During prolonged and high intensity exercise, many people experience a significant decrease in sodium because of sweating. For bodybuilders performing more than 60 minutes of moderate- to high-intensity exercise, replacing the lost sodium will help improve recovery time and restore fluid levels to normal.

Fiber is an essential part of a healthy diet, but it doesn't have to taste like cardboard. Oat bran is a type of insoluble fiber -- the kind that can help lower your cholesterol. Aside from the cardiovascular bonus, oat bran can help regulate your bowel movements and keep your colon healthy.

Fiber is an indigestible type of carbohydrate that is not broken down like other carbs. Instead, it travels through your digestive tract, relatively intact, aiding in digestion and keeping you full.

If you are keeping an eye on your carb intake to control your blood sugar levels or weight, you are probably familiar with carb counting. Although fiber does not "cancel out carbs"

Diverticulitis is a condition characterized by inflammation or infection in abnormal pouches or sacs in the lining of the large intestine. People with this disorder commonly have an insufficient intake of dietary fiber.

A high-fiber diet is healthy, with the Colorado State University Extension recommending that adults eat at least 14 g of fiber per day for every 1,000 calories in their diet. High amounts of dietary fiber do not cause rectal bleeding, but a fiber-rich diet prevents certain conditions that cause this problem.

Fiber bars contain a large dose of an essential nutrient, but they can also give you bloating, gas, cramping or, in the most severe cases, diarrhea.

Although fruits supply vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, they sometimes get a bad rap for being high in a natural sugar called fructose. This type of sugar is also found in many sweet treats and can lead to spikes and crashes in blood sugar.

When you think of dietary fiber – the indigestible carbohydrates found in virtually every fruit, vegetable, grain, nut, seed or other plant-based food – you probably picture crisp apple skin, chewy oatmeal flakes or stringy bits of celery.

You’ve been adding ground flaxseed to your diet to reap the health benefits of this tiny seed, including prevention of high cholesterol and heart disease, management of menopausal symptoms, and even protection against some cancers. But you’ve also noticed an uptick in your discomfort from gas and bloating.

Cracked wheat is made by cutting or crushing whole raw wheat berries (kernels) into small pieces. Bulgur is cracked wheat that has been partially cooked. Cracked wheat has all the benefits of wheat flour, and since it contains the outer bran and germ of the wheat, it provides some additional benefits as well.

Psyllium husks are obtained from the seed of Plantago ovata, a plant native to India.