Healthy Weight Loss Plan: Nutrition 104 - Fiber

Any healthy weight loss plan should include a plan to get a considerable amount of fiber in the diet.  In fact, any eating plan should have a fiber target.  Fiber is one of the most essential pieces to the diet puzzle, yet it is often overlooked.

When we eat fiber, it passes through our bodies, enters the colon, and promptly exits.  Fiber in indigestible.  This is actually a good thing. 

Fiber works to clean out our colon by taking a lot of toxins and other junk with it as it exits the body.  If you've heard of people doing a body cleanse, they probably were taking in a large amount of dietary fiber. 

Your healthy weight loss plan probably could use a fiber boost because you are likely to have a good amount of toxins in your gut.  Up your fiber intake and clean those toxins out, watching your belly shrink in the process!

Fiber doesn't just clean your colon of toxins. A similar benefit is that it will regulate your bodily elimination process. The only thing you have to be careful of here is that you do not ramp up your fiber intake too rapidly as this could have an adverse effect. If you gradually increase your fiber intake, you will notice a much more regular digestive process.

While we're focusing on putting together a healthy weight loss plan, there is another powerful benefit to adding more fiber to your diet. It has been shown to lower your LDL, or bad cholesterol level. This is a nice bonus to all the weight loss benefits. Remember, with the Healthy Body Revolution, our focus is on creating an overall healthy body.

And fiber is an important piece of the revolutionary plan of attack!

• Gradually increase your fiber intake. Most Americans only get about 10g of fiber in per day. The USDA recommends 30-40g. You can probably even go higher, but take your time getting there.
  
• Drink lots of water. We're cleansing your colon so there is going to be a lot of water eliminated from your body. To stay hydrated and healthy, it is vital to replace these lost fluids. Drinking lots of water is always essential to any healthy weight loss plan and any plan for healthy living.
  

• Mix up your fiber source. Don't just load up on one source at one time because it is high in fiber. You must keep the big nutritional picture in mind. Fiber is just one piece of the puzzle, albeit an important one.
  

So that's fiber for you. Here is a list of 7 great foods that will easily enable you to increase your fiber intake.

1. Pear 5g
2. Raspberries (1 cup) - 8g
3. Apple (with skin) - 5g
4. Almonds (1 oz.) 4g
5. Avocado (medium) - 12g
6. Peas (cooked) - 9g
7. Flax Seed (3 Tbsp) - 7g