A lot of the "added fiber" in fiber rich foods such as "Fiber One" brand do not have the same health benefits of natural fiber rich foods. Psyllium Husk is considered natural, soluable fiber (the fiber in Metamucil) and is as good as it gets. As long as you don't get gassy or bloated, a dose or two a day of Metamucil is pretty good for you.
They sell this high fiber cereal at trader joes, something ridiculous like 9g+ per serving (50% daily allowance). The best way for more fiber imo is to eat oatmeal right after you wake up which gives you the option of eating a heartier breakfast an hour or two later. I think unprocessed foods is king because your digestive system absorbs things at different rates, and making it faster (powder) or slower (possibly the processed cereal given earlier) won't necessarily generate intended results. Think laser guided missiles vs carpet bomb for a position sensitive target. In that situation there might be more under the surface to affect. Plus, there's more to diet than only fiber intake. Getting used to eating salad is a switch I had to make as I got older and travleed more often. I don't mind as much anymore since I balance it out with other stuff while trying to eat salad frequently. As a person who is generally healthy and without known digestive issues, I also think red meat is fine. What isn't is processed foods. A downside to this is that the bacteria in your guts will go to town in your quest of switching from processed to less processed food and your farts will get worse. Perhaps that's an indicator of how your body processes things differently...who knows?
