High Fiber Foods: Easy Ways to Improve Your Bowel Function

A list of high fiber foods helps you know which foods to include in daily meal planning. Obtaining adequate fiber is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. However, many people do not obtain sufficient fiber each day, which results in poor bowel function and constipation. Whether obtained from the list of high fiber foods or from fiber supplements, the recommended daily fiber consumption should be about 25-30 grams for an adult.

Here are typical high fiber foods along with the approximate number of grams of fiber they contain. Fiber contents shown below on the list of high fiber foods are for a food quantity of 1/2 cup unless otherwise noted:

• Bananas, 3 grams - medium 8″ long

• Beans, 6-10 grams - baked beans, black beans, great northern beans, kidney beans, garbanzos, pinto beans, white beans

• Berries, 4-5 grams - blackberries, raspberries

• Bran Cereals, 5-10 grams - All-Bran, Bran Buds, 100% Bran, Raisin Bran

• Bread, 4-7 grams - 2 slices whole wheat, pumpernickel, seven-grain

• Broccoli, 4-5 grams

• Brussels Sprouts, 2 grams

• Carrots, 3-4 grams

• Dried Figs, 10 grams - 3 figs

• Fruit, 4 grams - medium apple, medium pear

• Green Beans, 2 grams - broad beans, pole beans, snap beans

• Greens, 4-6 grams - beet greens, collards, kale, spinach, turnip greens

• Lentils, 6 grams

• Lima Beans - 4-6 grams

• Peas, 7-9 grams - black-eyed peas, green peas

• Potatoes, 4-5 grams - medium baked Idaho or sweet potato

• Sweet Corn, 5 grams

Using the list of high fiber foods can help increase your daily fiber consumption to its normal bowel function. Also important is that adequate liquid be present for good bowel function. Each fiber particle will actually absorb liquid in the colon and help facilitate the desired regular movement along in the bowels.

If your diet includes the foods from the list of high fiber foods and still not having a daily bowel movement, you may wish to add a fiber supplement. The best fiber supplements are rice bran or psyllium made from ground-up psyllium seeds. The payoff will be that wastes are eliminated along with the toxins from your system instead of your body reabsorbing them.

Copyright 2005 InfoSearch Publishing
Olinda Rola is President of InfoSearch Publishing and webmaster of http://www.safemenopausesolutions.com a website of natural health information and articles.

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