15 ways to add more fiber to your diet

My mother called it "roughage." She didn't know what roughage was exactly, but she knew we should have some of it every day. Her nutrition knowledge may have been limited, but she was savvy enough to admonish us when we removed the peel from an apple or pushed away an uneaten bowl of oatmeal. Roughage, bulk, fiber - it's all pretty much the same.

The Facts About Fiber People talk about fiber as though it were an actual food rather than a component of food. Fiber is found in plant foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, seeds and nuts. We don't eat "fiber," we eat foods that contain fiber. Most people know they need to get more fiber, but they're not sure how to do it without taking a supplement. Fiber is great for you in a number of ways. In fact, fiber can:

• Help control blood sugar and cholesterol
• Reduce the risk of certain kinds of cancer
• Improve bowel function
• Aid weight loss and helps you maintain a healthy weight

Fiber works in mysterious ways in the body. It's sometimes easier to understand how the protein and fat in the foods we eat contribute to our health, because we know those are digested. Humans cannot digest fiber, yet it's an essential part of a healthy diet. That's because the indigestibility of fiber is what makes it vital to our well-being.

Fiber is categorized as either soluble (which means it can dissolve in water, forming a gel-like consistency) or insoluble (so it can't dissolve in water). Both kinds are important for health, and each confers distinct benefits. Most fiber-containing foods are a combination of both soluble and insoluble forms of fiber, although one kind usually predominates. Oatmeal, for instance, is a good source of soluble fiber that also contains insoluble fiber. That's why taking fiber supplements isn't as good as getting fiber directly from food. Most supplements supply just one kind of fiber, but food sources can supply both.

Where to Find Fiber When it comes to figuring out if foods made with grains, like breads and cereals, are good sources of fiber, it can get a little tricky. Read labels and look for "whole grain" as the first ingredient. Don't be fooled by "Twelve grain" or "multigrain" or "wheat flour." If the food label contains those words, look at the fiber content on the nutrition label. Oftentimes, breads made with twelve grains don't have much more fiber than plain old white bread because all those grains are just sprinkled on the bread before baking--they may add crunch but not much fiber. And don't let the color of the bread fool you. Just because it's brown doesn't mean it's a whole-grain bread.    Be sure to drink plenty of water when adding fiber rich foods to the diet. Both soluble and insoluble fiber need water to work properly. Everyone knows the reputation fiber has for causing gassiness. To avoid gas problems, add fiber-rich foods slowly. If you eat few fiber containing foods now, gradually add whole grains, beans and other high-fiber foods, and be sure to drink plenty of fluids along with them. Allow your body to adjust to the added bulk. If gas continues to be a problem, try an over-the-counter digestive aid like Beano.

Tips for Getting More Fiber in Your Diet

1. Eat whole fruits instead of drinking fruit juices.
2. Eat a wide variety of plant foods-fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, beans.
3. Keep the peel on fruits and vegetables whenever possible.
4. Add beans to salads, chili and soups.
5. Use whole grain brown rice instead of white rice.
6. Buy breads that list "whole" grain as the first ingredient.
7. Add nuts and dried fruits to yogurt, cereal and salads.
8. Make smoothies with fruits and nuts.
9. Eat sliced fruits and vegetables as snacks.
10. Add whole-wheat bread crumbs in place of regular bread crumbs in meatloaf and meatballs.
11. If you normally eat a bagel for breakfast, make sure it's whole-wheat. Better yet, switch to a whole grain breakfast cereal a few mornings a week.
12. Breakfast cereals should have at least 3 grams of fiber per serving. If you're "new" to fiber, go easy on the really high-fiber breakfast cereals (some have as much as 10 grams or more--you may embarrass yourself with those).
13. To make your cereal even more nutritious, add some chopped nuts or dried fruits.
14. If you eat bran muffins, remember that most muffins are pretty high in fat and sugar, so read the label.
15. Try hummus as a spread for a sandwich in place of mayonnaise.

If you don't like the chewiness of whole grain bread, then just mix and match. Make a sandwich with one slice of white and one slice of whole grain. Even if you never progress to all whole grain, you're still getting more fiber than before. If you normally eat cornflakes, add some shredded wheat, bran flakes or some other whole grain cereal. Spread out your fiber intake throughout the day rather than trying to get it all in one shot with a very high fiber breakfast cereal. Your body will thank you!