How Does Fiber Help You Lose Weight?

Does fiber help in weight loss? This is a common question with many people. The answer to that is fiber can really assist in weight loss but too much of it can cause digestive problems and mineral deficiencies within the body. You should eat recommended amount of fiber as part of a healthy diet but avoid excesses in order to prevent unwanted side effects. Anything done in excess can prove harmful to your health.

According to The National Academy of Sciences Food and Nutrition Board, adult men should consume around 30 to 38 grams of fiber everyday while women should consume between 12 to 28 grams per day. Anything above that would be considered as excess. Sadly most adults consume very less quantity, something in the range of 8 to 14 grams per day. If you are not used to eating fiber, you should increase its intake gradually. Rapid increase of fiber consumption can result in gas or diarrhea.

An important thing to remember is that you should drink plenty of fluids when you increase fiber intake. Though fiber helps in bowel movements, without adequate fluids it may have opposite effect and can cause constipation.

Fiber is the indigestible part of plant-based foods such as vegetables, grains or fruits. It passes through our digestive tract unchanged and does not provide calories or nutrition, yet it is healthy for us as it keeps our bowel movements regular, makes us feel full sooner so that we can avoid overeating and provides other health benefits.

When people are trying to lose weight, they have to control their eating habits. They have to try and eat less than they normally do and also avoid eating in between meals. Fiber can help a great deal in this regard. First of all, it will make you feel full sooner than other foods. Due to this you are likely to eat less. It will also keep you feeling full for longer time so that you can avoid the urge to eat in between meals. When you can keep your hunger at bay, it would be a major victory while trying to lose weight.

How to Increase Fiber Consumption:

To increase fiber consumption, eat whole and natural foods and avoid processed foods. Some good sources of fiber are:

Whole grains - oats, wheat, barley

Legumes - dry beans, peas, lentils

Brown rice

Fruits and vegetables

Meat and other dairy products do not have any fiber content while refined grains have most of their fiber removed.

Precautions:

As mentioned earlier, you should slowly add more fiber to your diet. At the same time, drink lot of water when you are on a high fiber diet. Stay within the recommended limits and avoid excesses so that you do not run into other health problems.

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5 of the Best Fat Burning Foods Which All Dieters Should Know About

A very powerful way to lose weight is to include a lot of fat burning foods in your daily diet. These foods can accelerate your weight loss process. However, keep in mind that I am not suggesting you can lose weight only by eating these foods and not doing anything else. Weight loss does not happen just like that. You just cannot eat a few fat burning foods and expect to magically shed pounds in a few days. What these foods will do is accelerate the speed of losing weight. So try to include one or more of these in your daily diet.

1. Oranges - They are rich in Vitamin C and have low calorie content. However you have to eat them in moderation because they contain sugar which has the potential to turn into fat if you eat excess oranges.

2. Oats - The high amount of fiber present in oats is helpful in keeping you feeling full for long time. It also helps in bringing down your cholesterol levels and stabilizes blood sugar levels longer than other foods.

3. Apples - A lot of people are surprised to know that apples can be good for weight loss. The truth is that apples are low in calories, fat and sodium. They can help in curbing your sugar cravings. If you feel like eating sweets you can eat an apple instead as it has a sweet taste and can help satisfy that craving.

4. Almonds and other nuts - Many people take pills to suppress their appetite. These pills usually cause lot of unwanted side effects. What most people don't know is that almonds and other nuts are natural appetite suppressants. They work equally well and don't have those dangerous side effects. According to experts, eating 2 ounces of almonds is enough to decrease your appetite, making you eat less than you normally would.

5. Cinnamon - This is one of the most effective and powerful fat burning foods. You can see amazing results by just consuming 1 teaspoon of cinnamon daily. Here is how to do it - take a cup of warm water and add 1 teaspoon honey in it, then add 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder. Mix well and drink it daily, preferably early in the morning. If you find 1 teaspoon cinnamon is too strong, then only add 1/2 teaspoon of it in honey.

Cinnamon helps in regulating blood glucose, thereby increasing your energy levels. When the blood sugar levels are maintained, sugar cravings are reduced. If you drink this mixture of honey and cinnamon early in the morning, it can make you feel energetic and active till late afternoon.

For FREE copies of "What is the Best Weight Loss Diet for You", "Diet Ideas" and "Healthy Diet Foods", CLICK HERE