Focus on Fiber

When you go grocery shopping are you reading the labels to see the fiber content?
You should be.

Fiber is essential to your health. It is often overlooked, as mainstream diets often focus on weight loss through calorie reduction. However, Fiber is essential to feeling full - which ultimately leads to managing and  losing weight if necessary. As well it helps stabilize your blood sugar levels which leads to a more balanced mood and stable energy levels. If you have been experiencing highs and lows, lack of fiber can be the problem. How much Fiber do you need? 25-35 grams a day! If your diet is a muffin at breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and chicken with potatoes for dinner - you are falling short of the fiber you need for your health. The first thing to do is start reading labels. You can buy bread with 1 gram of fiber or bread with 5 or more grams of fiber per slice. Always look for bread with high levels of fiber. You need to eat about 3 fruit a day - as each fruit gives you roughly 3 grams of fiber, and add oats and quinoa to your diet which are high in fiber. An important source of fiber is beans - a half a cup serving of beans generally gives you 7 or more grams of fiber. You can add beans to a salad - where the green veggies will add more fiber to your day. As you can see - if you simply add fruit, vegetables and beans as staples to your diet and replace white-carbohydrate foods for whole grains, you will easily get all the fiber you need.