What is the nutritional fiber?

Dr Yousef Elshrek

• What is fiber?

• Fiber is the carbohydrate or starch or part of plant food that our bodies cannot digest.

• Fiber acts as a broom to sweep out the digestive tract.

• Dietary fiber is found only in plant foods.

• Common food sources of fiber are fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

• Fibers as the stuff that keeps the body regular

• What types of fiber are there?

• There are five different types of fiber.

• Nutritionists divided them into

1. Water soluble .

2. insoluble fiber.

Water soluble.

1. They are pectin and gums

2. Found in fruits such as citrus fruits , prunes , strawberries, and barely.

3. Found in vegetables such as potatoes oats and seeds.

4. They are Soluble and thicken in water and they act like a sponge in the gut.

5. Binds with cholesterol and removes it from the blood stream.

6. They can help lower blood sugar because it slows how fast

foods are digested. So it is important if some one has

diabetes.

7. It may help firm stool and reduce diarrhea.

• Insoluble fiber 1. They are cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin.

2. passes through the gut quickly.

3. The insoluble fibers include the outer coating of grains and skins of fruits and vegetables.

4. Food sources include fruits with skins, uncooked vegetables, nuts, legumes, bran, brown rice and whole-grain flours.

5. They can prevent constipation.

6. They can help prevent infections of the gut.

7. They can also help prevent hemorrhoids, heart disease and may prevent some types of cancer.

• The benefits of fibers are

1. They help prevent hemorrhoids(Swollen and

inflamed veins in the rectum and anus that

cause discomfort and bleeding) Fig(1)

2. Fibers are softens and adds bulk to bowel

movements, making them easier to pass

3. They bind to cholesterol levels and evacuates it in stool before is absorption into blood stream.

4. They help to regulate insulin levels.

5. Fiber might reduce the risk of certain cancers:- Fibers speed up the passage of harmful waste through the intestines , minimizing their absorption and contact with intestinal cells.

• How much fiber should to be eaten ?

• The American Dietetic Association recommends eating 20 to 35 grams of fiber per day.

• Most people are only eating about 15 grams of fiber per day.

• If you are not used to eating a high fiber diet, you may have problems with gas in the beginning.

• Start slowly and be sure that you are drinking 6 to 8 cups of water per day.

• How to get more fiber in the diet?

1. Snack on fresh or dried fruit instead of candy.

2. Choose fruit cobbler, whole-wheat bran or fruit muffins in place of desserts.

3. Use bean dips such as black bean, hummus and refried beans with whole grain crackers or vegetables instead of sour cream.

4. Include at least 4 servings of lentils or beans each week.

5. Add wheat germ to hot cereals or yogurt.

6. Try adding bran cereal or oatmeal to replace bread crumbs in meatloaf.

9. Try air popped popcorn without butter or fat

free microwave popcorn instead of potato

chips.

10.Substitute whole-wheat flour for _ to _ of the

total amount of white flour needed in recipes.

11. The rest of the flour can come from white

flour.

12.Include at least 3 servings of whole grains

and cereals each day (whole wheat, oats,

brown rice, bran or barley).

13.Choose 5 or more servings of fruit or

vegetables each day.

BREAD, GRAINS, RICEAND PASTA

Calories

Soluble

Fiber (grams)

Fiber (grams)

Serving

size

Food Items

193 1.66 5.9 One cooked cup Pearl Barely 216 0.39 3.5 One cooked cup Brown rice 205 0.10 0.5 One cooked cup White rice 68 0.57 1.9 slide Whole wheat

bread 80 0.15 0.5 slide White bread 173 0.78 3.9 One cooked cup Pasta whole

wheat

How to calculate the daily fiber needed?

Reflect on yesterday to calculate fiber intake

Cereals

Calories

Soluble

Fiber (grams)

Fiber (grams)

Serving

size

Food Items

380 5.07 10 One cup Grape nuts 186 1.97 8 One cup Raisin bran 156 0.24 7.9 One cup Corn bran 103 1.64 2.5 One cup

Cereals

Calories

Soluble

Fiber (grams)

Fiber (grams)

Serving

size

Food Items

380 5.07 10 One cup Grape nuts 186 1.97 8 One cup Raisin bran 156 0.24 7.9 One cup Corn bran 103 1.64 2.5 One cup Oat meal

Snacks

Calories

Soluble

Fiber (grams)

Fiber (grams)

Serving

size

Food Items

169 0.43 3 38.35 gm dry roasted

Almonds dry roasted

165 0.64 2 38.35 gm dry roasted

Peanuts

185 0.45 1.8 38.35 gm Walnuts

Legumes

Calories

Soluble

Fiber (grams)

Fiber (grams)

Serving

size

Food Items

217 1.41

16 One cooked cup Split peas

229 6.73 15.6 One cup cannedKidney beans

206 trace 14.0 One cooked cup Lentils 236 1.79 12.7 One cooked cup Pinto beans 286 3.87 12.0 One cooked cup Baked beans 160

1.38 11.0 One cooked cup Chick peas

97 0.25 0.5 One cooked cup Black eye peas

Legumes

Calories

Soluble

Fiber (grams)

Fiber (grams)

Serving

size

Food Items

217 1.41

16 One cooked cup Split peas

229 6.73 15.6 One cup Canned kidney beans

206 trace 14.0 One cooked cup Lentils 236 1.79 12.7 One cooked cup Pinto beans 286 3.87 12.0 One cooked cup Baked beans 160

1.38 11.0 One cooked cup Chick peas

97 0.25 0.5 One cooked cup Black eye peas

vegetable

Calories

Soluble

Fiber (grams)

Fiber (grams)

Serving

size

Food Items

61 2.39 4.8 One cup frozen Collard green 55 1.13 4.0 One cup raw Carrot 44 1.54 3.8 One cup raw String beans 38 1.67 3.3 One cup raw Brussels spouts 25 2.0 2.4 One cup raw Cauliflower 20 2.0 2.6 One cup raw Broccoli 24 0.45 1.0 One cup raw Romaine lettuce

fruits

Calories

Soluble Fiber

(grams)

Fiber

(grams)

Serving

size

Food Items

203 2.53 11.0 One cup Prunes dried

203 1.69 6.0 One cup Dates dried

86 0.79 4.4 One large Orange

97 2.44 3.9 One medium Pear

37 0.97 3.8 One cup Blackberries

81 0.28 3.7 One medium Apple white

skin

117.5

1.95 3.5 One cup whole Avocado

108 0.57 2.8 One medium Banana

40 0.58 2.0 One cup Blueberries

40 0.86 1.9 One medium Peach

129 0.22 1.7 44 gms Raisins

113 0.10 106 One cup Grapes

40 1.05 1.4 Half Grapefruit

• How to calculate daily fibers needed?

• Multiply total number of servings of fruit and vegetables per day by

1.5 gms of fiber

• Example:- 5 servings X 1.5 = 75 grams of fiber

• Yesterday you had____ servings X 1.5 = ____ grams of fiber from fruits and vegetables.

• Calculate total gms of fiber consumed per day.

1. Multiply servings of whole grains by 2.5 grams of fiber.

2. Multiply servings of refined grains by 1.0 gms of fiber.

3. Multiply servings of high fiber foods by 5.0 gms of fiber.

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Total ___________gms of fiber for day