How to choose low fat high fiber foods for a healthy diet
Zaak OConan

Raising the level of dietary fiber, while lowering the amount of fat in your diet, is one of the most effective changes you can make, both in terms of weight loss and overall health and fitness. Unfortunately, most people consume too much fat and not enough fiber, and reversing that trend can be difficult even for the most motivated.

A good place to start is by knowing which foods are highest in dietary fiber. Eating a diet rich in these foods is a good way to boost fiber while lowering fat and other negative dietary elements.

When boosting the amount of fiber in the diet, however, it is best to start gradually in order to let your body adjust. An abrupt change in the amount of fiber in the diet can lead to cramps, abdominal pain, bloating and gas.

Among the highest fiber foods are cooked legumes (including dried peas and beans), dried fruits, nuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and berries. These foods all contain more than six grams of fiber per serving.

Foods which contain from four to six grams of fiber per serving include a baked potato (with the skin), apples, pears, barley, brown rice, bran muffins, lima beans, snow peas, green peas and sweet potatoes.

Further down the scale at two to four grams per serving are vegetables, citrus fruits, whole wheat bread, rye bread and melons. These foods are still good sources of fiber, but you will need to eat more of them to get the full effect. That’s fine, though, since they are healthy, nutritious foods in many ways.

In order to enjoy healthier eating habits for life, it is important to make fundamental changes in the way you shop, cook and eat. A diet should be more than a temporary change in eating habits; a true dietary change must be one you can follow for a lifetime.

When doing the weekly grocery shopping, get into the habit of hitting the produce section first. Fill your shopping basket with fresh, in season fruits and vegetables, as they are rich sources of vitamins and minerals as well as fiber. Canned fruits and vegetables are good substitutes when the fresh varieties are out of season.

When choosing baked goods, always try to find those made with more nutritious and fiber rich whole wheat flour, wheat bran, oat bran, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, oatmeal or raisins.

Become a label reader. The federally mandated nutritional labels contain a wealth of valuable information for those who take the time to understand them. Nutritional labels contain valuable information on the calorie content, fiber content, and vitamin content of all packaged foods, and many meats, seafood and poultry products as well.

Finally, there are some popular myths about fiber. It is important to dispel these myths as you seek to increase the level of fiber in the diet.

The first myth concerns the relationship of crispness to level of fiber. In short, the crispness of a food is no indication of the amount of fiber it contains. For instance, the vegetables commonly used in salads, although crisp, are not significant sources of fiber. The crunch of the lettuce is a result of the amount of water it contains, not its fiber content.

Many people also think that cooking foods breaks down fiber – it does not. Cooking has no effect on the fiber content of foods. Peeling vegetables and fruits, however, does remove some of the fiber, since the skins of fruits and vegetables contain fiber. Edible skins, such as apple peels, can be good sources of fiber.

No matter what your reasons for increasing the amount of fiber in your diet, you may well find that this is one of the most positive dietary changes you ever make. Increasing fiber can have a significant impact on your future health and well being, and the change is easier to make than many people think.
About the Author

Zaak O’Conan discovers and presents useful information on how to enhance and/or repair your life, body and relationships. You’ll find his other articles on eating better and other ways how to improve your life at http://your-health-center.com

Tags: Abrupt Change, Author, Bloating And Gas, Bran Muffins, Brown Rice Bran, Citrus Fruits, Dietary Change, Dried Peas, food;, Good Sources Of Fiber, Green Peas, Healthy Diet, High Fiber Foods, Highest Fiber Foods, lima, Lima Beans, Losing Weight, Low Fat High Fiber Foods, Nutritious Foods, Poultry Products, Sesame Seeds, Snow Peas, Sources Of Fiber, Sweet Potatoes, Whole Wheat Bread —

Here are some weight loss diet tips that can be followed anywhere, everyday:

1. Make a delicious low fat mayonnaise by combining one teaspoon of Dijon mustard or satay sauce with a low fat yogurt.
2. Do not skip meals. Skipping meals slicks the body into slowing down the metabolism, attempting to conserve calories during a period where limited fats and fuel are available. Remember that eating increases the metabolism.
3. Stuff vegetables like capsicum and zucchini with flavored fillings or minced chicken, white meat or fish. These are healthy and contain low fat.
4. Take pita bread roll ups or wraps with salad fillings.
5. Eight hours after waking up, our metabolism slows down that is why 30 minutes of exercise before dinner will increase the metabolism for about two to three hours. This produces an increase in burned fat even hours after the work out is over.
6. Add alfalfa or mung beans to salad to get extra iron.
7. Good cooking and healthy eating begins with learning about nutrition and how to prepare healthy recipes.
8. Learn how to make the family favorite recipes and make sure that fats, salt, and sugar are cut out. Substitute non-fat yogurt for cream, stir-fry without oil and use herbs and spices instead of salt to taste.
9. Consult the doctor before beginning an exercise or weight loss program.
10. Slowly eat and chew each bite during meals as this would decrease one’s appetite.
11. Complete three small meals and two snacks everyday instead of one or two huge meals.
12. Use chicken stock when stir-frying. This will cut down on hidden fat.
13. Buy non-toasted muesli instead of the toasted ones. A plate of toasted muesli contains more fat than a plate of bacon and eggs.
14. As much as possible do not remove the skins of fruits and vegetables since most of the nutrients are concentrated under the skin.
15. Warm water with just a squeeze of lemon juice before breakfast get the metabolism going for the day, this also help preventing constipation and is excellent for the skin.
16. One of the best sources of vegetable protein is from soya beans or tofu. All legumes provide some protein, so include lentils, lima beans etc into casseroles and soups.
17. Look for a weight loss “buddy,” club, or support mates. This will motivate you to stay and enjoy your weight loss program.
18. Though it’s hard at first, try not eating 3 hours or more before bedtime.
19. Make pasta a fast food choice – preparing a pasta meal or salad will only take 10-12 minutes.
20. Chilli helps to speed up metabolism – even the milder varieties.
21. Try making omelettes without adding the yolks! A dramatic decrease in fat.
22. Substitute baking soda, baking powder, MSG and soya sauce in cooking.
23. Remove fat by dropping ice cubes into the baking tray. Fat will stick to the ice cubes.
24. Drinking hot water instead of cold water in the morning can increase the speed of your metabolism and burn more calories.
25. Eat before you go food shopping and always prepare a shopping list. Only buy food which relates to your weekly menu plan and don’t be tempted to buy goodies.

Make sure that the right discipline is still practiced to promote consistency on the diet plan. This will lead eventually to a healthy life-style and a more fruitful living without the extra fat and extra pounds on the side.

PPPPP

Word Count 594

Tags: Alfalfa, Bacon And Eggs, Bread Roll, Capsicum, Chicken Stock, constipation;, Diet Tips, Dijon Mustard, Favorite Recipes, Fillings, Food Choice, Food Shopping, food;, Fruits And Vegetables, Healthy Diet, Healthy Recipes, Herbs And Spices, Lemon Juice, lima, Mayonnaise, Mung Beans, oil;, Roll Ups, Skipping Meals, Weight Loss Diet, White Meat —