The Key to Losing Weight and keeping it off-FIBER!! from BMI of Texas Newsletter!

The Key to Losing Weight and keeping it off-FIBER!!

Fiber has become the latest nutrition buzz word because besides its numerous health benefits, such as reducing the risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer, diets high in fiber can help you lose weight without hunger. In a recent study, women who doubled their fiber intake from 12 to 24 grams per day, cut their calorie absorption by 90 calories a day. That's a 9.4 pound weight loss in a year!

Fiber is the indigestible part of a carbohydrate. This means it can't be broken down and therefore adds zero calories to your diet. So how does fiber, which has no nutritional value and simply goes in and comes out, work its magic? Fiber acts like a sponge in your digestive tract, absorbing other molecules like carbs, fats and sugar, along with their calories and prevents them from settling on your hips. Additionally, fiber contributes bulk to foods, which gives you the satisfaction of chewing while giving you the feeling of a full stomach. What a bonus! Weight loss without feeling hungry or deprived. Fiber provides many other benefits as well, including improved energy, clearer skin, and shiny hair.

Without fiber, you simply are hungrier than you need to be, leading to between meal snacking, and overeating at meals. Most Americans eat less than half the recommended daily intake of 25-38 grams of fiber per day, which is one of the many reasons our country as a whole is overweight.

Companies worldwide are adding fiber to all kinds of products from crackers to yogurts to drinks. In fact, Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter reports that packaged food touting fiber claims are one of the fastest growing categories of grocery products in the U.S. With all the new high-fiber items in the marketplace, it's easier than ever to add fiber rich foods to your diet.

Here are a few suggestions for sneaking fiber foods into your diet anywhere:

At Breakfast

Spice up your eggs

One-third of a cup of chopped onion and one clove garlic will add 1 g of fiber to scrambled eggs. Or fold the eggs omelet-style over 1/2 cup of cooked broccoli for an additional 2 g fiber.

Sprinkle ground flaxseed into your favorite protein drink, or stir a few spoonfuls into a cup of yogurt. Two tablespoons equals close to an extra 2 grams of fiber.

Drop a whole orange into the blender to flavor your morning protein drink. One peeled orange has nearly 3 grams more fiber than even the pulpiest orange juice (and a lot less sugar and calories).

Whip up a pack of sugar free hot-chocolate mix instead of that second cup of coffee. Most instant cocoa mixes have as much as 3 grams of fiber per cup.

At Lunch

Have beans for your mid-day protein instead of meat. Half a cup of beans adds 6 grams of fiber to your meal.

Stow some microwavable soup in your desk for when you need to work through lunch. Lentil, chili with beans, ham and bean, and black bean each have between 6-10 grams of fiber per cup.

Use oregano or basil in dishes. A teaspoon of either spice adds 1 gram of fiber, add mushrooms also and you'll add 1 gram more.

Add sauerkraut to your hot dog. Every ¼ cup you pile on adds close to 1 gram of fiber to your frank.

Have a low-sodium V8 and its 2 grams of fiber. The v8 that comes spiked with salt has half that amount.

At Dinner

Add some green to your red sauce. Doctor your favorite jarred pasta sauce with ½ cup of frozen chopped spinach. The spinach will take on the flavor of the sauce and pad your fiber count by more than 2 g.

Cook broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots, and you'll take in 3 to 5 grams of fiber per serving, as much as twice what you'll get if you eat them raw (heat makes fiber more available).

Use cooked oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs in your next meatloaf. Add ¾ cup of oats per pound of ground meat, and you'll boost the total fiber count by more than 8 grams.

Toss ½ cup chickpeas into a pot of your favorite soup. They'll absorb the flavor of the soup and tack 6 grams of fiber onto your bottom line.

At Dessert

Say nuts to protein bars. Bars with almonds have about 2 grams of fiber-almost twice the fiber content of bars without.

Have a bowl of sliced fresh berries. One-half cup of raspberries provides 4 grams of fiber; strawberries and blueberries pack 2 grams.

Introduce your pie hole to a slice of apple, cherry, or berry pie. Of course make sugar-free desserts, but try to choose fruit flavored pies and you'll add an extra 3 to 5 grams of fiber. Cakes and cookies will have almost none.