So we’ve
seen in a previous post the importance of fibers in digestion, cholesterol
management and heart disease. Now, the question is:
How do I make sure I’m getting enough fibers
daily?
1. Drop the
white and stick to brown!
-
Instead of using the regular white bread for your
sandwiches, you can opt for whole grain.
Whole
grain= نخالة، قمحة كاملة،
غني بالألياف
-
Brown pasta and rice can also be a good idea
-
Go for breakfast cereals that are labeled as: rich in
fibers, whole grains.
2. Go green!
Almost all
vegetables are rich in fibers. The trick is to vary your vegetables in order to
get both types of fibers and not to get bored!
-
Add a salad to your lunch and dinner.
-
Choose recipes that contain vegetables. For instance,
you can add carrots, pepper or tomatoes to your chicken to make it healthier
and more colorful!
3. Legumes
When you were little, your mom
didn’t force you to eat those beans for nothing! She had a
point there. Besides their protein and iron content, beans and other legumes
are very rich in dietary fibers.
Go for chickpeas,
kidney beans, cooked lentils and other beans.
Our Mediterranean diet is very rich in recipes that contain
those ingredients. So forget about burgers and pizzas for lunch at least 2 to 3
times per week and opt for peas and rice (بزلة ورز), beans and rice (فاصوليا ورز), lentil soup (عدس بحامض), Moujaddara (مجدرة), etc.
4. Be exotic
Oh yes!
Fruits are indispensable in a high fiber diet! Snack on fruits instead of high
fat and high sugar foods.
-
Have at least 2 fruits a day.
-
Go for the real thing instead of the juice because the
fibers are found in the pulp.
-
Don’t peal them because the fibers are in the skin.
-
You can also go for dried fruits. Add them to your
fiber rich breakfast cereals and tadaaaa!
-
Use berries, figs, raisins and nuts to add more fiber
to your yoghurt, oatmeal, cereals and salads
5. Add flaxseed
to your ingredient list
If you read
my article in Fit’N’Style magazine, then this is old news for you. In fact, one
of flaxseed’s main components is dietary fibers. Flaxseed can be sprinkled as
such on salads or any other cooked meal.
The ground
seeds are very useful. They can be integrated into all recipes: cookies,
muffins, bread loafs, pizza doughs, etc. (pic)
6. Quinoa
Remember
our “Quinoa… My precious” post?
Well, this
pseudo-grain is known for its fiber content and just like flaxseed, it can be
sprinkled on salads or integrated into any recipe. Plus, you can eat it instead
of nuts.
7. Always check
Nutrition Facts labels on the foods you buy and look for products that
contain 2 grams or more fiber per
serving.
How much fibers should I eat?
The Institute of Medicine recommends that children and adults consume 14 grams of fiber for every 1000 calories of food they eat each day.
Without too
many complications, women should have around 25g of fibers and men around 35.
Sample menu
|
Fiber content (g)
|
|
Breakfast
|
1
large whole wheat pita bread (60g)
4
slices of white cheese (60g)
1
cucumber
1
tomato
|
5
1
1
|
Snack
|
1
orange
|
5
|
Lunch
|
1
cup of salad
1
cup of peas
1
cup of rice
|
2
15
|
Snack
|
1
apple
|
3
|
Dinner
|
1
cup of salad
120g
chicken breast
1
baked potato without skin
|
2
|
Total
|
Around
1500 calories
|
34g
|
It is
important to increase your fiber intake gradually in order to avoid any
bloating, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Also, you should drink lots of water
so you can facilitate the digestion.
A healthy
diet can provide more fibers than needed with just a little effort! So if you
can have at least 3 days that look like this sample menu, you can have it your
way for the rest of the week!
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