The Whole Food Blog

High fiber foods can aid in digestion, promote healthy weight loss, and even lower risks for diseases like diabetes and cancer.  With such benefits, it’s hard to imagine why more people aren’t stocking their cupboards with high fiber foods.

While the fiber gets chewed up and becomes very small, it does not actually get absorbed into the body.  Instead, it passes from one end of the digestive system to the other, doing several very important jobs along the way.

1.    High fiber foods take a little longer to chew, which gives the body time to recognize when it is full.  This stalls cravings for more food.

2.    The slower absorption of high fiber foods in the stomach means that a person feels full for a longer period of time, contributing to natural weight loss.

3.    As the high fiber foods make their way to the stomach, they slow down the overall absorption of nutrients into the blood stream.  One thing that slows down is the absorption of sugar.  In addition to affecting mood and energy, this lessens strain on the pancreas, which can lead to diabetes.

4.    As fiber continues through the digestive tract, the little particles actually brush the insides of the intestines, removing built-up waste materials.  This helps to prevent irritations that can lead to polyps and cancer.

5.    At the end of the digestive process, fiber moves waste out of the body.

It is recommended that the average adult consume between 25 and 35 grams of fiber daily, yet most of us get about half that.  The best source of this substance is in naturally occurring high fiber foods, such as fruits and vegetables.

When searching for ways to obtain dietary fiber each day, oatmeal is one of the best high fiber foods to eat.  Research has shown that oatmeal may diminish the risk of heart disease, have a positive effect on the immune system, reduce bad cholesterol levels, provide a lower Glycemic Index (GI) rating and contribute to natural weight loss.  Oatmeal is truly one of the healthiest high fiber foods anyone can eat.

Whole grain oats contain a soluble fiber that lessens the risk of cardiovascular disease by reducing bad cholesterol.  Soluble fiber is good because it helps the digestive system eliminate bile acids made from LDL “bad” cholesterol.  This process removes LDL bad cholesterol from the blood where it may be harmful to the heart.  Of all grains, oats have the highest proportion of soluble fiber, another reason that oatmeal leads the list of high fiber foods.

Oats are an excellent source of VITAMIN B 6, which helps to maintain the health of lymphoid organs (thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes).  These organs produce a group of immune cells active in healing, repair and anti-inflammation throughout the body.  Fighting inflammation alleviates arthritis and contributes to healthy aging, another great reason to eat high fiber foods, such as oatmeal.

One of the most popular benefits of eating oatmeal is that it contributes to natural weight loss.  Dietary fiber satisfies hunger by making you feel full, so that fewer calories are consumed throughout the day.  It also helps maintain blood sugar balance as oats are high fiber foods that result in a lower Glycemic Index (GI rating).

Those who understand the power of nutrition and high fiber food know that 25-35 grams of fiber are the daily amounts recommended for a healthy diet.  Here are 5 simple ways to remember to get that much fiber each day.

1.    “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”

An apple is the perfect high fiber food to eat anywhere for a good source of fiber in a convenient, ready to eat package.  Apples provide a quick way to pick up 5 grams of fiber.

2.    “Beans, beans, good for your heart”

Beans are indeed good for the heart and for their high fiber food content.  Few foods with as much fiber are as economical and versatile as beans.  Soups often provide a good source of beans. Some fast food chains have bean burritos, chili or salads with beans, and of course, rice and beans are always popular.  Black beans provide as much as 7g of fiber per 1/4 cup, a quarter cup of pinto beans rings up a hefty 12g of fiber per serving, and Garbanzo beans offer 9g of high fiber food per 1/4 cup serving.

3.    “Breakfast is the most important meal”.

Breakfast is the first opportunity to start the day with plenty of fiber.  A bowl of oatmeal, a piece of whole-wheat toast, and a multi-grain muffin are wholesome high fiber food choices for breakfast. Each one provides 3-5g of fiber or more, and they’re easy to prepare.

4.    “High fiber food is good for your mood”

For a quick snack any time of day without the guilt of eating junk, a high fiber food bar is a good mood booster.  A snack bar should provide at least 4g of fiber in a serving or it isn’t worth the calories.  All too often, people eat candy bars and power bars that offer little or no fiber.  Look for all natural high fiber food bars on the Internet to get the most nutrition for your dollar.

5.    “Shake it up and go”.

Get 5g of fiber in health drinks that provide excellent sources of soluble fiber.  In fact, some high fiber drinks even has FOS, a soluble fiber that is typically found in foods like onion, garlic, oats, and barley.  High fiber foods in a health drink make it really easy to add 5g of fiber to any diet.

Add these five high fiber food reminders to your daily routine and you will easily consume 25-35 grams of fiber each day.

Many people know that high fiber foods are essential for a healthy diet.  However, not as many know about the benefits of fiber rich foods with FOS for the digestive system.  FOS is an acronym for fructooligosaccharides.  These are carbohydrates that come naturally from high fiber foods such as garlic, onions, leeks, oats, barley, rye, and chicory root.

One reason that natural fructooligosaccharides are good for digestion is that they are probiotics.  They help the body create its own healthy bacteria, which is necessary to fight off the unhealthy bacteria in the digestive system.  This is especially beneficial in a world where so many antibiotics have entered the food supply.  Antibiotics not only destroy the bad germs, but the good bacteria, too.  Additionally, when there are enough friendly bacteria in the colon, the body is able to produce a healthy dose of B vitamins.

Most high fiber foods sweep the intestines, but FOS also works like a scrub brush for the intestinal walls.

Here are several good reasons to consume high fiber foods with FOS on a regular basis:

1.    The body can absorb nutrients more efficiently as food passes without difficulty through the intestinal walls.
2.    The growth of good bacteria, such as Acidophilus, Bifidus, and Faccium will be stimulated in the digestive system.
3.    Cholesterol and triglycerides may be reduced as fat is more easily trapped in the intestinal tract where it can be flushed out faster.
4.    Better assimilation of complex carbohydrates from high fiber foods that take longer to digest will provide longer lasting energy, which is good for blood sugar regulation.
5.    Probiotics from FOS can minimize yeast infection, Candida, and bloating.
6.    Symptoms of constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and lactose intolerance may decrease.

Unfortunately, onions, leeks, barley, oats, rye, garlic, and chicory root are not high fiber foods that the average person will eat often enough to get all the benefits of FOS.  Fortunately, there are other ways to get fructooligosaccharides.  Search the Internet for natural high fiber foods with FOS.

With so many questionable weight loss products on the market, it’s nice to know that you can achieve natural weight loss simply by eating more high fiber foods.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, best selling author and professor of surgery at Columbia University, is featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show frequently.  During one program he talked about achieving natural weight loss with high fiber foods.

The doctor described an experiment where a group of people ate 11 pounds of raw fruits and vegetables for 12 days. The results were astounding as cholesterol levels were reduced 25%, blood pressure fell 10%, and each participant lost about 10 pounds.

Dr. Oz says the positive effects of getting enough high fiber foods will happen “almost immediately.” The fiber can help move things through your system—including toxins—very quickly.  He went on to say, “Bile, when it gets absorbed through the bowel, turns into cholesterol. So when you take a lot of fiber in your diet, you suck the bile out of you, and your cholesterol drops automatically. It also gets rid of sugar, which helps the diabetics. And it’s a great tool if you want to lose weight because it makes you feel full.”

Once again, the link between high fiber foods and natural weight loss is revealed in this experiment. Try it for yourself and see what happens. I have known about the power of high fiber foods since losing 30 pounds in one month seven years ago.  This feat was achieved primarily by changing my diet to more fruits and vegetables.

I made that change and have stuck with it thanks to some help from concentrated high fiber foods.  Fats and toxins were flushed out at a rapid pace with no discomfort or loss of energy. In fact, I developed more energy and better digestion than ever before.

“When you eat this kind of food, you’re sending a very clear message to your brain,” Dr. Oz says. “You’re taking in calories and nutrients. What we normally do in America is we give calories to people without nutrition…The natural colors are gone, and so your brain sits back there and says, ‘Am I still hungry or not?‘”

If eating 11 pounds of fruits and vegetables every day doesn’t sound too appealing, then add some concentrated, all natural, high fiber food formulas to your diet. Make it convenient by searching the Internet for all natural high fiber foods and drinks that are quick and easy to consume.