7-Day Fiber-Up Challenge

In this week's challenge you must Eat more fiber rich food . This challenge is to boost the fiber-rich foods on your plate and reap the benefits. There are a lot of good things we could say about fiber. It keeps your gut healthy, heart happy and oh yea, can help you lose weight and keep it off thanks to it's amazing ability to fill you up. The bad news? Most of us don't get enough. Take on this 7-day challenge equipped with meal plans, tips and recipes to get more fiber in your life.

What great reasons to take the one Week Fiber Challenge!:

1. Do not change your current eating habits.

   Keep a food journal and write down everything you eat that contains fiber. Follow these quick and simple guidelines for foods that contain fiber:

   • Fruits and Vegetables: About 3 grams of fiber per portion size (fruit the size of a tennis ball)
   • Legumes/beans: about 5-7 grams of fiber in a 1/2 cup of beans
   • Whole grain breads: Look at the nutrition label. If a bread contains more than 3 grams per serving, you are doing well. Unfortunately, about 70% of breads on the shelves contain less than 3 grams of fiber per serving. Read your label and focus on fiber (located under carbohydrates).
   • Breakfast cereals: Again, look at the label for at least 3 grams of fiber per serving.For the exact fiber content of a specific food, click on the food search in MyNetDiary, and type in the name of the food.


2. Increase fiber slowly. Do not go ballistic here.

   ALERT: Remember to increase fiber slowly in your diet, about 3 to 5 grams per week; otherwise, you may feel uncomfortable and experience excess gas. Your body will adjust to an increased fiber diet, but increase fiber slowly so that your body has time to regulate.

   IMPORTANT: As you increase fiber, remember to increase fluids by drinking more water and herbal teas. If you are constipated or have bowel movements that look like rabbit pellets, you know that you are not drinking enough water. Fiber needs water. Have you observed how the cereal, All Bran, absorbs milk like a sponge? Fiber does the same thing in your digestive tract. Thus, increase your water intake when you increase your fiber intake.

   Ways to increase fiber each day by 3 grams:

   • Cut up fruit on your cereal for breakfast.
   • Choose a healthier breakfast cereal with more fiber. Try mixing your current cereal with a high fiber cereal. Your body can slowly adapt to more fiber, and you can finish your old breakfast cereals.
   • Pack a snack of almonds and carrots.
   • Enhance your salad at lunch with some chickpeas
   • Pack a sandwich made with whole grain bread (3 grams of fiber per serving!).
   • Make a lentil soup for supper.
   
   
   • Enjoy a green smoothie

     Mixing greens like kale or spinach into your morning smoothie is a great way to boost your veggie and fiber intake. With recipes Pineapple Green Smoothie and Kale & Apple Smoothie, you can reap the benefits of leafy greens without even tasting them.

   
   
   • Choose brown rice

     Brown rice is a whole grain, meaning the nutrient- and fiber-rich parts of the grain are still intact, unlike white rice. Though you might not always want to choose brown rice instead of white rice, swapping it in where it makes sense can lead to a serious boost in your fiber intake.

   
   

Suggested Reading:

High-Fiber Foods to Up Your Daily Fiber Intake - Learn more here.

30 Plant-Based High Fiber Foods and recipes - Learn more here.