Including High Fiber Foods Cause Simple Weight Loss Without Exercise

No matter how inactive, busy or lazy you are, you can lose weight with increased fiber intake. It kicks your metabolism into high gear and makes your intestines function more efficiently. This is not just because fiber makes you "regular", there are many other benefits. While often very tasty, many fatting and sugary foods simply do not make you feel full for very long. However, with increased fiber intake, you feel full longer and generally do not have that generic constantly hungry craving, and when you do indulge in junk or fatting foods, these foods generally move along out of your system faster. Fiber actually binds to fatty foods, so it helps clean out your system if you have gone on a junk food binge. Studies show that even without any other dietary changes or exercise, that subjects lost around seven pounds by increasing their high fiber food intake.

The FDA recommends 25 grams per day, for women younger than fifty, 21 grams if you are older than 50. For men, 38 grams per day is advised for men younger than 50 and 30 grams a day for men over fifty.

A popular diet book espouses 35 grams of fiber a day to lose weight. But it is important to not add too much fiber at once, since it can interfere with vitamin and mineral consumption, as well as cause some bloating and gastro-intestinal upset. If you do not eat much fiber beyond bread for your sandwich, try adding a piece of fruit or some almonds in first and increase your water intake with each new fiber addition. It is very important for your body to get more water since fiber will draw water out of your body, even take necessary water your cells if necessary. You do not want to get medically dehydrated while you are trying to lose weight. Then add a new fiber food every few days once your body has adjusted comfortably to the new fiber intake. Try to get a variety of types of fiber sources such as nuts, legumes, fruits and cereals will help you avoid Calcium and mineral depletion.

Some high fiber foods that you can take with you on the go include pears which are 9.9 grams of fiber, and Bananas are 3.9 grams. One cup of raisins is 5.4 grams of fiber. You can easily add any of these high fiber foods to your mid-afternoon snack at work in order to get fiber during the day. Fifty grams of almonds also have about 5.5 grams of fiber and peanuts have 4.0 grams. It is easy to keep spare raisins and nuts in your desk for a quick snack. Raisins, almonds and peanuts can easily be purchased in bulk or picked up in a conveinence store, or serve as a good snack for the drive home when you are generally eating something sort of mindlessly without enjoying it anyways, you might as well get some fiber to make you feel fuller before dinner. Whenever possible, when you get home from work or school. try to eat a few almonds or peanuts before preparing dinner to cut down on the potato chip type snacking we frequently do when we are very hungry, since the fat and fiber content will lower your cravings so you don't eat everything in sight instead of a healthy meal.

Some other high fiber foods include 1 cup of blackberries is 7.6 grams, 1 cup of raspberries is 8 grams, one cup of blueberries is 5 grams, one cup of Strawberries are 3.3 grams, and tangerines are 2 grams each. A nice berry fruit salad makes for a great antioxidant and high fiber snack. If you are on a diet and the thought of fruit for dessert doesn't exactly sound like it will replace your beloved chocolate frosted dessert of choice, try melting some chocolate and make a nice chocolate dip for your fruit, or whip some whip cream for a low calorie nice dessert when you are hungry after dinner. Pound cake slices are relatively low in calories and add a nice option to chocolate dip as well. Also, six prunes are 8 grams of fiber, but are often not as popular as some tastier options that are easier to incorporate into desserts, salads, and recipes.

When choosing a cereal source of fiber, some cereals are more fiber rich than others. All Bran (30g) is about 3.7 g, shredded wheat is about 4.7 grams, and Oat bran is 4.4 grams, whereas oatmeal is only about 2.8 grams. Whole wheat pasta has about 4.2 grams of fiber. For the picky eaters of the world, including myself, any healthy pasta taste is often masked by a pasta sauce or even a bit of olive oil.

Haricot beans are amongst the highest fiber vegetable at 4.3 grams, and soy beans are the next highest at 4 grams. Half a cup of broccoli is 2.6 grams, and frozen peas are 3.0 grams. Frozen and canned foods often lose some fiber; so if possible, the fresh raw form is going to be the highest fiber content for the calories you are consuming.

Remember that while many other fruits and vegetables do have fiber, most fruit and vegetable juices do not, so they are not a fiber source to include in your daily fiber intake, even though they count for your daily fluid and RDA requirements. Also, to have actual weight loss and health benefits, do not rely on Metamucil type fibers for weight loss - it is important to get this type of fiber from food sources to truly benefit you weight and health wise as well as to keep you feeling full and satisfied.