You need lots of water and lots of fiber.

Think for a moment about your garbage disposal. In order to get it flushed out, you must run the water before flicking the switch. This is how you get things moving and cleaned out. Your own personal waste disposal isn't much different, and believe me, you need both parts of the equation to make things work: fiber and water.

To bulk up the diet with more dietary fiber, it's important to recognize that fiber is much more than just oat bran or whole wheat bread. There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Essentially that means that one is soluble in water and the other is not. The fact is we need BOTH in order to function optimally.

Fruits, Vegetables and Whole Grains

Soluble fiber sources includes apples, oranges, oatmeal, barley, dried beans and carrots. Insoluble fiber comes from bran, brown rice, popcorn, fruit and vegetable skins, and whole grains.

Rather than obsess over which fiber is contained in which food, just keep in mind that having a well-balanced diet with an assortment of fruits, vegetables and whole grains will help you get what you need fiber-wise.

The typical American diet contains about 7-8 grams of fiber, and yet the National Cancer Institute recommends 20-35 grams of fiber daily!

Gestational Diabetes

For most people, a part of the solution can be as simple as changing out the white stuff for the brown stuff: out with the white bread, white rice and white flour and in with the whole wheat bread, brown rice and whole wheat flour. Adding a couple of grams of fiber here and there does make a difference.

Fiber is particularly helpful in helping to manage a common pregnancy complication of gestational diabetes. But even without having to deal with that issue, developing good dietary habits by including more fiber in the diet will not only payoff big time while you're pregnant, but for a lifetime.

And lest you forget, your most excellent healthy diet will be watched and imitated by your soon-to-be progeny. So keep that fact in mind, and let's get cooking with some fiber!

Bodacious Bran Muffins

(Makes a dozen)

1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (available in health food stores; makes a nicer muffin than regular whole wheat flour)
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 cup oat bran
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
5/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 slightly beaten eggs
2/3 cup skim milk
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup oil

Spray muffin pan(s) with vegetable cooking spray or line with paper baking cups. Stir all dry ingredients together. Combine eggs, milk and oil. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir until moistened. Fold in raisins. Fill muffin pan 2/3 full. Bake in a 400 F. degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

Per serving: 166 calories; 6g fat (31.2% calories from fat); 4g protein; 26g carbohydrate; 4g dietary fiber; 31mg cholesterol; 170mg sodium. Exchanges: 1 grain (starch); 0 lean meat; 1/2 fruit; 1 fat; 1/2 other carbohydrates.

Leanne Ely, aka Dinner Diva, is the author of the best-selling "Saving Dinner" and "Saving Dinner the Low Carb Way" (Ballantine). What's for dinner? Go to www.savingdinner.com and find the solution!