By Leigh Belanger

As someone who tries to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, when my diet gets thrown off track, I can feel it. I feel sluggish, with low energy, and my digestive tract feels the same way.

There are many benefits to basing our diets on fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and one is the fiber we derive from these sources.

Dietary fiber comes from the parts of plant foods that our bodies can’t digest. A high-fiber diet helps keep our digestive tracts healthy, and can prevent constipation and conditions like diverticulitis.

Furthermore, fiber can help lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. A high fiber diet can also aid weight loss.

There are two types of dietary fiber – insoluble and soluble.

Insoluble fiber, also called “roughage,” is found in whole grains, seeds, and vegetables like lettuce, cucumber, corn, and carrots. This type of fiber doesn’t dissolve in water, and helps relieve constipation as it moves through the digestive system.

Soluble fiber does dissolve in water, turning into a gel-like substance in the body. It can help lower blood cholesterol. Oatmeal and oat bran, along with various fruits, vegetables, and legumes, provide high levels of soluble fiber.

A Bran-new Approach

Just as fruits and vegetables have a range of health benefits, so does fiber. It helps with digestion, weight loss and helps reduce the risk of many preventable diseases.

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, high fiber intake has been linked to a 40-percent lower risk of coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death among men and women in the United States.

A high fiber diet also reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Studies have shown that diets rich in foods with a high glycemic index—the ability to quickly raise blood sugars—are a key factor in developing this disease.

Foods high in fiber release energy slowly into the blood stream, therefore helping regulate blood sugar levels. People who replace refined foods with high fiber ones can lower their risk of developing diabetes.

Find the Fiber

Although sources for fiber abound in the plant world, Americans don’t eat enough of it. Health experts believe adults should consume between 20-35 grams per day, but the average American eats 13 to 17 grams.

To increase your fiber intake, consider your options at each meal:

Breakfast: Because many Americans skip breakfast, they miss the opportunity to get a head start on daily fiber intake. Breakfast is an easy meal to fill with fiber. Start with whole grain cereals, add fruit like blueberries or strawberries, and a sprinkling of oat bran of flax seeds, maybe a few nuts, and you have a solid fiber foundation for the day.

Snacks: Apples are a source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. They’re also filled with water, which helps soften the fiber for digestion. Sprinkle oatmeal and berries over a cup of yogurt for a filling, high-fiber snack. You’ll find fiber in whole-grain crackers, dried fruit, and nuts and seeds.

Lunch: Beginning your meal with either vegetable-based soup or salad is a good way to fill up on fiber. Because high-fiber foods are either bulky or expand in your system as they dissolve, one of fiber’s benefits is its ability to make you feel full while eating fewer calories.

At lunch, switch your sandwiches to whole wheat bread, and increase the amount of vegetables while you decrease the amount of meat and cheese. You’ll soon find that eating a high-fiber lunch will fill you up without dragging you down for the rest of the afternoon.

Dinner: If you’ve eaten a balanced, high-fiber diet all day, chances are you won’t feel voraciously hungry when you get home at night. The same principles apply to dinner as to every other meal. When you compose your dinner plate, allow vegetables to take up most of the space.

Think of meat as a side dish, and use whole grains, like brown rice or couscous, in place of refined ones like pasta or white rice.

As you work on adding fiber to your diet, make sure you drink plenty of water to help your system process the added roughage. If your fiber intake has been especially low, you might want to start adding fiber slowly, since gas and bloating often accompany this change in diet. Your body will adjust shortly.

Since a high-fiber diet is synonymous with a diet based on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, you’ll derive other benefits, like the disease-battling antioxidants, vitamins and minerals found in these plant foods.

You’ll eat fewer calories. Your digestive system will work better, and you’ll feel more energetic.

In more ways than one, a high-fiber diet is an easy way to improve and maintain your health.