There are nine incredible benefits of fiber for our health. See the link below. But when you’re not used to eating fiber, changes can be hard. Today, we’ll look at simple ways to add more fiber to your diet. This will enable us to enhance our microbiome and gut and lower our risk for many diseases including heart disease, digestive issues, diabetes, and cancer. It will also help us reduce constipation, excess weight, and toxins while living longer! Here are the nine simple ways to add more fiber to your diet:
1. Start your day with fiber.
This starts your day with the right nutrients. Choose a high-fiber cereal with five or more grams of fiber and low sugar content. Look for cereals with whole grains, bran, or fiber in the name. You can also add a few tablespoons of freshly ground flax seeds or chia seeds. My chocolate banana blueberry smoothie is a great way to jumpstart your day with a whopping 20 grams of fiber in 32 ounces. And that is close to half the daily recommendation. This is especially important for the cancer patient going through chemotherapy and immunotherapy where recent research at MD Anderson is now recommending 50 grams of fiber each day.
2. Eat more fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables are rich in fiber, phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. The USDA recommends 10 to 13 servings per day. Avocados and one cup of blueberries each provide 5 grams of fiber. So have at them! The fiber boost is just as important as the power of the phytochemicals and antioxidants.
3. Eat healthy snacks that contain fiber.
Although high in calories, nuts and dried fruits are excellent sources of fiber. Discipline yourself to grab raw fruits and vegetables over sugary snacks. Hummus made from chickpeas is a great, healthy snack. Anytime you choose a snack with healthy fiber, you slow the rate of glucose absorption thereby avoiding blood sugar spikes that many high-sugar and processed snacks can give.
4. Bake more goods with whole grains
Add uncooked oatmeal, raw bran, and wheat bran to baked goods. I do this in my chocolate chip cookie recipe with oatmeal. Again, it slows down the rate that which glucose is absorbed in the body. And here’s another tip. Substitute whole wheat flour for half or all of white flour when baking. I realize that some recipes just don’t work well unless some processed flour is used. Grinding your own flour boosts the nutrients in the flour. If you don’t have a flour grinder, you can ask the specialty grain shop to grind it for you before you make your bread or cookies.
5. Buy whole grains over processed grains.
Look for breads that list whole wheat or another whole grain as the first ingredient and have at least two grams of fiber per serving. Be willing to try other whole grain items such as brown rice, wild rice, and whole wheat or brown rice pasta. We love Dave’s Organic Whole Wheat and Seed breads.
6. Start every meal with a salad.
Be sure to use a variety of vegetables and nuts in this salad. The more you crunch, the more fiber your body gets. And the more variety of plants only enhances your gut microbiome.
7. Substitute cauliflower, broccoli, and ground nuts in recipes.
I make a delicious cauliflower crust pizza. Many people are using cauliflower in place of rice. I also use almond flour. Use your imagination and you can have your children eating vegetables and added fiber hidden in many foods!
8. Leave the skin or peel on most fruits and vegetables.
Did you know that when you peel fruits and vegetables, you remove nearly half the fiber? This insoluble fiber, which is found in the skin, provides roughage for healthy digestion and prevents constipation. When using apples or any fruit or vegetable that is high in pesticide residue, it’s best to buy these organic especially when eating the skin.
9. Add flax, chia, or hemp seeds to your daily smoothie.
Or even better, add all three! I now do this every day after hearing top doctors such as Dr. Joel Fuhrman recommend this to their followers. Be sure to gradually add fiber to your diet so your body can adjust. When eating lots of fiber, water intake is also essential since the fiber works best when it absorbs water as it moves through your digestive tract. Fiber and adequate water make your stools soft and bulky. If you use these nine simple ways to add fiber to your diet, your health will improve. Link to video on “Nine Incredible Benefits of Adding Fiber to Your Diet” https://youtu.be/NtQhbYYHcAU
Be sure to gradually add fiber into your diet. When eating lots of fiber, water intake is also essential since the fiber works best when it absorbs water as it moves through your digestive tract. Fiber and adequate water make your stools soft and bulky. Use these nine easy ways to add fiber to your diet, and your health will improve.
What simple ways can you recommend for adding fiber to your diet? What special recipes or substitutions do you recommend?
View this message on YouTube:
Nine Simple Ways to Add More Fiber to Your Diet
And here’s a related video on YouTube:
Nine Incredible Benefits of Eating Fiber
For Your Health,
Ginny
Click for free download on Tips for Lowering Your Breast Cancer Risk and Smoothie Recipe
Ginny Dent Brant is a speaker and writer who grew up in the halls of power in Washington, DC. She has battled cancer, ministered around the world, and served on the front lines of American culture as a counselor, educator, wellness advocate, and adjunct professor. Brant’s award-winning book, Finding True Freedom: From the White House to the World, was endorsed by Chuck Colson and featured in many TV and media interviews. Unleash Your God-Given Healing: Eight Steps to Prevent and Survive Cancer was released in May 2020 after her journey with cancer and was recently awarded the First Place Golden Scrolls Award for Memoirs, and Second Place in both Selah Awards for Memoirs and Director’s Choice Award for Nonfiction at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer’s Conference. It recently received the Christian Authors Network’s (CAN) Gold Award for Excellence in Marketing for reaching 62.5 million people with a message of cancer prevention and survival. It was written with commentary from an oncologist and was featured on CBN’s Healthy Living Show, Atlanta Live, and CTN’s Homekeepers along with over 75 media outlets. Learn more and cancer and wellness prevention blog and book information at www.ginnybrant.com.
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