Imagine how Dina M (not her real name) felt when her 8 year old daughter's school nurse called to tell her that little Sarah was doubled over with stomach pain, and that Sarah said she hadn't had a bowel movement in days? "She'd had digestive problems before," said Dina. "But never this serious."

While M.D.'s have traditionally prescribed a laxative in such a case, more and more doctors and other health care providers are suggesting that parents try increasing the fiber in their children's diets to bring problems like constipation under control. And parents are finding that it's working.

In fact, most constipation problems--as well as many other digestion-related conditions-- may be due to the fact that the typical American diet contains less than a third of the amount of fiber recommended by the National Institute of Health.

The average American adult's diet contains 10 to 12 grams of fiber a day. By contrast, the National Institute of Health's recommended amount of fiber intake is 25 to 35 grams a day.

The problem is compounded for anyone eating a typical Eastern European diet--typical Ashkenazik fare, according to Narda Green, a Registered Dietician. "There was a shortage of vegetables in Eastern Europe in the past," says Green. "Due to the unavailability of fresh vegetables in all seasons, as well as limited storage, a low-fiber diet evolved among Ashkenazik Jews."

Sephardic Jews, Green notes, have a significantly higher amount of fiber in their diets than their Ashkenazik brethren.

According to Green, a number of medical conditions may be helped or even prevented by a diet which is high in fiber. These include constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulosis, hemorrhoids, and stool impaction. And, she says, an increase in fiber may also help to lower cholesterol, and to prevent heart disease, diabetes, and colon cancer.

Ironically, keeping Kosher can make matters worse if one isn't careful. "The separation of meat and dairy tends to increase constipation," says Green. "We tend to concentrate a large number of milk-based foods at dairy meals. While meat is an intestinal stimulant, cheese is an intestinal binder. So, a grilled cheese sandwich would constipate you more than if you weren't Kosher and ate a cheeseburger."

Fortunately for those of us who keep Kosher, there are plenty of ways to balance the binding effects of dairy by adding fiber to our meals. Eat more fruits and vegetables. For example, apples, oranges, pears, prunes, figs, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots are particularly high in fiber. Brown rice has more fiber than white rice, and adding peas or corn to a rice dish will further increase its fiber content. Substitute whole wheat pasta instead of regular pasta, serve corn as a side dish instead of potatoes.

Other ways to increase fiber in your dairy dishes: use high fiber rye bread instead of Italian bread or Challah; add ground flax seeds, available at any health food store, to any casserole dish; serve vegetable soup, pea soup, corn chowder and cabbage soup. It's a good idea to check labels on breads, cereals, and other prepared foods for the fiber content. Some products have less fiber than you would expect.

Children are notoriously finicky, and seem to have a sixth sense that helps them avoid foods that are good for them. As a result, they are prime candidates for low-fiber diet-related problems. According to Kellogg's "Age + 5 Fiber Facts", (c) 1995, the requirement for fiber for children starting at age 3 is "age plus 5". For example, a five year old should have 5 + 5, or 10 grams of fiber a day. This rule holds true up to adulthood (18 + 5 = 23 grams a day). Green says that she views this number as a minimum requirement, and says that some kids need more fiber to get them going. She suggests that parents check with their health care provider to find out what is right for their child. But when a toddler thinks spaghetti and ketchup is a perfectly balanced dinner, the parents need to think up alternatives.

Even the most fiber-conscious adults can have trouble getting their children to eat enough foods that are rich in fiber. Fortunately, says Narda Green, there are readily available food products developed especially for adults and children who have difficulty in taking in enough fiber. "Two examples of high fiber foods that are especially suited for childrens' taste include Juice Plus Fibre, and Chips To Go fiber cookies.

"Juice Plus Fibre is a pure juice with 10 grams of fiber, incorporated into the juice, which cannot be tasted or detected," says Green, who notes that the juices are available in several flavors. "In addition to drinking the juice, you can also cook with it in any recipes calling for water, such as muffins, cakes, waffles, pancakes and breads." Green, who specializes in Irritable Bowel Syndrome, uses Juice Plus Fibre in her practice.

Green also has found Chips To Go fiber cookies, which come in four kid-friendly flavors, to have been successful with many of her younger clients. "The Chips To Go cookies contain five grams of fiber per cookie, which is triple the amount of fiber in a slice of wheat bread."

In fact, it was the Juice Plus Fibre that helped Dina's daughter's severe constipation. "She drank a container of Juice Plus Fibre," says Dina, "and she was normal within an hour."

The information in this article is a general overview on dietary fiber, and it may not apply to everyone. Please do not use any of the information here as a substitute for the advice of a physician. If you are considering changing your diet, you should speak with your physician or health care provider.