| The Power of Fiber: 5 Benefits Of A High-Fiber Diet
by Anne L. Fritz
Fiber has long been known to promote good digestive health and regularity, but those are only two of the many benefits fiber offers. Consider that a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who ate a high-fiber diet of oats, barley, eggplant, okra, and other vegetables lowered their cholesterol by close to 30 percent after four weeks. In addition to improving digestive health and lowering cholesterol levels, a high-fiber diet can help you reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes, and keep your weight in check. Here's a closer look at each benefit.
- Fiber and Digestion - As fiber passes through the stomach and intestines, it absorbs water, adding bulk to the stool. This promotes regularity and reduces constipation, says James Anderson, M.D., chair of the National Fiber Council. "Insoluble fiber, found in wheat bran, whole grains, and vegetables, speeds the passage of food through the stomach and intestines," he says.
- Fiber and Cholesterol - Fiber is undigested starch, says Dr. Anderson, and as such, it traps cholesterol and drags it out of the body through the digestive system. Soluble fiber, found in oat bran, barley, oranges, apples, carrots, and dried beans, turns into a gel during the digestive process and prevents cholesterol, fat, and sugars from being absorbed by the body.
- Fiber and Heart Disease - "When it comes to heart health, the importance of fiber in your diet cannot be overstated," says Kathy Kastan, president of WomenHeart, the National Coalition for Women With Heart Disease.and the coauthor of WomenHeart's All Heart Family Cookbook.
Several studies have shown that fiber reduces the risk of heart disease. In addition to the above-mentioned cholesterol study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology Foundation that followed 39,876 women for six years found that those who ingested an average of 26.3 grams of fiber daily were at lower risk for developing heart disease or having a heart attack than those who ate less.
- Fiber and Diabetes -
A high-fiber diet may lower a person's risk for diabetes. Fiber slows the absorption of sugars, which can reduce glucose levels in the blood and prevent blood sugar spikes, says Dr. Anderson. Results of a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggest that whole-grain fiber (the kind found in some breakfast cereals, breads, and crackers) may be more beneficial in reducing blood sugar than fruits and vegetables.
- Fiber and Weight Loss -
Fiber expands in the stomach and intestines, which creates a feeling of fullness. This means that after eating a fiber-rich meal, you'll typically feel fuller longer and may eat less throughout the day. In addition, because soluble fiber turns into a gel in the stomach, it binds to sugars, cholesterol, and fats and carries them, largely unabsorbed, through the digestive tract, says Anderson.
7 Fantastic Fibrous Foods
For optimal health, nutritionists recommend 30 to 38 grams of fiber every day for men and 21 to 25 grams of fiber every day for women. You can find the fiber content in labeled food as a subcategory under carbohydrates. If you're counting carbs, you can always subtract the amount of fiber from the total number of carbs, because the fiber will only be visiting your body for a little while, unlike the sugars, which, if not burned for fuel, will likely end up stored as fat. Most studies indicate that Americans don't get nearly enough fiber, especially with the proliferation of processed foods filled with white flour, which is made only from the fiber-less endosperm of the grain, with none of the bran and germ parts of the grain that provide the fiber. In fact, if you read labels, it's pretty rare to find any prepared food that has more than a gram or two of fiber. So how can you get your daily dose of fiber? There are some fiber-rich superfoods that can help get you to your daily recommended allowance.
- Legumes. The humble bean (and also chickpea, lentil, and pea) is chock-full of nutritious fiber. A cup of black beans or lentils contains a whopping 15 grams of fiber-half the daily minimum supply required for a man, and more than half of the minimum required for a woman. Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, have 13 grams of fiber. A cup of peas has 9 grams of fiber. The big winner is the cranberry bean with 18 grams of fiber and 17 grams of protein. Cranberry beans have a creamy texture and a chestnut-like flavor. And the best news about beans is that they're supercheap! Most dried beans run less than a dollar a pound. That's a lot cheaper than those gritty supplements, and much tastier.
- Bran. While not as great a source of fiber as beans, they're still pretty fiber-rich, and may not have the unpleasant auditory and olfactory effects associated with excessive bean consumption. A cup of bran flakes has about 7 grams of fiber and a cup of oatmeal has 4 grams of fiber. Substituting whole wheat products for their traditional white-flour counterparts is an easy way of working some fiber into your diet without much hassle.
- Prunes. Not just for old people anymore. A cup of prunes contains 8 grams of fiber, and their hydrated counterpart, plums, are also excellent sources of fiber-prunes/plums contain insoluble fiber in the skin and soluble fiber in the pulp. A two-for-one special!
- Artichokes. One medium artichoke contains 6.5 grams of fiber. One cup of artichoke hearts contains 14 grams of fiber and only 90 calories. One of my favorite snacks or appetizers is to get one of those little jars of marinated artichokes (in vinegar, not in oil) and treat myself to eating the whole jar as an afternoon snack or hors d'oeuvre before dinner. Tasty and filling, you'll eat less at dinner, and put a serious dent in your daily fiber tally.
- Asian pear. According to the Micronutrient Center of the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, the Asian pear is one of their five fiber-rich superfoods (legumes, bran, prunes, and quinoa are the others). One 3-inch diameter fruit contains a whopping 10 grams of fiber, the most of any similarly sized fruit. And because it has a higher water content than its European brethren, it only contains around 100 calories. So you can crunch your way to a cleaner colon.
- Quinoa. Relatively new to us in the U.S., quinoa has been a South American staple for over 6,000 years. The edible seeds of the quinoa plant have 10 grams of fiber in a one-cup serving and also 8 grams of protein-in fact, quinoa seeds contain many essential amino acids that are missing from rice, proving to be a good substitute for rice. If you check your local health food store, and even some supermarkets, you can find quinoa plain, and as a main ingredient in many cereals, breads, and salads.
- Nuts. Not just filling, heart-healthy snacks, nuts are great sources of fiber (but highly caloric, so nosh carefully). A quarter-cup of almonds has 4 grams of fiber and about 200 calories. It's another great snack for between meals. Watch out for the salt content in the hickory-smoked varieties. Also, it's a good idea to portion out a serving size beforehand, so you don't absentmindedly munch a thousand or so calories from a big bag.
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| Drink Up
When snack time rolls around, do you have a hard time knowing when to say when? Then your challenge is to drink water before you start eating. Drinking 8 ounces of water will fill up your stomach so that when you're done with your snack you'll be full enough that you won't be begging for more. Another benefit of drinking water is that you can burn a few extra calories. A recent study showed that drinking half a liter of water briefly raised participants' metabolisms, causing them to burn 25 extra calories.
Hold The Soda
Soda and juice can really hold you back from the progress you're trying to make. Because they both have so much sugar and are filled with empty calories, they can do a lot of damage to your bones, teeth, and weight. Replace those calorie-laden drinks in the fridge with a pitcher of water so that you always have a cold, sugar-free drink accessible. If you can't bear the thought of drinking plain water all day, add some lemon or lime wedges to the pitcher, or for something different, try slices of cucumber or orange. Cold, refreshing, and calorie-free water - what better way to hydrate your diet!
5 Ways to Avoid Nighttime Snacking
One of the worst times you can eat is at night. This is the last thing your body needs before it shuts down for 8 hours of sleep. Here are some tips to make it easier to adhere to the "no-food-3-hours-before-bedtime" rule.
- Make a ritual. The easiest way to not eat (or drink) is to get yourself into a pattern that doesn't include eating or drinking. No matter what you decide to try, continue long enough so that it becomes habit. Then, eating and drinking will feel like the wrong thing to do instead of the norm.
- Work out. This one requires that you learn about yourself because some people can't sleep if they work out at night. Depending on your needs and/or your ability to sleep after working out at night, your workout can be anything from running or weight training to power walking.
- Stretch out. Stretching at night is beneficial in many ways. Stretching out those muscles that you've used all day long helps you both recover and sleep better. It will also help you not eat, since eating is usually the last thing you feel like doing while stretching.
- Read. Better than TV in so many ways, reading not only engages your brain (which burns calories), it makes it hard for you to snack. Getting into a book makes time fly, and before you know it, that "late" dinner will have happened hours ago.
- Drink herbal tea. Its zero calories are the perfect nighttime snack, especially "sleepy" teas, like chamomile. It sometimes takes a little effort to trick your brain to truly enjoy tea. But once you do, the positive effects of warmed herbs that will ease you into sleep mode can be addicting themselves and turn going to bed into a meditative affair.
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