluble, the leafy greens are jsut too much volume unless you blend.  would love to find a good green shake recipe that is high in insoluble fiber and tastes ok.

insoluble/soluble fiber in cereal comparison.

http://www.umassmed.edu/healthyheart/tipsheets/cereal.aspx

As I discovered this summer through my garden, cherry tomatoes. Low in calories, high in fiber and lots of flavor. Protein bars and shakes have gummed up the works. I prefer to find natural solutions whenever possible. Avocado is also a good source and also a great source of good fats (though watch the serving sizes as the calories are high).

I needed a WHOLE lot more than that.  25-35 is where I do best- When I was at the lower calorie (800) the 25 end worked fine.  Much below that though and issues.  

I've been dealing with this for over 3 years now. I've tried everything from Miralax to some sort of fiber pill. To no avail. I happened to read something on soluble fiber and insoluble fiber and discovered the little bite size Wheat & Bran or are they called, Whole Wheat Shredded Wheat? Anyway, if I 'snack' on about a half cup a day, it helps, it actually helps more than anything I took from the pharmacy. Good luck!!

You are probably getting that but that number seems very low to me. I try to get around 25 or more and I haven't had problems with constipation in a while. My top 2 sources are Quest Protein Bars and Fiber One cereal followed by leafy greens and flax meal.