My Life is Vital™ - Fiber Up for Weight Loss

Fiber Up for Weight Loss

Vital Healthcare Group

Dietary fiber is important for good health and weight loss. Fiber is the part of the plant that we can eat but our bodies cannot digest or breakdown. Fiber moves foods and the toxins they contain quickly through the digestive tract allowing less time for any possible cancer causing agents to come in contact with the intestines, colon or rectum.

According to the National Cancer Institute, a diet high in fiber cuts the risk of colon cancer by up to 70 percent. Dietary fiber may also lower the risk of kidney and gallstones, as well as ease constipation.

Fiber ferments in the colon, increasing the amount of oxygen, which in turn diminishes the action of the harmful bacteria. Fresh, whole fruits and vegetables, including the skins provide the most benefit from fiber. Figs, prunes, pears, and dried beans and peas are also very high in fiber so include them in your diet on a regular basis.

The National Cancer Institute recommends 25 to 35 grams of fiber per day, yet most Americans eat considerably less than that. About ¼ of your daily fiber intake should consist of soluble fiber, found in oats, beans, fruits and vegetables. The rest of your fiber intake should come from the insoluble fiber, found in wheat bran and whole grains.

Foods High in Soluble Fiber

acorn squash
apples
baked potatoes
blueberries
broccoli
cabbage
carrots
cauliflower
citrus fruits
dates
dried beans
lentils
peas
prunes
pumpkin
raspberries
strawberries
sweet potatoes

You can increase your dietary fiber by adding at least six servings of whole grain breads and cereals, pasta, rice, dried peas, and beans, along with the five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables. As you begin to include low fat, high complex carbohydrate foods in your diet, you can gradually notice a reduction in your weight.

Guidelines to Increase Fiber

Eat raw vegetables for snacks. Two carrots will give you a day's supply of vitamin A and provide over seven grams of fiber. Eat more legumes that are very high in fiber. Red beans, black beans, great northern beans and other legumes are high in fiber and have no fat. (Don't cook these with animal fat.)
Read your cereal box at the grocery. If the cereal has no fiber or less than three grams, it probably has little nutrient value.
Add dried fruits to your cereal. Three prunes can give you four grams of fiber.
Keep your vegetables crisp when you cook them. Eat these with skins on to add to the fiber content.
Eat fruits with the skin on for an extra fiber boost.

Diet and Weight Loss Center

Fiber Up for Weight Loss