What comes to your mind when you hear the word fiber? Fruits and vegetables? Bowel movement? Did you know that the benefits of fiber go beyond just regulating your bowel movement and easing constipation?

Dietary fiber or simply fiber can only be found in plant food sources. Therefore, you will never get fiber from eating meat, fish, egg, cheese, chicken and other animal products. Fiber only comes from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds. It is a carbohydrate that cannot be digested by humans. It does not break down into simple sugars and cannot be used up as an energy source. It just journeys through the long gastrointestinal tract or your intestines where it is needed to do its job.

There are two types of fiber. The insoluble fiber aids in facilitating bowel movement. It does not dissolve in water but it needs the help of water to form stools that are easy to pass. If you load up on insoluble fiber but do not drink adequate fluids, you will have issues with constipation. Insoluble fiber speeds up the passage of stool in the intestines. Therefore, insoluble fiber with water is key to relieving constipation.

The other type of fiber is the soluble fiber. This type of fiber absorbs water to form a gel-like structure. It adds bulk to the stool and softens it for easy passage. This helps relieve constipation and hemorrhoids. Furthermore, it also regulates bowel movement, especially diarrhea or loose watery stools. Soluble fiber delays or slows down the rate of overly rapid digestion. Do you feel the need to move your bowels right after each meal? Perhaps you lack soluble fiber in your diet.

Soluble fiber is more amazing because it does not only impact bowel movement but it also blunts the sudden increase in blood glucose or sugar after a meal. Since soluble fiber slows down gastric emptying or digestion, it keeps you feeling fuller. It also prevents spikes in blood sugar.

Another benefit of the soluble fiber is its ability to bind with triglycerides or dietary fats and LDL cholesterol, also known as, the bad cholesterol. After it binds with cholesterol and unwanted fats, it carries them out of the body through the stool. Thus, they are excreted as wastes.

Lastly, soluble fiber serves as food for the gut microbiome. This is an ecosystem composed of beneficial bacteria and other microorganisms thriving in your intestines. They impact gut health, immunity, mood, digestion and metabolism, inflammatory response in the body and more.

Knowing the benefits of dietary fiber in both forms is not enough. We need to consume them in adequate amounts daily in order to optimize our health and nutrition. Unfortunately, many people fail to even get the minimum amount of fiber per day. An adult person needs at least 25g of fiber a day. A cup of chopped broccoli has 5g of fiber. An apple with peel has about 4.5g of fiber. A medium banana has 3g of fiber. A cup of cooked brown rice has 3.5g fiber. A cup of instant oatmeal has 4g of fiber. A cup of boiled lentils has 15.5g of fiber. A cup of boiled black beans has 15g of fiber. What is common among all these food that I have mentioned? They are all plant food sources that are wholesome and some are minimally processed (cooked).

Consuming wholesome and minimally processed plant food sources is vital to ensuring the consumption of adequate fiber daily. If you just consume a minimum of half to 1 cup of cooked legumes, at least 2 cups of cooked vegetables, and at least two servings of fruits in addition to whole grains per meal, you can easily meet the minimum fiber requirement per day. Does it seem too much or impossible for you?

Here are convenient ways to increase your dietary fiber intake:

Replace your usual white rice with brown, red, or black rice. You can also opt for whole wheat bread instead of white bread. Two slices of whole wheat bread will provide you with at least 3g of fiber. You can choose to eat oats in the morning or boil some potatoes and sweet potatoes. Choose whole wheat pasta instead of regular ones.

Eat fresh fruits for dessert or snacks. You can bring fresh fruit to work or school. Snacking on fresh fruits will not only give you fiber but also phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals to quell inflammation and correct nutrient deficiencies.

No time to prepare vegetables? Buy frozen ones or precut fresh produce. That will decrease the amount of preparation time for you. Learn to cook one-pot dishes. For example, if you are cooking tinolang manok or sinigang, make sure your vegetables are more in quantity compared to the animal protein source of your choice (fish, pork, shrimps).

No time to cook vegetables? Buy fresh fruits and vegetables and have them blended into a smoothie that you can bring on the go for breakfast, drink after a workout, or prepare it when you get home from work or school.

You can replace meat with tofu and other legumes, including lentils. Canned beans are easier to cook. You can add them to soups, stews, or salads. You can use chickpeas, beans, and lentils to make burger patties or un-meatballs.

Add vegetables to every dish. Grate or mince vegetables like carrots to add to your pasta sauces, singkamas, and carrots to spring rolls or lumpia, bell peppers, and other vegetables to breakfast omelette, leafy greens, tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers to sandwiches. You can even add chopped celery and apples to sandwich spreads. Add some squash to your pancakes. Be creative.

If you cannot even eat fresh produce for some reason, it is best to consume modified functional food. These are plant food sources that have been freeze-dried or powdered to concentrate and preserve nutrients for convenience. Examples are wheat-grass, dried berries, powdered soy, and powdered fruits and vegetables. Make sure that the ingredients list only has wholesome plant food sources and no other chemicals or additives.

Do not neglect the benefits of fiber to ensure optimal nutrition. Make small changes in your food choices and intentionally add more fiber sources to your daily diet.