Common diet mistakes: Getting healthy "Not-to-do's"

We’ve all heard “make sure you’re getting enough fiber in your diet” many times…but fiber is one of those components of food that can be confusing to many people.  Dietary fiber is not only good for the digestive tract, it can also help reduce cholesterol, prevent heart disease and diabetes, and can make you feel full longer.

So what exactly is fiber? Fiber is the component of plant based foods that your body cannot digest.  You would think that because fiber is not digested it wouldn’t do much for you. In fact it is a very important part of a healthy diet.  There are two different types of fiber: insoluble, which doesn’t dissolve in water, and soluble, which does dissolve in water.  Each has different health benefits.

• Insoluble fiber promotes bulk in stool and helps move material through your digestive tract.  Some sources of insoluble fiber are whole wheat, wheat bran, nuts, and some vegetables.
• Soluble fiber dissolves in water and is a key component in lowering cholesterol and blood glucose levels.  Some sources of soluble fiber include oats, apples, beans, fruits, barley, and psyllium.

Additional health benefits of a fiber rich diet include, healthy gastrointestinal function (minimize constipation and diarrhea), and weight control (helps keep you full longer and are more energy dense diets).

Adults should be consuming at least 25-35 grams of fiber daily.  By switching to whole grains, adding legumes, eating lots of fruits and veggies, and adding fiber into baked goods, you can easily obtain these fiber levels without supplementation.

Especially for Athletes

When it comes to athletes, they have to be careful about when they decide to consume their fiber.  Many athletes have problems with gastrointestinal distress in their events.  This can often be linked to foods that they are consuming prior to the event.  Meals consumed prior to an event should be relatively low in fiber to avoid gastrointestinal distress.

Fiber can be consumed regularly throughout the days leading up to events, but must be limited in the meal prior to an event.  Athletes should follow the same guidelines for fiber consumption as a regular healthy adult (25-35 grams daily).  Men tend to need closer to 35 grams and women tend to need around 25 grams daily.  Also keep in mind that you NEVER want to try anything new on race/event day!  Practice your sports nutrition for your event multiple times and don’t try anything new…you don’t want to spend your entire event in the porta potty