Robert Rodale, head of a health and fitness publishing empire and a proponent of organic farming, often touted the benefits of a high-fiber diet prior to his death in 1980. Dietary fiber is found in plant foods like whole grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes. Fiber's role in relieving constipation is well known, but consuming a high-fiber diet has many other health advantages as well.
History
In the 1970s, Rodale, a nationally syndicated columnist at the time, wrote a series of articles touting fiber as the answer to obesity and heart disease. Natural fiber, he said, may even be the key to preventing the onset of heart disease. At the time, Rodale also was president of Rodale Institute and Rodale Press, both of which promoted the cause of pesticide- and chemical-free foods. Rodale publications continue to pepper their pages with the high-fiber message.
Significance
Eating a high-fiber diet does, indeed, have many benefits, according to MayoClinic.com. These include lowering your blood cholesterol levels, helping to control your blood sugar, aiding in weight loss, helping to maintain your bowel health and normalizing your bowel movements. It may also help reduce risk for colorectal cancer, but scientific evidence on this possible benefit is mixed, notes MayoClinic.com. Since fiber helps you feel fuller longer after meals, it can also help you avoid reaching for unhealthy snacks between meals, notes the Diets in Review website.
Advocacy
Even some Rodale publications that you wouldn't expect to see the high-fiber directive in work this message into their texts. For example, the Rodale book "Golf After 50" advises golfers to include high-fiber foods that have at least 3 g fiber per serving with each meal as a means of ensuring they get enough fiber.
Amounts
At a minimum, MayoClinic.com recommends to eat 21 to 25 g fiber daily if you are a woman, and 30 to 38 g fiber daily if you are a man. Rodale's "Golf After 50" suggests to swap refined flour products for whole-grain products, consume whole fruits instead of fruit juices, eat brown rice instead of white, and give up meat at least twice a week, consuming legumes like beans and lentils instead on those days.
Considerations
Some fruits and veggies have more fiber than others. A cup of raspberries has 8 g compared to 4.2 g in cooked corn, for example. Artichokes and peas are both high in fiber, with 10.3 g and 8.8 g per cup, respectively. A medium orange or banana both have 3.1 oz. of fiber, while a medium carrot has 1.7 oz. Of course, Rodale would have you choose organic produce over non-organic options.
Member Comments