Is Fiber Good For Weight Loss?

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Yes! Absolutely!  Besides helping you lose weight, fiber plays an important role in keeping you healthy.   Learn what role fiber plays and exactly why you should be getting more of it in  your diet…

Why Is Fiber Important In Your Diet?

Most Americans aren’t aware of how much fiber they’re getting from their diets on a daily bases.   The ADA (American Dietetic Association) recently released a report that said that most Americans don’t even come close to the daily recommended amount of grams of fiber per day that you should have to be healthy. The average amount that every American should have is 20 to 35 g of fiber per day. Most Americans however only get about 14 to 15 g of fiber per day.

The main reason why most Americans don’t get enough fiber is because it comes from fruit, whole grains, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and beans. Most Americans don’t eat these foods on a regular basis.

Why Is Fiber Good For You?

There are many reasons why eating fiber is a good idea. It’s been shown to:

• Dramatically decrease blood cholesterol levels
• Prevent and cure constipation
• Contributes to overall colon health
• Helps fight against cancer, heart disease, and diabetes
• Slow down the digestion of foods (which means that it takes longer for food to digest, which means that you’ll stay fuller longer so you eat less).

Experts have shown that if you increase the amount of fiber you consume per day to 30 g, you will REDUCE the amount of calories that you consume each day.

What you want to be aware of though is that if you decide to increase your dietary fiber, you want to do it gradually to avoid any problems with your digestive system.

Obesity researchers have also found that fiber helps regulate your blood glucose and insulin levels. This is the main reason scientists believe that people who eat more fiber tend to weigh less and tend to gain less weight as they get older.

Fiber also helps to reduce the risk of colon cancer and type 2 diabetes.  A study that was recently published by the National Cancer Institute found that those people who were eating a high fiber diet were at a much lower risk of developing colon cancer. The researchers found that this was especially true for people who got their fiber from fruits, cereals  and grains.

One important note:  Many high-fiber foods contain micronutrients that are extremely beneficial to your health.  These micronutrients are not present in most fiber supplements and pills so you should try and get your fiber from whole foods.

Is Fiber Good For Weight Loss?

Fiber is fantastic for weight loss! As mentioned before it helps to slow down digestion, keeps you fuller longer, regulates your blood glucose levels, and regulates your insulin levels.  All of these factors not only help you lose weight, but they prevent weight gain as well.

A recent study found that women who ate more fiber and more whole grains gained much less weight over a 12 year period than women who didn’t eat a higher-fiber diet.  A similar study concluded that women who did not eat a low-fat, high-fiber diet were much more likely to be overweight.

So, if you’re trying to lose weight, trying to prevent weight gain, or just trying to be healthy you should get your recommended daily amount of fiber.

What Are Fiber Foods?

There are many different fiber foods that you can eat to increase your daily intake.  As mentioned before thinks like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains contain fiber.

Here are some foods that are high in fiber:

beans
oatmeal
oatbran
apples
mangoes
kiwi
pears
blackberries
plums
raspberries
prunes
figs
strawberries
apples
mangoes
peaches
dried peas
beans
lentils
foods with whole-wheat grain
wheat bran
brown rice
carrots zucchini
tomatoes
celery
seeds

Here is a downloadable list of high fiber foods along with their fiber content:  High Fiber Foods

The bottom line is that if you aren’t getting enough fiber you should take steps to increase fiber intake in your diet.  Not only will it help you lose weight and keep it off, but it will help keep you healthier and happier overall.

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3 Comments

1. 

   Larry

   June 8, 2012 at 8:17 am

   I enjoy eating apples and carrots, both of which have fiber and are quite filling. Aside from filling you up so you don’t eat as much, eating fruits helps your digestion a lot. Besides all about these raids taste great. And the other thing I like to eat is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that I believe also has fiber. Just one peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on whole wheat bread along with an apple fills you up.

   Reply
   • 

     Admin

     June 8, 2012 at 7:13 pm

     Hey Larry,

     I’m not sure how much fiber a peanut butter and jelly sandwich has. I know that the whole wheat bread has fiber. The apple as well. There’s protein in the peanut butter too which will help fill you up. Just make sure you buy the natural, nothing added peanut butter. And stay away from anything that says peanut “spread.”

     -Sara

     Reply
2. 

   Willie

   June 8, 2012 at 8:17 am

   I am glad that I got into eating oat groats as a cereal along with oatmeal because I find that these two types of foods have helped with my digestion. These foods can also help you prevent constipation . They can also help with weight loss because they fill you up and leave you satisfied causing you to eat less empty calories. So all in all they are healthy foods and great for breakfast .

   Reply