Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone knew about fiber in your diet. I've read that and of course heard everywhere that a diet high in fiber is good for you, especially in regards to weight loss. I've also read that when you are on a restricted diet, you should strive to get 15 grams of fiber in a day.

My question is, can you get too much fiber in your diet? So that it is bad for you? I just concocted this low cal/fat quesadilla thing for lunch which was delicious but it has 21 grams of fiber in it, just for lunch! So, so far for meals for the day, I have 30 grams of fiber and i still have snacks and dinner to go.

What are your takes on excess fiber? Good/bad? No effect?
Thanks!

I personally go with more fiber, low fat and sugarfree or fat free. I am on Weight Watchers and they calculate fiber when figuring the points of an item.

I eat no less than 50 grams of fiber a day on average and would be terribly constipated if I only got 15 grams of fiber in a day. I strive to get as much fiber as possible from whole-foods. I look at the protein, fat, sugar and fiber content when deciding on if a food is a good choice for me or not.

Unless you have IBS or some othe medical condition, the only thing I can think of that can happen if you eat a lot of fiber is more frequent bowel movements (a good thing) and possible decreased absorbtion of some medications/vitamins/minerals (so avoid taking any medications/supplements with very high fiber foods).

I read that is is recommened that you eat 25-35 grams of fiber a day. I've also read that most Americans only get 15-20 grams of fiber per day and it is not enough. If you are eating 30, you should stay there.

Sometimes a sudden large increase in fibre can give you gas as well as more frequent movements. So if you're planning to try for higher intake, it's good to move up gradually so you can adjust. Otherwise you may end up convinced that you "can't" eat good foods like legumes (beans) and cruciferous vegetables. You also need to make sure you keep well-hydrated, as all that fibre needs fluids.

Several years ago there was a diet called "The F-Plan Diet by Audrey Eaton", which advocated a very high fibre intake. It was actually pretty healthy, and quite effective. In fact it was a different road to the same no-white foods, low GI food destination. I still use a couple of the recipes! I find it interesting that most successful and healthy diets boil down to the same thing: reduce white flour and sugar, concentrate on whole, unprocessed foods, lots of fresh produce, moderate amounts of animal proteins, don't stuff yourself... Sort of a good clean diabetic diet, or WW Core.

Another, more graphic, note on a high fibre diet: while it may mean more trips to the john, it won't mean diarrhea. On the contrary: once your innards have adjusted to the change, you should produce large quantitites of big plump poops that are neither runny nor hard. Easy, painless, and so satisfying to produce.

Yes, I agree completely. And you said it so well. I think our bodies can handle quite a bit of fiber, once your intestines get used to working so much. In the beginning you could have a lot of gas and a little distress while it's working it's way through the old GI tract.

Your recipe sound interesting, could you post it? I'm always looking for ways to increase my fiber intake.

Sarah

Wait, I do have a mild case of IBS....more fiber is bad then? How much can I eat? Yikes.

Sure sarahyu, here's the recipe. It was sooooooooo good, I can't wait to get home and make it for lunch again today!

La Tortilla Low Carb/Low fat whole wheat tortilla
1/2 cup S&W Chili Beans (I don't know why they call them chili beans, they don't taste chili-like) heated up and mashed slightly
1/4 cup sargento reduced fat mexican blend shredded cheese (the best lowfat cheese I've tried)
1/3 cup frozen corn warmed up

I spread all the ingredients on one side of the tortilla and fold up quesadilla style....then I spray a griddle pan with no fat Pam cooking spray and spray a little bit of I can't believe it's not butter on each side of the quesadilla. Grill both sides till golden brown and done. I also serve it with a little dollop of salsa and lite sour cream.
Total calories for the quesadilla: 264
Fat: 7
Carbs: 51
Fiber:21
Protein: 20



YUM!

Here is an article concerning fiber... There are two types of fiber soluble and insoluble, just to confuse things a bit more for everyone ...

If you have IBS you should definitely check with your doctor about the amount of fiber you are or should be getting.

I thought I remembered reading somewhere that one can, indeed, eat too much fiber. I loooked online, and it's apparently not as bad as I remembered:

UC Davis Factsheet on Fiber

I average 35, and feel good about that. I just have to make sure I drink lotsa water!

-Amy

Well, here we go again....
I just had a colonoscopy last Friday.....the doctor knows I suffer from cc...
anyhow he says we should have 25-36 grams of fiber a day. Said that all my fruits and veggies are great but to add Fiber One cereal, or All Bran with extra Fiber...these have about 14 grams a serving...
I'm suppose to eat on serving daily, with skim milk and maybe fruit.....the Fiber One is my fav......
I have noticed it has helped alittle....

Here's a little recipe those of you looking to increase your fibre intake might enjoy. It's from the F-Plan diet, and provides daily breakfast and snack for 8 days at 200 cals per day.

2 and two thirds cup Bran Flakes
1.5 cups bran meal
1.5 cups All-Bran or Bran Buds
1 cup sliced almonds
8 large pitted prunes, chopped
16 dried apricot halves (8 whole dried apricots), chopped
one half cup raisins

Eat with a total of 1 cup skim milk per day.

Mix well together and divide into 8 (or 16) equal baggies. Each day have one half or one serving with skim milk for breakfast. If you have half left, either a snack later in the day, or as an appetite cutter about half an hour before lunch and or dinner.

The daily portion, plus one cup skim milk and 2 average servings of fruit total 400 calories per day, and about 20 grams of fibre. Very effective for those with chronic constipation.

Here's a YUMMY recipe to increase fibre (and, incidentally, increase chocolate!!!! )

1 box Betty crocker low-fat brownie mix
3 cups all-Bran cereal
3 cups water
1 tablespoon baking soda

1. soak cereal in water until absorbed (5 min or so)
2. Add mix and baking soda
3. bake in muffin cups at 350 F for 25 minutes.

For you WW folks, these are 1 point each. (about 55-60 cal???)

How many muffins does that make?

I use the average size muffin tins, and it makes just over 2 dozen