In today’s anti carbs world Dietary Fiber gets a bad rap. We often forget that it isn’t just how many calories that we eat but also how many calories our body absorbs. Here is where fiber becomes the friendly carb. Fibers in food are nonstarch polysaccharides and by definition cannot be broken down by human digestive enzymes. Some dietary fiber can be digested by living bacteria in the body in which results in gas, but let’s focus on the positive. When checking the carbohydrate value of foods subtract the dietary fiber. Look for foods high in fiber, but don’t add too much all at once. Many fruits and veggies are great sources of fiber. Especially when shopping for foods in the bread and cereal group look for whole grains high in dietary fiber. Major benefits of fiber include making you feel fuller longer, and helping prevent constipation, intestinal problems, bacterial infection and some forms of cancer. Dietary fiber is good for you!