The USDA recommends including 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories in your diet. The typical American consumes only about half that amount. Benefits of a fiber-rich diet include weight management, reduced blood cholesterol, lower blood pressure, appetite control, regular bowel movements and relief from inflammation-related disorders such as arthritis.
Benefits
Eating a high-fiber diet can help you maintain a healthy weight. This is because high-fiber foods tend to be both bulky and low in calories, which can help you fill up without blowing your diet. Raw fiber enhances this benefit because fiber-rich foods that are not cooked still contain their natural water and are even more bulky than their cooked counterparts. When left in their raw, natural state, high-fiber foods take longer to chew. This means you get to spend more time eating, which also gives your brain the time it needs to realize your stomach is full--typically about 20 minutes.
High-fiber foods are generally recommended for their vitamin, mineral and phytonutrient content. Raw high-fiber foods may enhance absorption of these nutrients because they contain live, active enzymes. These enzymes help you digest the foods you eat, and they are essential for efficient nutrient absorption. Because our bodies produce these enzymes in limited quantities, it is important to consume at least some raw foods, preferably with each meal. Digestive problems such as constipation, bloating and gas can occur if you consume too many enzyme-lacking cooked foods and not enough enzyme-rich raw foods. The easiest fiber-rich foods to eat raw are fruits and vegetables, but beans and grains can also be sprouted for raw consumption. Do note, however, that the nutrient content of some foods (like tomatoes and kale) can be increased through cooking.
Tips
You can save a few hundred calories without sitting down to a skimpy plate by replacing rice or pasta with "cauliflower rice." Simply use the pulse function to chop cauliflower florets in a food processor until they resemble rice or couscous. Serve them at room temperature or lightly warmed wherever you might use similar grains.
Replace pasta with high-fiber zucchini noodles by pushing a medium to large zucchini through a spiral slicer. Sprinkle with salt and leave in a colander to drain for about twenty minutes. Use just like cooked noodles--for a fraction of the calories.
If you don't like raw broccoli or cauliflower, try marinating them for a few hours for a quick, bulky snack. You can also lightly stir fry these vegetables to soften texture without cooking them all the way through.
Instead of cooked beans, add raw, sprouted beans to salads. Most natural food stores carry a ready-to-serve mix of sprouted lentils, chickpeas, adzuki and mung beans. You can also try sprouting them at home in jars. They take just a few days and minimal attention.
Try making raw hummus with sprouted chickpeas and/or zucchini instead of cooked beans.
To better enjoy raw kale and other greens try massaging them for five minutes or so until they look more like lightly cooked greens. Mix these greens with other vegetables and a salad dressing or marinade.
Caution
If you are not accustomed to eating a lot of raw fiber-rich foods, introduce these foods slowly to avoid increasing or causing intestinal stress.
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