Eating fiber-rich foods supports your weight-loss efforts while contributing to overall health and wellness. Dietary fiber keeps your bowels regular and helps to eliminate toxins from the intestines and colon. Fiber also supports heart health by removing excess cholesterol from the body. Meals rich in fiber balance blood sugar, slow digestion and keep you full longer to support your health, fitness and weight-loss goals.
Step 1
Eat a balanced breakfast every morning with some fiber-rich foods and lean proteins. The simple act of eating a meal within 30 minutes of waking promotes leanness, according to "Muscle & Performance" magazine. Choose proteins like eggs, turkey bacon and lean cuts of meat. Add whole-grain cereals or oatmeal and fruit to increase your fiber intake.
Step 2
Include at least seven grams of dietary fiber with each of your five to six daily meals and snacks, says "Combat the Fat" author Jeff Anderson. Eating frequent meals help to balance blood sugar, suppress your appetite and speed up your metabolism. Having fiber-rich foods at your meals and snacks further supports these weight-loss goals by slowing down the rate at which foods digest.
Step 3
Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, writes David Zinczenko, author of "The Abs Diet." Fruits and vegetables are low-glycemic or slow-digesting, meaning that they slowly release sugar into your blood stream. Stick to fresh produce or products that do not have added sugars. In addition, fruits and vegetables also contain antioxidants with natural fat-burning properties in the body. Some examples include blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, apples and grapefruits, Jordana Brown reports for "Muscle & Fitness" magazine.
Step 4
Choose low-glycemic and whole-grain carbohydrates at each of your meals and snacks. Examples include brown rice, bread made from sprouted grains, whole-wheat pasta, barley, beans and quinoa. Quinoa, unlike many other grains, contains a complete source of protein, as well as low-glycemic carbs and high fiber, according to Brown. These foods promote fat burning better than high-glycemic carbs like white rice, white bread and white pasta.
Step 5
Drink whey protein smoothies as snacks or meal replacements to support your weight-loss goals. Increasing your protein intake has a thermic effect on fat burning, which means that you use more energy or calories to digest protein-rich foods. Blend one scoop of whey, 8 ounces of water, three ice cubes and a tablespoon of peanut butter. Add a teaspoon of psyllium husk to increase the fiber content of your shakes, "Xtreme Lean" authors Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman suggest.
Tips and Warnings
- If you cannot stand conventional fiber powders, try inulin fiber, from vegetables and chicory root. It does not thicken when mixed into beverages, yet contains 5 or more grams of fiber per teaspoon.
- Consult your doctor before beginning any new diet. Start slowly when you begin taking in more fiber, because it can cause some uncomfortable gastrointestinal side effects at first.
Things You'll Need
- Psyllium husk
- Whey protein
References
- "Muscle & Performance"; Lean in Less Time; Eric Velazquez; February 2010
- "Combat the Fat"; Jeff Anderson; 2008
- "The Abs Diet"; David Zinczenko; 2004
- "Muscle & Fitness Presents The Ultimate Supplement Handbook"; The Usual Suspects; Jordana Brown; January 2010
- "Xtreme Lean"; Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman; 2005
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