The Facts on Fiber

3. Can you get too much fiber? Yes indeed! But usually it's from overdoing the laxatives or eating too much high-fiber cereal. Eating too much fiber can cause bloating and give you diarrhea, but on the bright side, it's tough enough to get a lot of fiber that most people never get too much. Some eating disordered folks have ridden the fiber train in an effort to lose weight, which can interfere with your body absorbing minerals it needs to stay healthy. But most people don't get nearly the fiber they need to maximize their health.
    
4. Does fiber break down if I cook my veggies mushy? Nope. Fiber doesn't cook away like water does, so you can boil those carrots all day if you want.
    
5. What else should I do when I eat fiber? Drink lots of water. Keep that fiber progressing through your intestines by lubricating them with plenty of water, or you may wind up …bound up.
    
6. Isn't fiber just for old people? Those are the ones eating fiber rich cereals in the TV ads. Actually everyone needs fiber, and with today's school lunches, it's going to be a challenge to make sure your kids get enough fiber in their other meals. Try to brainwash your little darlings into loving fresh fruits and veggies, and don't let them torture you with guilt when you refuse to take them out for a McNasty Meal. Parents need fiber too: it's easy to get sluggish if you're living on coffee and breakfast bars: get yourself some fine flaxseed based cereals and wake up your colon a couple of times a week. Raisin Bran is one popular cereal whose basis is practically pure fiber.
    
7. Where can I find fiber? You can find fiber in all the things you probably don't eat because they're "boring". Beans, peas and lentils are fantastically rich in fiber; brown rice, oats. barley and other whole grains have a lot of fiber, too. But don't expect to get much fiber from white rice: the brown husk that comes with the natural rice has been rubbed off, and with it, much of the accompanying fiber. Fruits and veggies have some fiber, but a serving of fruit will give you about two grams of fiber, whereas a serving of kidney beans will give you six times that much.
    
8. I want more fiber! What should I do? Eat canned beans, which are easy to heat and serve (and really delicious if you bake them with molasses, onions and bacon). Skip the ultra-sweet cereals and eat oatmeal, add bran cereal to your yogurt. Eat real food: junk food usually has the fiber removed to make way for sugar, starch and chemicals. Go for apples, pears, nuts and broccoli. You won't find fiber in booze, ice cream or most cookies: eat your veggies! And put some beans on top of them.