The Facts of Fiber

"One good thing to add to any diet is fiber"....this is what weight loss systems promote all the time, and it is absolutely true.  Fiber has so many nutritional benefits, but it usually gets a bad wrap as tasting like river gravel.  Fiber is found in so many foods that you might not even think of, which raises the question of what is fiber?

Fiber is any part of a plant that your body can't digest.  When you eat a food rich in carbohydrates or protein your body can break it down and absorb it; fiber does not work this way which is why it is so beneficial for digestion.  There are two kinds of fiber: soluble and insoluble.  Soluble fiber dissolves in water and can help lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels.  The consumption of soluble fiber slows down the absorption of sugar from the foods you eat and this leads to healthy blood sugar levels.  Spikes in blood glucose levels that come from foods high in sugar fall rapidly which makes you feel hungry sooner, then this leads to overeating so you feel full.  Soluble fiber can be found in oats, peas, beans, apples, and citrus fruits.

Insoluble fiber cannot dissolve in water so it moves through your digestive system faster and cleanses everything out.  The faster food moves through your body also helps in signaling that you're full sooner and then you won't over eat.  Whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts, beans and vegetables; like cauliflower, green beans and potatoes, are good sources of insoluble fiber. Another perk of high fiber foods is that if you're eating something like granola it typically takes some time to chew, this delay helps your body process that you're full before you think you are.   Many foods like oatmeal and beans have soluble and insoluble fiber, the levels of each just depend on the part of the plant that product comes from.  Side note...if you buy the delicious sounding oatmeal packs I can pretty much  guarantee you it's loaded with sugar and there goes all the healthiness.  Try to get a plain oatmeal and add fruit to it, or look for ones that advertise being lower in sugar.

Granola is also a good source of fiber, but the thing to be careful with in store bought granola is that it's high in sugar and fat.  This is the case with any food, so just be careful that you don't get suckered in by the granola that have raisins and other things in it because these typically are higher in additives which cuts down the nutritional benefits.  Fiber is also what makes brown rice a better choice than white rice; the only real difference between the two is that brown rice still contains the husk.  The husk is where essentially all the nutritional value is.  

So there you have it, fiber can be more than bran flakes in the morning.  Not only does it make you feel fuller and help in weight loss, but you get the added bonus of low blood sugar and lower cholesterol.  Now everyone go out and stock up on oatmeal, fruits, and beans!