I'm supposed to be on a high-fiber diet due to certain digestive problems I have. (don't ask) To help make it easy, I've been taking chewable fiber tablets, the kind you buy at the grocery store.

However, looking at the label, I've noticed that while they contain 3g of fiber, they have an astonishing 31g of carbohydrates.

Don't all those carbs defeat the purpose of taking fiber in the first place? Should I just eat more carrots and apples instead?

Most high fiber foods are also high in carbs, but the fiber makes you feel fuller. GO for the carrots and apples, otherwise you're missing out on other types of nutrients; pills don't have the same benefits. Use flax seed in your cooking, as it is really high fiber (eg. 1 T ground flax has 2.0 grams of carbohydrate, 1.9 of which is fiber). Eat mustard greens (if you can't find 'em, get seeds from the garden store, you can grow them on a window sill or balcony -- I've been cooking with them for years and love them). They're a heck of a lot tastier than other greens. Eat avocados and broccoli. Black beans and lentils are good, almonds too... Careful -- if you change your diet really suddenly, the first effects may be... explosive! One source of info: http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/nutrition/p/fiberinfo.htm

Thanks! Luckily, all of the foods you mentioned are among my favorites.

(Even flax seed? :-))That'll make it easier for sure -- I know someone who's trying to get all 30-40 gms of fibre / day by eating almonds. LOTS of almonds...

well I think that You need to focus on vegetables and fruits such as carrots and apple because both these are natural and would fulfill the requirement of fiber in body instead of taking chewable fiber tablets which can have side effects on body .

ZZ, from a person that has IBS (Irratable Bowel Syndrom) I can totally understand digestive problems and the issues they can cause. I had lots of testing done and other than doctors saying I had IBS nothing definitive was done to alleviate it. I had a blood test done know as HemoCode which establishes which foods ones body has problems with. I elimnated these and WOW, what a difference; I have my life back.

Good luck to you.

That's great news Dereck

Awesome Dereck.
I read that the test can be done at a pharmacy. Is that right?
Is it strictly for people with IBS, or can anyone get it done to find out which foods they are sensitive to?
Finally, is it covered by medical insurance?
Sorry for the "third degree" questioning, but it sounds like it may be worth the effort to have done. I don't have any digestion problems, but it would be good to have an idea about which foods to steer clear of.

Great tip, Dereck! I will look into getting that HemoCode test, too.

HemoCode is offered by a drugstore chain in Canada, but costs $450 per test(!) It's covered by some extended health plans that offer "naturopathic coverage". May be sensible (if slower) to experiment with food tolerances by cutting things out of your diet one by one to see which ones affect you. In http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/619525/new-statistics-reveal-10-most-common-food-intolerances: "An analysis of 2,000 clients screened between January and October 2010 revealed that the top 10 most common food and additive intolerances include:

1. Pork 6. Wheat Flour
2. Banana 7. Coffee
3. Peanut 8. Cocoa Bean
4. Wheat 9. Orange
5. Aspartame 10. Tangerine "

Sadly it was not covered by my plan; an out of pocket expense. I tried and tried but to no avail. If I had been treated directly by a naturopath than it would have. While HemoCode may only be available in Canada I would guaratee that a naturopath would be able to perform this as well and if having problems I would certainly seek out as ones health cannot have a cost attached to it. What a difference it has made in my life. I have limited problems and as cut out the foods found to be problems (including gluton), I have lost considerable weight which was round around my waist. I have gone down 2 and working on a 3rd belt hole. My list include:

SEVERE: Almonds, bananas, barley, coffee, kamut, lamb, oats, oranges, peanuts, pork, rye, spiniach, strawberries, wheat, wheat flour

MODERATE: Beets, black tea, cashew nuts, chicken egg-white, chicken egg-yolk, cocoa beans, leeks, spelt, sugar, sugar beat, watercress

What you do is take out the severe and the moderate. Than after a few months you re-introduce the moderate one at a time for a duration to determine their affects. If adverse you move them to the severe list. I find for myself some moderates I can take a little at a time but not lots of it and cannot be mixed with others as increases the problem. It has been a life change since December but not as big of a deal as I thought; worth it.

What effects do the severe catagory foods have on you, Dereck. (if you don't mind me asking).

Bloating; continuously. Gas. Nausea. Bowel movements 3-13 times a day; never solid. Made going anywhere difficult. Took Imodium like candy just to survive; I should have bought stocks.

That sucks.
I get bloating and gas if I eat a large amount of certain foods, but I'm o.k. if I keep it reasonable.
Good thing you got everything straightened out. Now you can have a life again.
I wonder if people can become more sensitive to certain foods as they age, and less sensitive to others?

Most definitely. I was told it has a lot to do with the processing as food is processed differently now.

I imagine that many so called "natural" foods are processed to a certain degree also.