How Much Fiber Do You Need A Day?

Fiber for Weight Loss | High Fiber Diet

If you are looking to lose weight and are tired of trying all the fad diets only to lose weight and then gain it all back again, then maybe you should consider eating a low fat high fiber diet. Choosing to eat more fiber for weight loss can result in you shedding pounds, keeping the weight off, and improving your health at the same time.

It is amazing to me that more people are not on a low fat high fiber diet. It seems that a lot of people only think about increasing their dietary fiber intake when they are constipated. People obviously do not know about the benefits of fiber. Fiber and weight loss go hand and hand for many reasons.

First of all, fiber helps us stay full for longer. You see, soluble fiber slows down our digestive process(stomach emptying) and stays in our body for a longer time which keeps us full for a longer time. Fiber also binds to water which provides a sense of fullness in the stomach after eating. Second of all, most high fiber foods are also low in calories and fat. If you focus your meals around high fiber foods than you will also be able to better control your caloric intake. Everyone knows that in order to lose weight you need to burn off more calories than you consume. A high fiber diet is also good for weight loss because high fiber foods usually require a person to chew more. When you are required to chew more you slow down your rate of eating and give your stomach time to tell your brain that it is full. Last of all, fiber is basically calorie-free due to the fact that our bodies do not absorb fiber.

All in all, using fiber for weight loss is an excellent and healthy way to lose weight and keep it off.

High Fiber Breakfast Recipes

For many years studies have shown that breakfast eaters are better at losing weight and keeping the weight off when compared to people who skip breakfast. However, in order for breakfast to help you with weight loss you need to make smart choices. People who eat a high fiber breakfast are most likely eating a breakfast low in fat and calories.

If you are looking to shed some pounds by starting a low fat high fiber diet here are some great ideas for a high fiber breakfast and some great high fiber breakfast recipes.

• Start your day with a bowl of high fiber cereal.

Fiber One Honey Clusters provides 13 grams of fiber per serving and is low in calories and fat. Add a banana to your cereal to increase the fiber content in your breakfast even more. A banana has approximately 3 grams of fiber.

• Nature’s Own Double Fiber Bread toasted with light jelly, butter, or a light spread of peanut butter.

Two slices provides 10 grams of fiber. This bread can easily be a part of a low fat high fiber diet.

• French Toast made with Nature’s Own Double Fiber Bread.

Once again, 2 slices will provide you with 10 grams of dietary fiber.

• Low fat high fiber muffins

Fiber One has a new muffin mix on the market – Fiber One Apple Cinnamon muffin mix. They are extremely easy to make and taste awesome (they were giving samples of these muffins out a Sam’s Club last
week and I had to buy a box). They have 5 grams of fiber per serving.

• Fiber One Yogurt

Yes, Fiber One has a high fiber yogurt on the market now too! If you are a yogurt eater definitely add this yogurt to your grocery list. This yogurt will provide you with 5 grams of fiber per serving. To increase the amount of fiber in your diet even more, try topping your yogurt with a high fiber cereal. It will give your yogurt a nice healthy crunch.

Below you will find some links for high in fiber breakfast recipes:

Fiber One Breakfast Ideas

AllRecipes

If you have any high in fiber breakfast recipes that you would like to share with others, please let us know. We would love to post your high fiber breakfast recipes on our site.

High Fiber Snacks

High fiber snacks are a great way to help you get your recommended 25-35 grams of fiber each day. Most high fiber snacks are also low in fat and calories, making them an excellent choice if you are trying to shed some pounds. Below are some examples of high fiber snacks.

• High Fiber Cereal Snack – Snacking on high fiber cereals
To make a high fiber cereal snack first pick out your favorite high fiber cereal. In order to qualify as a high fiber cereal try to choose a cereal that has at least 5 grams of fiber per serving. My favorite is Fiber One Honey Oat Clusters because it tastes pretty good and provides me with a whopping 13 grams of fiber per serving! Take your cereal and add dried bananas (yes, bananas have fiber too)/ other dried fruits that you like. I just take the Fiber One Honey Oat Clusters and add dried bananas and raisins. I take it to work with me and snack on it throughout the day.
• Snack on a Pear – A pear is an excellent source of fiber
A medium sized pear has approximately 5 grams of fiber. A medium sized apple has approximately 3 grams of dietary fiber.
• Fiber One Snack Bars or Kashi Go Lean Bars
Create your own high fiber snacks with the items and fruits and vegetables that you like! If you come up with a high fiber snack or recipe worth sharing please let us know. We would love to post it on our site so other people looking to add fiber to their diet could benefit as well.

Fiber and Weight Loss

Getting Enough Fiber Is Important For Weight Loss
By: Lee Dobbins

Fiber is an important part of a healthy diet, but did you know it can help you in your weight loss efforts? Filling up on fiber can help you to feel full for longer, therefore causing you to eat less overall which will result in healthy weight loss.
In addition to helping you lose weight, fiber also has many positive health effects. Fiber has been linked to managing diabetes, cutting cholesterol, and limiting heart damage. One Swiss study found that eating a high-fiber meal reduced hunger more than a meal which was low in fiber.

How Much Fiber Do You Need?
You should consume between 25 to 35 grams of fiber a day. While that might not sound like a lot, most Americans only get about 15 grams and many much less. Fiber can be found in most fruits and vegetables including carrots, peas, broccoli, spinach, and cauliflower.

In addition, there are many cereals and breads that have a good amount of fiber, but you must read the labels to determine which ones. Typically anything made with whole wheat or whole oats or bran will have fiber – plus these cereals tend to be natural and low in fat and sugar which also help with your weight loss and are better for you overall.
How Can You Eat More Fiber?
There are some easy ways that you can increase your fiber intake. Think about adding garbanzo beans to a salad or soup, or add a tablespoon of bran to your cereal. Leaving the skins on fruits and vegetables will also increase your fiber intake. The actual fiber content of each individual food isn’t that much so it is best if you simply eat more types or servings of fiber rich foods each day.
Consider eliminating meat from some of your meals. Meat has no fiber, and it doesn’t give you the benefit that you get with fiber-rich food. Instead, try eating more grains, fruits, and vegetables. In this way, you can be sure your meal has a healthy concentration of fiber.

Add Fiber Gradually
It might be difficult for your body to become accustomed to a diet that is rich in fiber. It is indeed counter-cultural, since many families grew up consuming a great deal of meat. However, if you’re really want to lose weight and be healthy, you’ll give fiber-rich meals a try. Fiber rich foods, combined with sensible eating, can help you lose weight and keep it off.
Don’t try to totally change to a high fiber overnight. It may require a great deal of trial-and-error before you hit upon the right amount of fiber. However, in the end, you may be amazed at the positive role that fiber plays in your diet. And it may inspire you to encourage your loved ones to add more fiber to their own diets as well. A diet high fiber diet can help you to manage the amount of food you eat and has many health benefits. So load up on fiber-and watch your waistline shrink as a result!

Author Bio
Lee Dobbins writes about Low Carb and Low GI eating as well as other weight loss issues. Visit www.lowcarb-resource.com for more articles on healthy dieting. Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com – Free Website Content