Fiber, the Miracle Nutrient!

Fiber is known, in many circles, as the miracle nutrient for losing weight and keeping it off. Intrigued yet? You should be! “Fiber is the indigestible part of fruits, seeds, vegetables, whole grains and other edible plants”. This is a quote from Brenda Watson, author of “The Fiber35 Diet.”

It can help regulate blood sugar, control your hunger, and help you to feel full. It does sound like a miracle nutrient! An interesting fact also, is that lean people eat more fiber.

The daily recommended amount of fiber is 35 grams of fiber per day. The majority of us would be doing well to hit half of that amount. We eat processed foods, and refined sugars in our diets, rather than vegetables and fruits, and whole grains, which are loaded with fiber. Fiber can help you in many ways!

Processed foods, and refined foods have little, or no fiber. If you enter into our current grocery aisles, you will understand what I mean. Healthy foods are kept in the outer perimeter of the store, and entering the aisles can be hazardous to your health!

Top 10 Reasons for Upping Your Fiber Intake

• Helps with weight loss

• Helps you to feel full and control your appetite and you will eat less

• Helps with weight maintenance

• Helps to reduce the risk of heart attacks

• Helps to maintain healthy cholesterol levels

• Helps to maintain your blood sugar levels

• Helps to reduce your risk of developing diabetes

• Helps to reduce your risk of cancer

• Helps to promote bowel health and regularity

• Helps to improve your immune system

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Are you sold yet that you need to up your fiber to 35 grams or more per day? Foods high in fiber give you the biggest benefit for your calories. They are high volume, and fill you up, and you can eat a lot of them, without eating a lot of calories. Definitely a lifestyle solution that you want to include in your life!

The video below is long, but it describes all about fiber, and its relationship to Cardio-vascular disease, diabetes, cholesterol, and obesity.

There are two types of fiber and you need both, and will find both types listed on food labels.

• Soluble fiber slows digestion in your stomach so that your blood sugar rises slower.



• Insoluble fiber passes through your system without digesting so it aids in bowel movements.

There are so many health benefits for eating more fiber, that I do believe it is the miracle nutrient! If you begin to add more fiber to your diet, you will be on your way to developing a new healthy diet habit that will help you to lose weight!

Also, I would highly recommend “The Fiber35 Diet” Nature’s Weight Loss Secret by Brenda Watson with Leonard Smith. It is a very complete book. She offers lots of tips, a diet in the sense of healthy eating with 3 phases, meal plans, and lots of recipes. Her recipes are very easy, and just include real foods. She also gives tips on what to serve with each meal, for those of us that are meal challenged. I love books like this, that offer a lot of practical, usable tips, rather than just information!

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Be sure to check out ways to increase fiber to your life and use the High Fiber Food Chart to learn which foods are high in fiber!