Top Secret Weight Loss Tip: FIBER

Everybody knows they should eat more fiber. Fiber promotes health and reduces the risk of some chronic diseases. Fiber reduces your chance of colon and breast cancer. In addition fiber has been known to lower your bad cholesterol, thereby reducing your risk of heart disease.
There are actually two kinds of fiber, soluble and insoluble, but I am not going into the differences. Both are beneficial to the body. Here are some additional benefits of fiber that specifically aid in weight loss:

• Removes toxic waste from your intestines quicker (ever heard of the "colonic" diet?)
• Binds with fatty acids
• Slows down the release of sugar and insulin and their absorption into the bloodstream

Here are some easy ways to add healthy doses of fiber to your daily eating habits:

• Metamucil should be in the pantry of EVERYONE trying to lose weight. Their new Fibersure product doesn't alter taste or texture so you can add it to water and not even know it is there. It is also great sprinkled on cereals, salad dressings and many other foods. For those who are carb conscious, there is no need to worry because Metamucil has zero net carbs!
• Organic milled Flax Seed may seem very similar to Metamucil, but there are some important differences. Flax seed is actually a great source of protein, amino acids and Omega 3. It has a great nutty flavor that is good on salads and cereals. On the down side, it does have more calories and fat (80 calories and 9g of fat per 2 tablespoons).
• Seeds & Nuts are another good source, plus they contain healthy fats your body needs. Just make sure to use portion control because they do have calories.
• Green beans and dark, leafy green vegetables. I love adding vegetables to my salads. Nothing is better than left over asparagus or green beans on a salad. Speaking of salads, skip the iceberg lettuce. It has little to no nutritional value. Romaine lettuce is a little better, but the best option is baby spinach, watercress or arugula (nice black pepper taste).

Try to eat 6 servings of fruits/vegetables and 6 servings of oats/grains/whole wheats to get your 25g of recommended fiber each day. You will stay fuller longer, a huge help as you fight the hunger pains of dieting. Add fiber=Less Hungry=Weight Loss. Have a healthy day.