How much fiber should I tell my clients they should get every day?
If client asks me about fiber……my answer is:
– 25-40 grams is the range but check with your Doctor to determine your needs
– complete 3 day food log analysis to determine current fiber you are getting from your diet
– provide a list of the highest fiber foods available and have client check off what they will eat
– assess how much fiber they need based on Doctor’s recommendation and what they are getting from their diet
– provide a 7 day program for foods to eat daily in addition to current diet to supply 100% of fiber recommended by their Doctor
Shoot for about 40-50g of mixed fiber per day, but no more. The absolute lower limit is 20g per day. Your main fiber sources should be (in order of importance): vegetables, beans, nuts, fruit, and grains (like oatmeal). If you eat 1 oz of mixed nuts, 1 apple, 2 cups of kidney beans, and 2 cups of mixed vegetables each day, you’ll be getting 41g of fiber. Also, a small amount of supplemental fiber is okay. You can get soluble fiber from psyllium, guar gum, and apple pectin, and insoluble fiber from flax seeds.
It is important for personal trainers to work within their scope of practice. Licensed dieticians and nutritionists are in the best position to give nutritional advice.
I tend to suggest that my clients visit www.mypyramid.gov, however, as an ACSM Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist that is out of my scope of practice.
Ask yourself, would it be better to take the advice of anyone, even a doctor on the question you posed or would be be better to ask a licensed dietitian or nutritionist? It’s better to be safe than sorry especially in a sue happy society.
Great job at pushing the fiber intake! So many people fail to intake the minimum amount.
Nutrition is a touchy subject for us trainers. Some trainers do not even “go there”…. For me, I tell them I’m not a nutritionist and refer them to one if need be.
If they have basic questions about caloric intake, fiber, water, fat etc….I use the information provided by USDA (choosemyplate.gov ). They have MANY resources and are there for a reason!
According to the 2010 Dietary Guidlines For Americans, it says 14grams of fiber per 1,000 calories.
Take a look at that site! It is very interesting! Hope that you find what you are looking for! Good luck!
