What’s so great about fiber?

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate found in fruits, vegetables, and grains. Why is fiber such a big deal? Not only do fibrous foods contain many vitamins and minerals, fiber also packs health benefits including:

* Delaying sugar into the blood stream – slows how quickly sugar goes
into your bloodstream and therefore may reduce peaks of blood sugar levels
* Reducing body weight – helps to make you feel full longer
and may displace “empty calorie” foods
* Reducing blood cholesterol – if you have heart problems or
high cholesterol, eating high fiber foods may help to reduce
your blood cholesterol levels
* Alleviating constipation – helps to improve regularity.

How much fiber should I have each day? The American Dietetic Association recommends 20-35 grams of fiber per day. The average American only gets 12 grams of fiber each day. Focusing on vegetables, fruits and whole grains will be a great start to getting your fill of fiber.

A word of caution… start slow when adding fiber to your diet. Add a few grams of fiber so your body can adjust to additional fibrous foods. Too much fiber at once can lead to bloating, gas, and diarrhea. Drink extra water to help soften fiber.

An added bonus! When counting carbohydrates, you can subtract the grams of fiber from the total carbohydrates because fiber goes undigested in the body! This applies if the food contains 5 or more grams of fiber. If you were eating ½ cup of cooked mixed vegetables that contains 7 grams of total carbohydrate and 5 grams of fiber, you could subtract 5 grams of fiber from 7 grams of total carbohydrate and know that you are digesting only 2 total grams of carbohydrates!

So, now that you are motivated to increase your fiber intake, focus on plant foods – fiber is only found in plants. Start slow and strive for at least 20 grams of fiber a day. Bulk up the fiber in your diet and reap the benefits!

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High Fiber Health

The benefits of high fiber breakfast

High fiber cereal, non-fat milk and fruit make an ideal breakfast that cuts down the risk of many health problems.

Doctors at Harvard University present a round-up of recent research on the advantages of eating breakfast. Did you know that men who miss breakfast are four times more likely to be obese, for example? A healthy breakfast will have high fiber cereal - look for one with six grams of fiber per serving - non-fat milk or yoghurt and some fruit. This makes meal packed with great nutrients.

If you want toast, make it wholemeal and don't use a spread with trans-fats. Eggs are fine once in a while, but one study showed that men with diabetics eating more than one egg a day had double the risk of heart disease. And there is no evidence that eggs high in omega-3 fats or organic eggs offer any real health benefit. Many typical breakfast foods like croissants and bacon are too high in fat or salt - and the same goes for fast food breakfasts. Choose your breakfast wisely and eat it regularly and you'll reap many benefits.
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High Fiber Health