Thread: Fiber and other nutritional insights

Are you getting enough? USDA advises about 14 grams per 1005 calories. So for my 1500 ish calorie diet I need about 21g of fiber.

You get fiber from whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, fruits and veggies etc.

In the last 4 days I've eaten 26, 27, 15 (that was new years eve...processed foods and meats), 25, 15 (today I had an asiago pretzel for lunch, A, im allergic to most ingredients in it and B, it was a whoping 480 calories for that bad boy).

I don't even want to talk about the salt content on the days when I didn't eat a lot of fiber, not to mention the chemicals in the processed foods.

Ok so I want to be fit and all that, but also, how much is all this crap aging us I wonder?

didja know fiber helps ya poop!!! i saw a show once and the doc talked about how you can tell if you are getting enough fiber cuz your poop will float instead of sink

LMAO! that is a great tidbit of info...my new goal...floaters!

..l;,..l;,..l;, Didn't know about the floating bit, but I remember when Oprah had a show with some poop on it =) Talked about how you should here just one ploop, or you needed more water/fiber in your diet.

I don't see Oprah much, but I remember that one.

Originally Posted by jesennia

didja know fiber helps ya poop!!! i saw a show once and the doc talked about how you can tell if you are getting enough fiber cuz your poop will float instead of sink

on a non-poop note, I think I need more vitamin D. Considering cod liver oil ..c::, since sunlight and I are a bad mix. Any other suggestions?

Seems timing is against me. If this topic had been available earlier I could have added 'wishing you happy floaters' to my Christmas cards.

I need to remember to set aside my coffee cup when reading Bhuz posts. Between cleaning the screen and keyboard and changing my shirt I will be offline for a bit. Gotta love morning humor.

Easy recipe that involves getting great amounts of fiber:

Stewed Fruit...
Apples, diced
Pears, diced
Raisins
Ground cinnamon, to taste
Agave nectar, to taste
Psyllium husk powder, 1-2 TBS depending on how much your bod can handle it

Fill sauce pan w/ diced fruit, raisins and water to half fill.
Bring to a boil, lower to simmer, add cinnamon, agave nectar, psyllium husk powder, mix well.
Stir regularly until soft.
Eat. Refridgerates well.

I'm so addicted to this stuff.
The psyllium husk powder makes the whole thing kinda runny and snot-like, but that's what adds bulk and moves things along. Best to consume fluids afterwards to help.
You can thicken with kuzu or arrowroot powder instead of psyllium husk powder for a less snot-like consistency; not as bulk-building, however.

I eat this plain, throw it on cereal, on fresh waffles, etc.

Day 3 of mini-cleanse: vegs & fruit by itself only; no processed/pre-packaged foods for 6 days (3 days to prepare for the cleanse, removing processed foods, caffeine, etc.).
Tomorrow for 3 days I get to add grains, nuts, and seeds. Following 3 days I get to add non-animal protein.

Doh it is tempting while my partner eats pizza, leftover Xmas goodies, chips, and chocolate next to me, but empowering at the same time while I stay the course.

Hope you're enjoying your pregnancy, Sumaya! :0) As always, you sound like in good spirits.

Originally Posted by jesennia

didja know fiber helps ya poop!!! i saw a show once and the doc talked about how you can tell if you are getting enough fiber cuz your poop will float instead of sink

is it?
i may be confused but i thought the float/sink factor was depending on the amount of fat. and that fiber affects the solidity (constipation/diarrhea)

hmmm.
great discussion here ..l;,

It's totally my favorite topic. I remember asking folks about poop around this time last year and Jes was on the top of the list of great stories and advice.

Unless you have Sjogrens disease-like me! in which case the fiber that occurs in fruits and veggies is fine but the stuff that comes in psyllium and other cellulose like products are a major problem. I only throw this in because every nutritionist/diet guru/even some Drs like to make blanket statements like "everyone needs more fiber". (Sjogrens is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the exocrine glands that secrete fluid-like saliva, tears, oil to the skin, and yes, water to the intestine).(It's more an irritant than a life-changing diagnosis except under a few circumstances).

Anyway, my Sweetie got a major intestinal toxin/infection last year. After a year of pain and 6 months of diabetes (it got better) he was still left with horrific abdominal pain. A specialist finally diagnosed "bowel spasms" as a leftover from whatever caused the problem in the first place. Gave him some relaxants for the bowel, and prescribed a very high fiber diet for the next few months.

Which is how I know, in spite of my own problems, that: Fiber 1 cereal has a whopping 14g fiber in one serving and Quaker now makes High Fiber Instant Oatmeal that has 10g. Add some dried fruit and you've got most of the day covered.

Kitty;winks

I try to eat a lot of FIber in my diet! After being diagnosed with PCOS a few (feels like lots) of my daily carbs are being replaced by veggies/fiber.
I found a FANTASTIC product made by "La Tortilla Factory". Their "SMart and Delicious SOft Wraps" (The large ones) have only 100cal, 20g carb, 3g fat, & get this 12g fiber!! THe small ones have 8g fiber and 50cal!
I LOVE these since I love carbs and this tricks me into thinking I am having them! ;-)
xoxo,
-NJ