FOOD AS MEDICINE: FIBER Dr. Tiffany A. Bradley NM FAM MED RESIDENT, PGY-2 Dr. Baxley Erie Family Health Center Medical Director

Dietary fiber is plant material that your body can’t digest Dietary fiber is plant material that your body can’t digest. It stays in the gut and doesn’t get absorbed. It is VERY important for your health. What is fiber?

Soluble Fiber Dissolves in water, mixes food into a gel-like material. Slows stomach emptying. Slows intestinal movement blood sugar doesn’t rise as much. Soluble Fiber This type of fiber is found in fruits, oats, barley, psyllium, and legumes.

Soaks up bile acids helps remove cholesterol from the body Soluble Fiber Is eaten by bacteria in the intestine good for the immune system Photo: Martin Oeggerli. School of Life Sciences, FHNW

Insoluble Fiber Doesn’t dissolve in water Speeds up the gut large, soft stools more often. As large, soft stool moves through the gut, it removes waste   Insoluble Fiber Insoluble fiber is in cereals; wheat bran; stalks, peels, and seeds of fruits & vegetables.

Insoluble fiber prevents constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis.

More Benefits of Dietary Fiber Reduces the risk of colon cancer by keeping the colon clean. Provides a ”full” feeling after eating, yet it has no calories Helps with weight loss. More Benefits of Dietary Fiber

Dietary or supplemental fiber can help regulate stools The Bristol Stool Scale The Bristol Stool Chart is a medical aid designed to classify the feces forms into seven groups. STOOL Types 1 and 2= constipation; 3 and 4= "ideal stools" especially the latter, as they are the easiest to pass; 5-7 tending towards diarrhea Dietary or supplemental fiber can help regulate stools

Dietary fiber is found only in plant products, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains. Both insoluble and soluble sources of fiber are in the parts of a plant that we eat: skin, pulp, seeds, stems, leaves, and roots. Foods considered the best sources of fiber will have at least 5 grams of fiber per serving. Good sources have at least 2.5 grams per serving. Best sources of fiber are in whole-grain products (includes the bran of the grain kernel), raw or cooked fruits and vegetables, and legumes (dried beans and peas). Refined or processed foods (white bread, pasta, fruit juices, and non-whole-grain cereals) are low in fiber content. Because of their higher water content, fruits and vegetables provide less dietary fiber per gram of ingested material than grains and cereals. Fiber content will be lowered if you remove the skin from fruits and vegetables. Fiber Sources

Fiber rich food ½ cup contains: Bananas, 3 grams – 1 medium Beans, 6-10 grams - baked beans, black beans, great northern beans, kidney beans, garbanzos, pinto beans, white beans Berries, 4-5 grams - blackberries, raspberries Bran Cereals, 5-10 grams - All-Bran, Bran Buds, 100% Bran, Raisin Bran Bread, 4-7 grams - 2 slices whole wheat, pumpernickel, seven-grain Broccoli, 4-5 grams Carrots, 3-4 grams Fruit, 4 grams - medium apple, medium pear Greens, 4-6 grams - beet greens, collards, kale, spinach, turnip greens Lima Beans - 4-6 grams Peas, 7-9 grams - black-eyed peas, green peas Potatoes, 4-5 grams - medium baked Idaho or sweet potato Sweet Corn, 5 grams Fiber rich food

How much? Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) for Fiber: Males 14-18 years 38 g/day 19-50 years 38 g/day Females 14-18 years 26 g/day 19-50 years 25 g/day How much? Adult: 25-38g total daily Breakfast: 1 banana and 1/2 cup raisin bran 8g Snack: medium apple 4g Lunch: 1 cup bean salad & ½ sandwich 17g Dinner: 1 cup Lima beans and 1 cup corn 18g 47g ___ The average American consumes only 14 grams of dietary fiber a day.

FOOD AS MEDICINE: Mindful eating Dr. Tiffany A. Bradley NM FAM MED RESIDENT, PGY-2 Dr. Baxley Erie Family Health Center Medical Director

The Second Brain The gut has it’s own nervous system – a network of 500 million nerves (more than are in the spinal cord). These nerves signal the gut to make digestive juices and to churn and move food through. In stressful situations, the gut’s nerves are quieted. The body focuses all of its energy on external threats. Digestion slows or even stops.

You have to rest to digest Chronic stress weakens digestion and is associated with ulcers, heartburn, bloating, constipation or diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome.

Mindful Eating Take 10 deep abdominal breaths before a meal Sit at a table to eat Set an intention or say a prayer over the food Express gratitude Pay attention to the body’s signals – stop eating when you feel full When eating, just eat. Try not to multitask. Mindful Eating

Slide images and some content obtained from Nebraska Department of education REFERENCES