Diabetes & Fiber

Here is a question I received about choosing foods that are good sources of fiber.

I am in the military and currently stationed in Kuwait. Although the meals are great, I have a hard time putting items together for a 1200 cal diet and I'm not sure of which items are the best for fiber. Please help.

Answer: Choosing whole grains instead of refined flour (wheat bread and brown rice instead of white bread and white rice for example), whole vegetables and whole fruits instead of juice can help increase fiber.

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate found in fruits, vegetables, and grains. Not only do fibrous foods contain many vitamins and minerals, fiber also packs health benefits including:

• Delaying sugar into the blood stream – slows how quickly sugar goes into your bloodstream and therefore may reduce peaks of blood sugar levels,
• Reducing body weight – helps to make you feel full longer and may displace “empty calorie” foods,
• Reducing blood cholesterol – if you have heart problems or high cholesterol, eating high fiber foods may help to reduce your blood cholesterol levels,
• Alleviating constipation – helps to improve regularity.
  

Paying attention to nutrition facts on food labels and nutrition analysis when available for meals served can be helpful in counting calories and determining fiber content.

According to the American Diabetes Association, if a food contains 5 or more grams of fiber, you can subtract 1/2 of the grams of fiber from the total carbohydrate amount.