When it comes to beneficial nutrients, Fiber is close to the top of the list. The issue is that a lot of people do not really try to get enough fiber in their daily diets even when they are watching their macros like protein, vitamins, and carbs.
There are many health benefits of fiber. I am going to go over 7 of the most interesting facts about fiber and by the end you should realize that you need to watch how much fiber you are taking in and try to hit your daily number.
Dietary fiber — found mainly in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes — is probably best known for its ability to prevent or relieve constipation. But foods containing fiber can provide other health benefits as well, such as helping to maintain a healthy weight and lowering your risk of diabetes and heart disease. Source
Fight Disease
Fiber is so important that taking in enough fiber will help you prevent illnesses such as heart disease, colon cancer, and even lower your cholesterol so you will not have any problems in the future.
Slower Digesting
We all know that one of the main issues facing society is obesity and this comes from over eating. When you consume lots of high quality foods with lots of fiber, this can help curb your bad over eating habit. The more fiber a food has, the slower it will be digested and the longer you will remain full. If you stay full longer, you will take in less calories!
If you are looking for weight loss, I would suggest that you eat high fiber natural foods.
Most Foods Have Small Amounts
If you look at the foods that the average person consumes in one day, you will notice that very few of them have close the amount of fiber you should be getting on a daily basis. You need to make a conscious decision to get more fiber in your diet. To do this, I have laid out a table below that should help you pick some healthy foods that are packed full of this essential nutrient.
The Best Sources Of Fiber
Vegetables, fruits, and whole grains are going to be your big sources for fiber intake. Not only do they have a lot of fiber, but they are also full of other nutrients and vitamins that promote a healthy body. Check out the table below and see how many of these you already eat in your week.
More Water To Digest
The only way you can really move fiber through your system is if you drink enough water. Water is extremely healthy for you, and drinking enough of it will aid in digesting the food you eat.
Try and drink 8 classes of water a day or more if you can. This will really promote weight loss and with enough fiber, help clean out your digestive system in a hurry.
Fiber Cannot Be Cooked “Out”
With a lot of foods, once you cook them, they lose some of the healthy vitamins and minerals inside. However, when you cook food such as fruits of vegetables, the fiber content will stay in the food and nothing will be lost.
I still recommend eating healthy ingredients such as fruit and veggies raw, but if you must cook them, you will not be missing out on the fiber inside.
So How Much Fiber Should I Consume?
This entire article I have been stressing that you need to take in enough fiber throughout the day, but how much is enough? This is going to depend on if you are male or female and how old you are. Too much fiber can cause a problem such as diarrhea (which is why you need to drink enough water!) or in some cases, bloating.
Below is a chart that I found that gives daily estimates of fiber intake. Yours will more than likely land between 20-30 grams a day.
If you change your diet and start eating healthy foods, it should not be that hard to get enough fiber in your daily diet. Pay attention to it though. You want to take in the quantity that your body needs. If you do this, you will fight against possible diseases, stay healthy, and aid your digestive system. A lot of benefits for paying attention to one small aspect of a healthy diet.
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