Fiber

Dietary fiber is the part of plant-based food that mostly passes through your digestive system without breaking down or being digested.

Most high fiber plant foods contain both soluble and insoluble fiber.

Soluble fiber attracts water and turns to gel during digestion. This slows digestion. Soluble fiber is found in oat bran, barley, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, peas, and some fruits and vegetables. It is also found in psyllium, a common fiber supplement. Some types of soluble fiber may help lower risk of heart disease.  

Benefits: Because of its ability to absorb water and swell up, soluble fiber helps slow down the digestion of carbohydrates and other nutrients preventing sudden spikes in blood glucose levels.  This slower digestion also helps keep you feeling fuller longer.  It also may lower cholesterol level by acting like a sponge that binds to cholesterol and fat in your food, carrying them out of the body through your stools.

Soluble fiber sources:  

Legumes like split peas, beans, lentils, 

Whole grains like oats

Vegetables like Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, carrots, and peas

Fruits like oranges, avocados, apples, pears

Seed like psyllium, chia, and flax

Insoluble fiber is found in foods such as wheat bran, vegetables, and whole grains. It adds bulk to the stool and appears to help food pass more quickly through the stomach and intestines.

Benefits:  Because insoluble fiber bulks up the stool and makes it softer and easier to pass, it limits the amount of time the stool is sitting in the colon. It reduces the risk of colorectal conditions.

Insoluble fiber is the tough and chewy parts of vegetables and fruits, such as apple skins, carrot peels, broccoli stems, and asparagus stalks.  You can also find insoluble fiber in whole grain breads and cereals, wheat bran, oat bran and nuts.