If you read my post “Fiber and Cholesterol Reduction” you know how important fiber can be in helping to lower the “BAD” LDL cholesterol to prevent the cardiovascular disease atherosclerosis.    Fiber is also important in reducing the risk for certain types of cancer, helping control blood sugar for diabetics, reducing the risk for stroke, improving elimination, and can be a useful tool in weight management.  

Because fiber is so important to your general health and wellness I’ve put together a list of good sources of fiber.  Please use this fiber list as a general guide in helping you to find some foods and food groups that appeal to you and your taste buds.  For simplicity, I’ve grouped these items according to grams per serving.  

Serving sizes can vary and so can calories per serving so you will need to read the nutritional label.  This list is not complete but it will help you when you go to the market.   

2 to 4 grams of fiber per serving:

Almonds:  ¼ cup is 2.4 grams

Applesauce:  ½ cup is 2.7 grams

Apricots:  2 halves dried are 1.7 grams

Avocado:  ½ average sized is 2.8 grams

Banana:  1 medium is 3.0 grams

Boston Brown Bread:  2 slices are 4.0 grams

Broccoli:  1 cup cooked or raw is 3 grams

Brussel Sprouts:  1 cup is 4.0 grams

Cabbage:  1 cup cooked is 4.0 grams

Carrots:  1 cup cooked is 4 grams

Cauliflower:  1 cup cooked is 2.5 grams

Celery:  ½ cup raw is 4.0 grams

Coconut:  1 tablespoon dried is 3.4 grams

Corn:  1 cup cooked is 4 grams

Cornbread:  1 square (2 ½”) is 3.4 grams

Cornflakes Cereal:  1 cup is 3.5 grams

Cracked Wheat Bread:  2 slices are 3.6 grams

Cranberries:  ½ cup in sauce form is 4.0 grams

English Muffin (Whole Wheat):  1 whole muffin is 3.7 grams

Okra:  1 cup fresh or cooked is 3.2 grams

Orange:  1 large is 2.4 grams

Parsnip:  1 large cooked is 2.8 grams

Peach:  1 medium is 2.3 grams

Pear:  1 medium is 4.0 grams

Puffed Wheat Cereal:  1 cup is 3.3 grams

Pumpernickel Bread:  2 slices are 4.0 grams

Rice (White):  ½ cup before cooking is 2.0 grams

Strawberries:  1 cup is 3.0 grams

Turnip:  ½ cup cooked is 2.0 grams

Watermelon:  1 thick slice is 2.8 grams

Wheaties Cereal:  1 cup is 2.0 grams

Zucchini:  ½ cup raw or cooked is 3.0 grams

4.1 to 6 grams of fiber per serving:

Apple:  1 large raw is 4.5 grams

Artichokes:  1 large is 4.5 grams

Beets:  1 cup cooked is 5.0 grams

Blackberries:  ½ cup is 4.4 grams

Bran Flakes Cereal:  1 cup is 5.0 grams

Bran Flakes with Raisins Cereal:  1 cup is 6.0 grams

Bran Meal:  3 tablespoons are 6 grams

Dark Rye Bread:  2 slices are 5.8 grams

Flatout Wraps:  1 wrap has 5 grams of fiber or more

Green Beans (Snap):  1 cup is 4.2 grams

Idaho Baked Potato:  1 medium with skin is 5.0 grams

Macaroni (Whole Wheat):  1 cup cooked is 5.7 grams

Mashed Potato:  1 cup is 6.0 grams

Noodles (Whole Wheat Egg):  1 cup cooked is 5.7 grams

Raspberries:  ½ cup is 4.6 grams

Rice (Brown):  ½ cup before cooking is 5.5 grams

Sauerkraut (Canned):  1 cup is 4.6 grams

Seven-Grain Bread:  2 slices are 6.5 grams

Shredded Wheat (Spoon Sized):  1 cup is 4.4 grams

Spaghetti (Whole Wheat):  1 cup cooked is 5.6 grams

Sweet Potato:  1 medium is 5.5 grams

Whole Wheat Bread:  2 slices are 6.0 grams

Whole Wheat Raisin Bread:  2 slices are 6.5 grams

6.1 to 10 grams of fiber per serving:

Bran Chex Cereal:  1 cup is 7.5 grams

Buckwheat Groats (Kasha):  1 cup cooked is 9.6 grams

Cracklin’ Bran Cereal:  1 cup is 8 grams

Fruit N’ Fiber Cereal:  1 cup is 7 grams

Greens (Collards, Beet Greens, Kale, Turnip Greens):  1 cup cooked is 8.0 grams

High-Bran “Health” Bread:  2 slices are 7.0 grams

Lentils:  1 cup cooked is 6.4 grams

Nabisco 100% Bran Cereal:  1 cup is 8.0 grams

Peas (Green):  1 cup is 7 grams

Rutabaga (Yellow Turnip):  1 cup is 6.4 grams

Yams:  1 medium is 6.8 grams

10.1 and above grams of fiber per serving:

All Bran Cereal:  ½ cup is 10.4 grams

Baked Beans:  1 cup is 16 grams

Black Beans:  1 cup cooked is 14 grams

Bran Buds Cereal:  ½ cup is 10.4 grams

Chickpeas (Garbanzos):  1 cup cooked is 12 grams

Figs:  3 dried are 10.5 grams

Great Northern Beans:  1 cup is 16 grams

Kidney Beans:  1 cup cooked is 19.4 grams

Lima Beans:  1 cup canned or cooked is 11.6 grams

Navy Beans:  1 cup cooked is 18 grams

Oatmeal Cereal:  1 cup is 10.3 grams

Pinto Beans:  1 cup cooked is 18.8 grams

Spinach:  1 cup cooked is 14 grams

Split Peas:  1 cup cooked is 13.4 grams

White Beans:  1 cup canned or cooked is 16 grams 

This guide will give you a good start in finding foods that will help you increase your fiber intake. However, due to its complexity, laboratory technicians have not yet been able to ascertain the exact fiber content of many foods.  Because of this, you may find discrepancies from one source to another.  Add to the fact that there are varying sizes of fruits and vegetable, as well as growing conditions, and you can begin to understand why there might be some variations in the number of grams of fiber listed for different food items.    

Together we can work to save a million lives! 

Dan Hammer 

The information contained in this blog is for general information purposes only and never as a substitute for professional medical advice or medical exam.  The information contain in this blogging website has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a qualified medical doctor.

Heart disease accounts for approximately 35% of all deaths.  It is estimated by the American Heart Association that 80 million Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease.  In researching and writing more than 100 articles for my Aging No More website, one very important theme keeps reoccurring. If you take the necessary steps to improve the health of your cardiovascular system, which includes your heart and circulatory system, you can:

Positively affect most of the health of your other organs and take significant steps to slow down the aging process!

So, the question remains – Is No More Heart Disease Possible?

Well, before I answer that question let’s look at two significant health issues and two remarkable health professionals:

Stroke – According to the National Stroke Association, “. . . 80 percent of strokes are preventable!” For the most part the only difference between a stroke and a heart attack is location. A stroke occurs in the brain where as a heart attack occurs in the heart. Wouldn’t it make sense that 80 percent of heart attacks are preventable?

Cancer – According to the 517 page World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research Expert Report, “5 to 10% of cancers result directly from inheriting genes associated with cancer.” This means that nutrition, lifestyle and environmental factors account for the remaining 90 to 95% of cancers. Wouldn’t it make sense that nutrition, lifestyle and environmental factors would also play a significant role in heart disease?

Dr. Louis Ignarro – In 1998 Dr. Ignarro shared the Nobel Prize in Medicine with two other scientists for the discovery of Nitric Oxide and how it is the master signaling molecule for the cardiovascular system. In 2008, the American Heart Association selected Dr. Ignarro as a 2008 Distinguished Scientist. Dr. Ignarro firmly believes that the proper use of Nitric Oxide (NO) can significantly improve the health of most cells and make a major impact on reducing the risk of heart disease.

Dr. J. Joseph Prendergast – Dr. Joe (as he prefers to call himself) is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism and has a very large patient population at the Endocrine Metabolic Medical Center in Palo Alto California. Dr. Joe is a pioneer in the potential of L-Arginine (the precursor for NO) to dramatically affect cardiovascular health. Of Dr. Joe’s large high-risk, patient population, over the last 17 years less than 1% have experienced a stroke or heart attack if they have followed his L-Arginine protocol.

Now back to our question: Is No More Heart Disease Possible?

No, but given the above information we can make a significant impact in making heart disease a very small problem rather than the number one killer that it currently is.  We spend millions of dollars every year on finding a cure when the most important cure is staring us in the face. It is prevention!

This website is designed to help equip you with useful and practical knowledge that, in conjunction with your physician, will empower you to reduce your risk and help to eliminate heart disease.

Until next time, join me in working to save a million lives!

Dan Hammer

The information contained in this blog is for general information purposes only and never as a substitute for professional medical advice or medical exam.  The information contain in this blogging website has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a qualified medical doctor.