Looking for foods high in dietary fiber? Good! Because they’re important for your good health.

Fiber is the edible but indigestible portion of all plant foods and is absolutely necessary for the optimum elimination of unhealthy toxins, prevention of constipation, hemorrhoids and colon cancer and for decreasing your risk of high blood sugar, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease.

High in dietary fiber foods also play an important role in any healthy weight loss and weight management program since high fiber foods are very filling and help control the appetite.

The problem, though, is most Americans are not getting anywhere near the 22 (women) to 38 (men) grams of daily fiber they need to be feeling their best. In fact, according to surveys, only about 5% of the population are getting adequate high in dietary fiber foods on a daily basis. Take a look at the high fiber food chart and the list of high fiber foods to see how many grams of fiber you’re getting.

So, if you’re an average American start adding more foods high in dietary fiber to your daily eating regimen. They include fresh fruits and vegetables, 100% whole grain breads, cereals, (particularly oats and oat bran), beans, nuts and seeds.

A few tips. Start slowly, be sure to drink lots of water and be patient for results.