Why do so many people forget about the importance of fiber?  It is an essential part of our diet and provides us with great health benefits.  Yet, it is an afterthought when we talk about the important vitamins, minerals, and nutrients our bodies need.

The belief that only older people need to worry about fiber in their diet is a misperception.  Fiber is an essential part of anyone’s nutritional plan, regardless of age.  However, we fail miserably when it comes to making sure we get the needed amount.  The average adult should be consuming between 28 and 30 grams of fiber a day, but most people only get around 6 to 12 grams a day.  In fact, studies show that only 5 percent of Americans are actually getting enough fiber in their diets. 

Given that a diet high in fiber can reduce cholesterol, aid in weight loss, and lower our risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, diverticular disease and gallstone and kidney stone development, it is amazing that we do not make a greater effort to incorporate more high-fiber foods into our diets.  Instead, we seem to prefer to spend billions of dollars (not an exaggeration but a fact) on supplements and laxatives.  Doesn’t that sound just a little crazy to you, especially when there are a number of foods that can do a more effective job without putting unnecessary stress on our bodies? 

Adding more high fiber foods is not that difficult.  More importantly, given the wide variety of high fiber foods, you won’t have to sacrifice your taste buds in the process.  Here are just a few food suggestions:

• Oatmeal (1 cup) – 4 g
• Raisin Bran Cereal (1 cup) – 7 g
• Black beans (1/2 cup) – 7.5 g
• Lima beans (1/2 cup) – 7 g
• Sweet Potato, no skin (1 cup) – 7 g
• Peas (1 cup) – 8.8 g
• Guava (1 cup) – 8.9 g
• Kiwi (1 cup) -5 g
• Almonds, roasted (1 cup) – 16.3 g
• Sunflower seeds, roasted (1 cup) – 14.00