Secrets to Happiness: Secret #9

It is a fine line between little kid toilet humor and talking seriously about this next secret. Well, it is for me, cause I get the giggles when I discuss regularity. I can't help it. Whoever I am discussing this with (I know, I know, you're thinking "How often does this come up in conversation?" Not very often), I picture in that most vulnerable of human positions: sitting on the commode.

I told you that I was going to bring the secrets back down a notch after the last few lofty pronouncements. But this one is just as serious and as important as any of them:

Eat fiber

Pretty straightforward, yet many of us, including me, fail to do so adequately. Those of us who know better try to supplement our intake with some pills or a spoonful of psyllium, but that really won't cut it.

Fiber is an effective intestinal scrub. It is a natural way of staying healthy and feeling good. Of course, we can ruin it by overeating fiber, or failing to gradually build up our daily intake of fiber. If you try to load up on fiber immediately, you will not feel happiness. You will feel miserable. Go slow, figure out what you currently take in and slowly build to about 30 grams per day. Drinking enough water is critical when consuming that much fiber, unless your goal is to build an intestinal dam. I found this article (a pdf) from the University of Wisconsin helpful.

There will be secrets upcoming regarding our moods. I believe this secret is intimately related, at least for me it is. Constipation makes me grumpy. Go ahead and laugh. People who know me that read this, will now resort to this cause everytime I snap at them. That's ok. Probably 50% of the time they would be correct.

I'm going to spare you the health claims for eating fiber. They're in the linked article and, as far as it matters to me, I think the long term health benefits are a happy result but they're not the immediate reason. You do it because it is part of the physical foundation for making happiness easier. We don't think too much about hot water or heat or air conditioning or our mode of transportation until these things are unavailable. Our health is pretty much the same way. We take it for granted until we feel discomfort. By having a fiber-filled diet, we're taking steps to ensure that we avoid those feelings.

What is your favorite fiber food? Got a recipe? I love oatmeal cookies. Leave a comment or send an email.