NEWSLETTER ARTICLE - WTF: Where's the Fiber?

[Joe Black]

by Mike Scialabba

You've got your oatmeal, your broccoli, some black beans and rice on a high carb day, and boat load of chicken and lean steak, but where's all that fiber you're suppose to be getting coming from?

Most nutrition experts recommend around 25-30 grams of fiber each day, while some are arguing that's merely 60% of what we should be consuming.

So are you getting enough? And what's all the hype about??

The Good, the Bad, and the Poopy

To keep you from having to break out the Wiki, I'll make it simple. One fiber, called soluble fiber, has a direct effect on the contents of your gastrointestinal tract (small and large intestines, and colon), aiding in the absorption of many nutrients within the foods you've eaten. Soluble fiber is responsible for aiding in the 'fullness' effect, stabilizing blood sugar, and controlling cholesterol levels. The other, insoluble fiber, also aids in the 'fullness' effect, and is responsible for pulling water into the bowels (poop) and creating 'bulk' (thicker poop), helping in the prevention of constipation, which is no fun no matter what you're into.

Without this wonderful stuff, you may have poor absorption of critical nutrients, bad cholesterol, high blood sugar, excess weight gain, a bottomless stomach, and have some very strange or irregular bowel movements.

So are you getting enough?

http://www.wannabebig.com/newsletter/img/content/beans_rice.jpg

Black Beans and Brown Rice - Fiber Overload!

Let's Digest

The average American only consumes half of the recommended daily intake, which would be about 12 – 15 grams per day. If some experts are saying you need upwards of 60 grams per day, then this is far from enough fiber to keep your body functioning like it should.

Here's a small list of high fiber foods that can get your body and bowels functioning like normally, that will also will help you in the weight room! You just can't go wrong.

Oh the good stuff!

- Apples: 5 grams/ 1 large
- Blackberries: 8 grams/ 1 cup raw
- Pear: 7 grams/ 1 medium
- Grapefruit: 7 grams/ ½ medium
- Oatmeal: 6 grams/ 1 cup cooked
- Brown Rice: 6 grams/ 1 cup cooked
- Sweet Potato: 7 grams/ 1 medium (skin on)
- Whole Wheat Noodles: 8 grams/ 1 cup cooked
- Black Beans: 14 grams/ 1 cup cooked
- Flax Meal : 7 grams/ 3T
- Lentils: 7 grams/ ½ cup
- Almonds: 4 grams / 1 oz
- Pumpkin Seeds: 4 grams/ ¼ cup

These are just of few of the great whole foods that are out there that can help you get your internal health, benefiting your external health.

It's not always about the mirror ladies and gentlemen. You've got put some of your priorities in the toilet!

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This exclusive article (and others) can be found in the latest Wannabebig Serious About Muscle Newsletter - July 8th, 2010 (http://www.wannabebig.com/newsletter/070810.html)

You can sign up here - Wannabebig Newsletter Sign Up (http://www.wannabebig.com/wannabebig-newsletter/)

[Clementinho]

Hi, this is a very interesting article. I'd like to hear what you think about constipation. As far as I've heard, as you clean up your diet, you inevitably experience constipation problems. To combat this unfortunate situation, you could either increase your consumption of glucose, in the form of white rice or refined sugars, or fat like nuts and oils. I'd like to know what your take on this is.

[Off Road]

I've heard from a respected trainer that fiber is very important for muscle growth. In order to build a lot of muscle, you'll have to eat a lot of food. Many people complain that they can't eat that much food. The trainer's advice was to eat a lot of fiber to help "clear out" the system, which will help get rid of that full feeling, thus allowing you to eat more.

[J.C.]

Because that doesn't make sense, it sort of makes perfect sense. "Eat more of this stuff that makes you feel full, then you won't feel as full and you'll be able to eat more."

I eat a lot of vegetables, pulses and brown bread so it's not normally a problem. But I remember earlier in the year I started eating a lot more meat because I kept finding amazing deals on bulk buys of 20 pork chops and steaks; I didn't increase my consumption of fiber along with it and I definitely felt the difference!