High Fiber Weight Loss Diet
Posted by tim on October 4th, 2006 at 11:33pm
Do you want to lose weight and at the same time stay healthy? Exercise is always recommended, but if you go on a binge eating a lot of burgers, pizza, ice cream and the like, chances are, you will not lose a lot of weight. A healthy diet has to go along with regular exercise, and for maximum results, a diet rich in fiber would do wonders. Fiber has been proven to help you lose weight, aside from various health benefits such as prevention of certain illnesses. Here is a list of foods you would want to include in a high fiber, weight loss diet:
For breakfast, you may still want to eat cereal, however, substitute the regular cereal with whole wheat type as well as bran flakes. There are specialty cereal boxes for sale that are made with high fiber ingredients, sometimes a mix of bran, oats, and wheat.
Instead of having your regular breakfast consisting of bread, bacon, and eggs, substitute the refined or ???white??? bread (which is the normal choice) with your choice of rye, whole wheat, mixed grain, or cracked wheat. These are healthier alternatives since refined bread usually have little nutrients left in them. A slice of rye or whole wheat bread typically contains 1.9 grams of fiber, while mixed grain and cracked wheat bread have slightly lower fiber counts.
If you are an oatmeal eater for breakfast, then that is good for you since oatmeal is proven to be high in fiber. However, this is the regular oatmeal and not the instant or quick-cook ones. These instant oatmeal packs also have little nutrients left in them and are not nearly as fiber-rich as regular oatmeal.
Aside from these breakfast items, other foods that are high in fiber are whole wheat pasta and organic rice. The usual choice of regular pasta and refined rice (white rice) have little fiber in them, but lots of carbohydrates (which, when not burned, eventually turns to fat). By substituting the regular pasta and rice choices with the fibrous alternatives, you can still eat as much but not gain as much weight; in fact, it would help you lose some if you eat at a right amount.
Some types of beans have high fiber content. Lentils, which we often enjoy in the Mediterranean dish of lentil soup, carry 15.6 grams of fiber in 1 cup. Black beans, Lima beans, and baked beans also have high fiber content. However, some beans are also high in fat content, so make sure you don???t eat too much since it can go against your goals.
Fruits and vegetables have a lot of health benefits, and one of these is fiber. Oranges, strawberries, blueberries, and apples are just some of the fruits that can provide you with fiber. Carrots, corn, potatoes, and turnips are some examples of fibrous veggies. Vegetables are usually eaten together with a regular meal while fruits can be for dessert or as snacks.
With this list of fibrous foods, your daily intake is addressed and an alternative for your regular food is provided for. If you take in these fiber-rich foods from breakfast until supper, including snacks and meals in between, you have taken steps to ensure that you are on your way to losing weight and promoting a healthy eating lifestyle.
Under Diet Tips