Fiber Facts

Shoot for about 40-50g of mixed fiber per day when dieting, but no more. The absolute lower limit is 20g per day. Your main fiber sources should be (in order of importance): vegetables, beans, nuts, fruit, and grains (like oatmeal). If you eat 1 oz of mixed nuts, 1 apple, 2 cups of kidney beans, and 2 cups of mixed vegetables each day, you'll be getting 41g of fiber. A small amount of supplemental fiber is okay. You can get soluble fiber from psyllium, guar gum, and apple pectin, and insoluble fiber from flax seeds.

Article written by John Berardi

Dr. John Berardi is the president of Science Link, Inc. and JohnBerardi.com, two multi-national corporations devoted to translating cutting edge exercise, nutrition, and supplement research into measurable health and performance results.