By itself, fiber has no calories. In addition, it leaves you feeling satisfied, so you are not snacking on fatty foods all day long. Fiber comes in two different forms, which are water-soluble and water insoluble.
Water-insoluble fiber, includes foods such as:
- Cereals
- Vegetables
- Whole grain bread
Water-insoluble adds bulk effectively to your diet
Fiber that is water-soluble, includes foods such as:
- Legumes
- Oat products
- Fruits and seeds
These take longer to leave the stomach, maintaining that full feeling for longer periods of time.
What exactly is fiber?
Essentially, fiber is an indigestible substance that can be found primarily on the outer layers of plants, or the plant walls.
It is a unique kind of carbohydrate, which passes through the digestive system practically untouched as opposed to being broken down into nutrients. Carbohydrates are the primary energy source that the body uses to perform all of the necessary functions.
How fiber helps with weight loss
Most likely, you have heard it said more than once how important it is to get the proper amount of fiber in your diet. Fiber is essentially to keep your bowel movements regular and to help your body fight off many diseases, especially colon cancer.
When you eat foods filled with fiber, you begin to feel fuller sooner. Unlike many of the other foods that we eat, such as junk food, fiber stays in the stomach longer so you have that full, satisfied feeling for an extended period of time.
If you are not burning up everything you eat at a rapid pace, you will be less likely to snack in between meals.
Fats mover through the digestive system quickly and foods high in carbohydrates burn off rapidly. When you eat these types of foods, you often feel as if you are hungry all the time.
It is important to familiarize yourself with this list of high fiber foods. Knowing which foods are the highest in fiber makes it easy to eat more high fiber foods in your regular balanced diet.
Aim for at least 30 to 40 grams of fiber per day
Many people only get as little as ten grams of fiber in a regular day. Ten grams per day is simply not enough fiber to keep your body functioning at its best. Adults need a minimum of thirty to forty grams of fiber each and every day in order to ensure optimal health.
Below is a list of foods that are high in fiber to help you get enough in your regular diet to reduce your risk of hemorrhoids, constipation, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, high blood sugar, heart disease and colon cancer.
10 Foods High In Fiber
- Almonds – One ounce contains more than 4 grams of fiber.
- Bran cereal – One cup is packed full of fiber with almost 20 grams
- Avocado – One medium avocado has almost 12 grams of fiber
- Apples (with the peeling) – One medium unpeeled apple contains 5 grams of fiber
- Black beans (cooked) – One cup of black beans has a whopping 15 grams of fiber
- Whole wheat bread – One slice of whole wheat bread contains 2 grams of fiber.
- Beets (cooked) – One cup of cooked beets has close to 3 grams of fiber
- Apricot – Three medium apricots contain one gram of fiber. Five pieces of dried apricots contains almost 3 grams of fiber
- Cashews – Every ounce of cashews has 1 gram of fiber
- Rolled dry oats – Just one cup of rolled oats has as much as 12 grams of fiber
Choose widely from the high fiber foods on this list to start getting more fiber in your regular diet as soon as today.
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