Roughage Is Latest Health Buzz Word

Fiber is back in! Roughage is the latest buzz word at health clubs across the country. High-fiber diets are the latest health craze. The Fiber35 Diet by Brenda Watson (Free Press, $26) is the bible of the fruit and veggie set. Watson specializes in digestive problems, her co-author, Leonard Smith, is a gastrointestinal and vascular surgeon.

A shortage of fiber is the root cause of many health problems and one of the reasons Americans are overweight, Watson says. She recommends eating 35 grams of fiber a day. Medical experts recommend 25 to 35 grams of fiber daily, but Americans average only 10 to 15 grams, according the Columbia University's Institute of Human Nutrition. People on low carb diets may eat as few as 7 to 8 grams of fiber daily.

According to Watson's book, fiber:

• Fills you up and suppresses your appetite.
• Allows you to eat high volumes without high calories.
• Slows the body's carbohydrate conversion to sugar which supports blood-glucose stability and helps you lose weight.
• Eliminates calories from the food you eat through waste excretion. Watson calls this "fiber flush."

"For every gram of fiber you consume, you don't absorb seven calories," Watson says. "That's 245 calories a day (eating 35 grams a fiber per day). She contends that adequate daily fiber can counter common digestive problems such as acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome and hemorrhoids.

Try these quick easy ways to add fiber to your diet:

• make sandwiches with whole grain breads
• snack on hummus with whole grain flat bread
• spread peanut butter on apple slices for a quick energy boost
• eat whole oranges instead of orange juice at breakfast
• don't forget to serve a salad with dinner