| 1. |
Start slowly, add a little each day and build up to the recommended level. Simultaneously, add more water to your diet. |
| 2. |
Eat vegetables and fruit raw whenever possible. Boiling them too long, for example, can cause up to one-half of the fiber to be lost in the water. Steam or stir-fry them if you have to cook. |
| 3. |
Pureeing doesn't destroy fiber, but juice does not have the fiber of the whole fruit if the pulp has been strained away. |
| 4. |
Always start your day with a bowl of high-fiber cereal -- one that has five or more grams per serving. |
| 5. |
Put fresh fruit on top of your high-fiber cereal to add another 1 g or 2 g of fiber. |
| 6. |
Buy and eat only whole grains. The operative word is "whole." Look for it on the ingredient panel. Wheat bread doesn't mean whole-wheat bread. On average, a slice of whole-wheat bread has 2 g to 3 g of fiber. Choose whole- wheat pasta instead of white, etc.
|
| 7. |
Add beans to salads, soups and stews. |
| 8. |
Add bran cereal to muffins, breads and casseroles. Substitute oat bran for one-third of the all-purpose flour in baking. |
| 9. |
When you eat out, ask for fresh fruit instead of dessert. |
| 10. |
Have fruit or fresh vegetables for between-meal snacks. |
