by Karen Ellis

Created on: May 20, 2009   Last Updated: May 29, 2009

Some fiber choices are hard to get down. Even after you've managed to swallow a mouthful of thick jell, made from a fiber supplement, it feels stuck in your chest, like a clogged drain. There are easier ways, that is not only delicious, but easy to use with a multitude of benefits. But first, lets discuss more about fiber and why our body needs it to remain in a healthful condition.

Types of Fiber

The two types of dietary fiber are soluble and insoluble. Both kinds of fiber are indigestible. Soluble fiber, when mixed with liquid, turns into a sort of jell and expands. Think of oatmeal and how it expands when cooked in water. Scientists call these soluble fibers pectin, gums and mucilages. Insoluble fiber does not expand with water and passes through the body, excreted, much as it was when eaten. The bran layers of cereal grains comprise the largest amount of dietary insoluble fiber.

Health Benefits

Both soluble and insoluble fiber, in your diet, are important in maintaining a healthy body. 20 to 35 grams of total fiber, for adults, is recommended for daily intake. Insoluble fiber has been shown to lower total cholesterol levels and regulate blood glucose. As it helps move food through the digestive tract faster, it removes toxins.

Insoluble fiber is important for the intestinal tract to work properly, as it also moves the food through the intestinal system. It works to reduce the risk of hemorrhoids, colorectal cancer and constipation. It also keeps the proper PH (acid) balance of the intestines.

A positive side-effect of adding fiber to your diet is that it makes you feel fuller, longer. The best thing for a weight-loss diet is to add fiber to your daily intake of food. It stays in the stomach longer, making it a good food source for diabetics, absorbing sugars slower.

Delicious Fiber

Here are 10 easy ways to add delicious fiber to your diet and hardly notice.

1. Sprinkle ground flaxseeds over your morning cereal or vegetables for dinner. Flaxseeds have a nutty flavor that enhances many dishes.

2. Replace your regular rice dishes with brown rice.

3. Make a pot of beans in your crockpot and portion it out to use in different dishes throughout the week, such as tacos (instead of ground beef), soups and rice and beans.

4. Choose whole grain breads over white, processed bread. To get used to the new form of bread, make sandwiches with one piece of bread of each type.

5. Instead of sugary and/or processed snacks, eat a whole fruit or vegetables for one snack a day. What's easier than taking an apple to work with you.

6. Get in the habit of serving a green salad, full of raw vegetables, for dinner each night.

7. Choose a hand full of nuts instead of chips for an evening snack, while watching TV.

8. Try a high fiber snack bar from your grocery health food department. Many have as much as 35 grams, a full day's supply.

9. Exchange whole grain pastas with your regular white pasta.

10. Fussy kids? Puree vegetables and add them to the pasta sauce or mix up some fruit smoothies with a yogurt base.

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