OK, so like my favorite kiddie book says, everybody poos. Problem is, many of us don’t take in enough fiber each day to make our pooing experience as pleasant as it should be. I get into the nitty-gritty of defecation (the medical term for pooing) on pages 148-154 of Body Drama, but here are some easy foods to improve your daily fiber intake.

Target Daily Fiber Intake:
At Least 25 Grams

Raw Fibrous Foods Include:

• Avocado (1/2 medium) – 6.75 grams
• Pear (medium, with skin) - 5.5 grams
• Apple (medium, with skin) – 4.4 grams
• Prunes (6 dried) – 4 grams
• Banana (medium) - 3.1 grams
• Strawberries (10 medium) – 2.4 grams
• Peach (medium, with skin) - 2.2 grams
• Raisins (1.5 oz box) – 1.6 grams

Fibrous Cooked Foods Include:

• Navy Beans (1/2 cup) - 9.6 grams
• Lentils (1/2 cup) - 7.65 grams
• Baked Beans (1/2 cup canned) - 7 grams
• Kidney Beans (1/2 cup) - 5.7 grams
• Peas (1/2 cup) - 4.4 grams
• Oatmeal (1 cup) – 4 grams
• Collard Greens (1/2 cup cooked) - 2.65 grams
• Corn (1 ear) - 1.8 grams

Fibrous Cereals Include:

• General Mills’ Fiber One (1/2 cup) - 14.2 grams
• Post’s 100% Bran (1/2 cup) - 12.4 grams
• Kellogg’s All-Bran Original (1/2 cup) - 9.1 grams

(all figures come from the USDA National Nutrient Database)

Other Ways to Sneak More Fiber Into Your Diet:

• Buy Psyllium Husk. Psyllium Husk is an excellent form of natural fiber found in many health stores in powder or capsule form. Follow the directions on the label and take it every day with at least one entire 8oz. glass of water. Cost: Under $15 for a month of daily supplements.
• Buy Other Packaged Fiber Tablets and Powders. Though brand-name products are often more expensive and contain less fiber than psyllium husk, they can be appealing in taste and packaging. Be careful and look to make sure that there isn’t any added sugar or extra preservatives in the ingredient list!
• Switch to Less Processed Foods. Simple choices can make huge differences in your fiber intake, like trading in your blueberry muffin (2 grams of fiber per serving) for a bran muffin (5 grams), asking for whole-wheat spaghetti (4.5 grams) instead of “regular” (2 grams), eating chunky peanut butter (2.6 grams) instead of smooth (1.9 grams), and using rye bread (2 grams) instead of white (1 gram).

A Sample Fiber Combination To Try (over 27 grams of Fiber)

Breakfast: General Mills’ Fiber One Cereal (along with a healthy meal)
Lunch: 1 Banana (along with a healthy meal)
Dinner: Peas (along with a healthy meal)
Snack: Guacamole made with 1/2 of an avocado

Voila! You’ve reached your daily target!

Have some favorite fibrous foods that you’d like to share? Contact me and I’ll include them and give you the credit!

DISCLAIMER: The author is not engaged in rendering professional advice or services to the individual reader. The ideas, procedures, and suggestions contained on this blog are not intended as a substitute for consulting with your physician. All matters regarding your health require medical supervision. The author shall not be liable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestion on this blog.

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