How a High-Fiber Diet Can Benefit Your Health

Now that I am getting older, I've started to have conversations about the benefits of a fiber-rich diet, colonoscopies and regularity. However, all age groups will benefit from eating high-fiber foods or adding a fiber supplement to their diets. Fiber can help with diabetes, heart health and even some cancers.

I got a clean bill of health after my first colonoscopy. I had no intestinal issues, so my doctor asked whether I was a vegetarian. I have long consumed a diet full of fruits and vegetables, but I am also a full-blown meat eater, too (beef, chicken, pork, fish, you name it).

It was good to see that moderation (meat, fruits, vegetables, grains and even alcohol) was helpful in producing a clean digestive bill of health. The doctor made one final remark; he said he did not need to see me again for 10 years: "Keep getting your fiber."

What Is Fiber, and How Much Do We Need?

Fiber is in the complex carbohydrate category and comes in two types: soluble and insoluble. Both are healthy for humans. We should aim for 20-30 grams of fiber each day.

That may not sound like a lot, but an apple only has four grams of fiber. Most Americans do not meet the daily recommended dose of fiber, and it shows. A diet higher in fiber will reduce the chances for many of the major illnesses that plague older Americans each year.

You can find high amounts of fiber in the following delicious foods: beans, blackberries, raspberries, pears, nuts, peas, brown rice, whole-grain breads and pastas, sweet potatoes, carrots, squash and broccoli.

If you can mix and match the ways you get your 20-30 grams of fiber a day, you will start to see the benefits and reduce the risk of many life-changing illnesses.

Besides making your bowel movements more regular (1-2 times a day), you will experience many other health benefits largely by improving your digestive health issues with fiber.

Lower cholesterol, reduced inflammation in the body and lower blood pressure are the immediate benefits from consistent fiber in your diet. This also will create a foundation for better heart health and cardiovascular function.

All of these benefits come from eating your apple a day (and broccoli and nuts and berries) in order to get the daily fiber requirements that your body needs.

Lower blood-sugar levels can also be a benefit from eating food high in fiber. This will reduce energy highs and lows throughout the day and prevent major issues like metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and diabetes.

More fiber in the diet helps to lower body weight, reduces the risk of many cancers and makes the digestive system work better to absorb all the nutrients you consume. Simple fibrous foods like carrots and apples were a helpful snack throughout my SEAL training. They provided enough sugar to help with energy, but the fiber enabled me to maintain that energy instead of quickly crashing after eating foods that were only high in sugar without the fiber.

If you need more energy for long days of performance or if your blood tests were not optimal after a recent trip to the doctor, start adding more fiber to your day and see what happens. You may find you have energy to move more, and because fiber makes your stomach feel full, you will reduce the urge to snack throughout the day.

A Way to Get All Your Fiber

A recent change to my daily health routine has been to make a shake or smoothie with super greens and collagen protein (whey has irritated my stomach in the past) mixed with almond milk (vanilla) and a scoop of fiber (Metamucil plain).

One shake can deliver 8-9 grams of fiber, so I am almost halfway there with one drink. Then I eat an apple for a snack, a salad with fish for lunch, some nuts for a snack, and rice and broccoli as a side dish with dinner. That puts me into the upper 20-gram range for the day. You may find when you watch your fiber intake, you will eat less during the day and subsequently see falling numbers on the scale.

Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Visit his Fitness eBook store if you're looking to start a workout program to create a healthy lifestyle. Send your fitness questions to stew@stewsmith.com.

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