Eat More Fiber
We all know we should eat more fiber, but how much more? The roughage treatment - USATODAY.com has an answer.
You probably know your weight. You may be a calorie, fat or carbohydrate counter. But do you have any idea how many grams of fiber you eat each day?For most people, the answer is “not nearly enough” to reap all the benefits of the rough stuff, which include weight control, a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes and, of course, relief from constipation and other bowel ailments. Though fiber alone is no longer thought to prevent colon cancer, one new British study suggests it might lower breast cancer risk in premenopausal women. In any case, the American Cancer Society says high-fiber foods are full of crucial nutrients.
Yet studies show average adults consume about 15 grams of fiber a day, far short of the 21 to 38 grams that the Institute of Medicine recommends. Studies of children show similar shortfalls.
My megamuffin and bingeing brownie recipes each pack about 9 grams of fiber into 100-150 calories, which helps me get to 40+ grams per day.