Fiber: A good weapon in the battle of the bulge

High-fiber foods can play an important role in fat control and fat loss. Many high-fiber, carbohydrate foods do not contain fat. Replacing fatty foods with high fiber foods helps in decreasing the amount of fat eaten. Less fat eaten equals less far storage and an higher amount of energy is required to be spent by the body in breaking down high-fiber, carbohydrate foods.

Moreover, fibrous foods absorb more water than non-fibrous foods and create a sense of ‘full stomach’ after being eaten. So you end up eating less often after a high-fiber meal.This indirectly contributes to your efforts towards fat loss. A high fiber diet also reduces the risk of colon cancer, by decreasing the transit time of food in the intestine and thereby the exposure time of potential carcinogens in the food.

Some fibers bind to the bile acids in the gut and pull along the Cholesterol out of the guts along with the bile acids. This can decrease the amount of LDL (bad cholesterol) in the blood.

Oats, beans, lentils, legumes, peas, bananas and pears are all good sources of fiber.

On a rough count, about 30 grams of fiber per day should be the minimum requirement in your diet. However, be cautious of ingesting too much fiber for fat loss than the recommended amount – after all, too much of even a good thing is bad.