Let’s talk FIBER

Did you know only about 5% of people get enough fiber in their diet? Fiber is found in fruits, veggies and whole grains, and it’s so important for our overall health! Here are some benefits of fiber:

Helps with weight loss. Some types of fiber can help with weight loss by reducing your appetite since it takes longer to digest.

Regulate our blood sugar levels. High fiber foods tend to have a lower glycemic index which can cause our blood sugar to have a smaller spike!

Lowers cholesterol. Have you ever noticed on food labels where it says “ can help lower cholesterol” that’s usually because of the fiber content in the food!

Bowel health. Fiber helps feed the good bacteria in your gut which helps regulate you and  optimize the function of you gut!

Women need about 25g/day, Men need about 35g/day.

Here’s a short list foods with fiber and how much it has so you get an idea(estimated)

Veggies:

Green Peas: 1 cup ~8g fiber

Lentils ½ cup 8g

Taro Root (Ol-as in Arabic) – 1 cup 7g

Broccoli 1 cup 5g

Avocado ½ 5g

Fava Beans ½ cup 4.6g

Fruit:

Medium Pear: 7g

Blueberries: 1 cup 6g

Medium Persimmon 6g

Medium Apple with the skin 5g

Medium Banana 3g

Seeds & Nuts:

Pumpkin seeds 1 oz 5g

Chia Seeds 1 tbsp 4g

Almonds 1oz 4g

Flax Seeds 1tbsp 3g

Grains:

High Fiber Cereals 1 serving ~ 10g

Popcorn 3 cups~ 5.8g

Whole wheat crackers 3g

Are you getting enough fiber in your diet?! If you’re no where near the amount, it’s important that you increase gradually so you don’t get any stomach upset!