How To Eat Fiber And Not Feel Bloated By Cassandra Cox At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

How much fiber do you eat everyday?

Despite the fact that high fiber diets are encouraged by the American Dietetic Association, the Surgeon General & your general practitioner, the average American typically consumes less than the 20-35 grams per day that is recommended. In truth, we are lucky if we eat 12-15 grams!

Often, high fiber diets are shunned due to fear of increased gas and bloating or bowel disturbance. But, when followed appropriately, a high fiber diet doesn’t have to mean flatulence! In fact, eating fiber will help regulate your bowel, assist normal detoxification processes, and even encourage healthy weight maintenance.

According to leading digestive health author, Brenda Watson, there are certain fiber rich foods, such as the indigestible sugars and starches found in vegetables, grains and legumes that are the greatest offenders. She explains that these foods are often poorly digested by the body, and instead of being broken down, they will travel to the colon where intestinal bacteria can ferment them. This can result in the production of intestinal gas which is the cause of the bloating you feel.

So, in order to alleviate such occasional gas & bloating, Brenda suggests that we pay close attention to the types of starches we eat, and if need be utilize supplemental digestive enzymes to support digestion. This is especially important when beginning a higher fiber diet.

When deciding on the right supplement, we are encouraged to look for the following ingredients: Amylase for starch digestion, alpha-galactosidase for the sugars found in beans and legumes, and cellulase which can assist with vegetable fiber.

Ms. Watson shares with us that there are also several causes of gas and bloating that don’t implicate fiber as the bad guy:

• Swallowed air - People normally swallow small amounts of air while drinking and eating. Sometimes, an excessive amount of air is swallowed from talking while eating, eating too quickly, or drinking carbonated beverages. This can create an odorless gas that is high in nitrogen and oxygen, which is usually emitted through belching.

• Processed foods - A steady diet of processed foods can produce excess gas. Processed foods are typically stripped of essential nutrients such as chromium manganese, cobalt, copper, zinc, and magnesium. Without these nutrients, the body is unable to digest the carbohydrates in these foods properly. These unused carbohydrates end up providing fuel for the production of gas.

• Poor food combining - Brenda Watson explains that fruit, which is digested very quickly by the body, should be eaten alone. If eaten with other foods, the digestive process will be slowed, and the fruit can ferment. Following this logic, proteins should also not be eaten at the same time as starchy carbohydrates.

So, by taking a digestive support supplement, and addressing the additional causes of bloating listed above, one can easily transition to higher quantities of fruit, vegetables and grains in the diet, without the pain & discomfort associated with high fiber diets.

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