Most of us will reach the point where we need to lose weight for the sake of our health. So we’ll seek out the most effective and healthiest possible way to do so.
It’s found that one of the most easiest changes that you can make is by eating the foods which are rich in fiber, while removing all of the foods which contain fat. This simple formula is an easy equation but it works.
It’s the classic garbage in, garbage out method of losing weight. There’s a lot of reasons which supports the intake of more fiber while controlling fat intake. What also enters the formula is increasing one’s fitness levels which decreases weight promoting better overall health.
It’s a well known fact that most people will consume too many of the foods which they shouldn’t, and they know it. Foods such as mass produced empty sugar products, sodium, and the “bad” fats.
Most also know that they don’t eat enough of the foods that they should be, such as more fruits, vegetables, and healthy whole grains. What this means is that most aren’t getting enough fiber into their diets, which results in a variety of health issues.
The Need To Read Labels Properly
Before consuming more fiber, we need to define exactly what it is. What needs to be known is where fiber actually comes from, and know how much fiber you need to ingest into your diet. This the reason why you need to read the nutritional labels on products as carefully as possible.
All foods which are packaged or processed and on the store shelves are required to display the exact ingredients on their labels, along with listing in detail the exact content of fat, calories, fiber, and nutrient values.
So get familiar particularly with the nutritional values as well as understanding their values which are displayed on these labels, which is a necessary and required first step when attempting to improve one’s diet.
The Gradual Introduction To Fiber
What needs to be understood is that the core basics of any natural weight loss plan is increasing the level of fiber into the diet. The simple formula being increasing more fiber while decreasing fat.
It’s recommended that this step to be taken as gradual as possible until your body completely adjusts to the change. Those who have become accustomed to low levels of fiber will often experience stomach cramps, gas, bloating, and abdominal pain.
So a gradual monitored amount and not a sudden injection of fiber becomes vitally important. What increasing these levels slowly does is it will avoid potentially unpleasant side effects.
Where To Find More Fiber
The majority of plant based foods will usually contain at the least bits of fiber. Certain types of food will always contain more than others. The only known foods which don’t contain fiber are usually animal based products.
So that means beef, poultry, pork, eggs, seafood, and most dairy products including milk won’t usually contain fiber. It becomes important to keep these non-fiber food sources in mind when planning out your healthy fiber based meals.
Favorite Foods Which Contain Fiber
The foods which contains the highest amounts of fiber, which is more that 6 grams per serving, includes food staples such as: legumes, dried beans, dried fruits, dried peas, sunflower seeds, nuts, sesame seeds, and a variety of fresh berries. These foods are considered the best sources.
The following are not as high in fiber, but still considered to be effective sources, they include: pears, apples, bran muffins, barley, lima beans, snow and green peas, brown rice, and sweet potatoes. Baked potatoes are considered good sources of fiber, this provided that the skin is consumed along with the potato itself. All of these foods are known to contain anywhere from 4 to 6 grams of fiber per serving.
The majority of fruits and vegetables all contain traces of fiber, as does wheat bread, rye bread, and most melons. Most of these foods contain anywhere from 2 to 5 grams, so you’ll need to eat additional fiber rich foods to reach the required amounts.
Making Sure You Add Fiber
It becomes important to take into account the fiber content as you plan your daily and weekly grocery shopping. The best way is getting into the habit of reading the labels and then choosing the highest fiber based foods.
When choosing bread along with other baked goods, you should be looking to find the whole grain varieties which are rich in fiber. Wheat bread along with rye bread are always good choices, as are fresh bran muffins and most kinds of cereal.
Choosing cereals which are rich in fiber is an excellent way of increasing the levels of intake, this especially for your kids who enjoy eating a tasty breakfast in the morning.
Cereals which contain oat or wheat bran are proven excellent sources. It’s always recommended that you read the nutritional content, and not just rely on the claims which are made on the front of the box.
The Loss Of Fiber In Cooked Foods
The majority of dieters are under the assumption that when cooking foods, such as steaming fresh vegetables along with other fiber rich foods, that the fiber content will be striped, but know this usually isn’t the case.
While it may be true that overcooking certain vegetables can remove some of its nutrients, it’s thought that the actual cooking itself doesn’t really have that much of an effect on losing fiber content. So feel free to prepare any dietary fiber rich foods any way that you want.