Eat Fiber to Support Your Weight Loss Efforts

So you've decided you want to shed some extra weight. Did you know there's more you can do than count calories and sweat it off at the gym? Increasing your intake of fiber is a simple way to control your appetite and support your weight loss efforts. Best of all, it balances your diet and further improves your health.

Fiber helps to curb appetite

There are a few ways that fiber works to control your appetite. Fiber takes longer to digest, which extends the amount of time that you feel full. Food intake has been shown to be lower following a high-fiber meal. Because whole grains are an excellent source of fiber, including them in your breakfast can help with hunger for the rest of the day. Additionally, foods that contain fiber often take longer to chew, which gives your stomach time to signal to your brain that you are full.

Fiber reduces calorie absorption

A study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture had all participants eat the same number of calories with varied amounts of fiber. The research revealed that those who ate the highest amount of fiber absorbed fewer calories than the other participants. Consuming 36 grams of fiber daily led to the absorption of 130 fewer calories. This is sometimes referred to as the Fiber Flush Effect.

Fiber stabilizes your blood sugar

Avoiding spikes and drops in blood sugar is one of your best weapons in controlling your diet. When blood sugar drops it makes it easy to give in to cravings and reach for foods that will provide you with a quick sugar boost. This keeps the blood sugar cycle going.

By contrast, stabilizing your blood sugar keeps your hunger under control. Fiber helps with this by slowing the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar that is absorbed by the bloodstream. Because it is digested slowly, the gradual release of nutrients keeps your blood sugar stable for a longer period.

Adding more fiber to your diet

It's not hard to increase your fiber intake. As an added benefit, foods that contain fiber tend to be low in calories. Try to eat more fruits and vegetables, such as beans, sweet potatoes, peas, berries, and apples. Whole grains, oatmeal, and brown rice are excellent options as well. Wheat bran and flax seeds are very potent sources of fiber, and just a small serving can go a long way to keep you full.

Shawna is an avid writer about wellness and holistic health, including tips for living a healthier life style. Find similar topics from an Austin wellness center that offers fitness programs for longevity, weight loss and diabetes in Texas using mind/body exercise classes.

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Stick to These Fundamentals for Weight Loss and Longevity By Shawna Matthews

If you've tried to lose weight by only altering one aspect of your lifestyle, you know how hard it is. That's because reaching a healthy weight can't be a side note to your life- it has to be a result of how you live. So what fundamentals do healthy people follow?

Don't get hung up on numbers

By looking at calories alone, you could choose a low-fat dessert over a cup of fruit. It's not just the calorie count that is important- it's the type as well. Food rich in fiber and nutrients is a healthier source of energy than a sugar-laden treat.

Don't make eating a homework assignment. Instead, learn which foods are healthy and which you should skip. When the food you're eating is enriching your body, you don't have to stress about consuming one calorie too many.

In the same way, don't obsess over the number on the scale. Muscle weighs more than fat, so you might find that you weigh more as you get in better shape. Just remember that your end goal isn't a number- it's to get fit.

Resist compartmentalizing your health

Health isn't just about the body- it extends to the mind as well. Just consider all of the studies that have come out recently connecting a positive attitude to longevity and stress to disease.

Control the way you respond to the stressors in your life and you can limit your body's harmful inflammatory response. Don't discount meditation and the practice of mindfulness as effective ways to harness your mind's potential and influence the health of your body as a result.

Avoid fad diets and workouts

Remember when fat was branded as evil and we were told to avoid it at all costs? As it turns out, good sources of fat such as nuts and avocados are essential and can even help you maintain a healthy weight. Instead of following fads that label certain foods as bad, stick to what you know about nutrition and apply the concept of moderation to what you eat.

The same goes for exercise. Have you ever heard that cardio is all you need to get fit? While cardio is important, strength training is necessary to keep your bones strong and maintain muscle mass, especially later in life. Don't jump on trends. Instead, incorporate a variety of healthy behaviors into your lifestyle for a fruitful balance.

Recognize that longevity and prevention starts with you

There is no magic pill to make you live longer. Longevity begins with your individual efforts to eat a clean, nutritious diet, stay active, and get enough rest. A healthy lifestyle will not only promote longevity, it will also keep you functional as you age.

Think of disease prevention in the same manner. Prescription medications don't prevent disease- they simply treat the symptoms. Prevention is a result of the habits and behaviors that you implement now.

Shawna is an avid writer about wellness and holistic health, including tips for living a healthier life style. Find similar topics from an Austin wellness center that offers fitness programs for longevity, weight loss and diabetes in Texas using mind/body exercise classes.

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Get Fit (And Lose Weight) By Tackling These Areas in Your Life By Shawna Matthews

There's far more to fitness and trimming excess body fat than going to the gym. You have to attack this goal from different angles. When you direct this effort into a variety of areas in your life, they will all work together to produce the fitness and weight loss results you want.

It starts with mindset

Have you noticed how much harder it is to accomplish a goal when you're constantly down on yourself? You have to learn to stop being so critical. Instead, sit down and examine what you are doing right and what your strengths are. Then start focusing on them, giving yourself plenty of praise and self-love.

Here are some tips to help with this:

-Find a friend to help you. This person can keep you accountable and offer encouragement.

-Keep a journal to record your fitness efforts. Take it out on a bad day and review how far you've come.

-Be prepared for failure. Instead of dwelling on it, write down at least one thing you can learn from the experience and move on.

Make fitness accessible in your daily routine

Regular exercise is a key element of getting fit, but you have to stick to it. To make this much easier, sketch out a fitness plan that you can follow. It doesn't have to be anything complicated- maybe you will start by walking one mile four days a week. Writing it down allows you to gradually increase the intensity and add more elements, like strength training. Be sure to switch up your routine to ensure progress. Add new activities and rearrange the order.

Don't stop there, though. Insert activities into your everyday routine that will give you opportunities to get active, like consistently taking the stairs or parking at the back of the lot. Then consider what you do with your friends and family. Do you tend to limit your interactions to watching movies or dining out? Suggest that you go for a walk or bike ride instead. Even mini-golf and bowling are excellent ways to stay active while still having fun.

Give your body what it needs to succeed

You can't force your body to be active if it doesn't have the fuel it needs. Ditch the processed foods that bog you down and incorporate whole foods instead. Clean out your cupboards to avoid the temptation to indulge. Then make sure to keep your kitchen stocked with healthy foods. Fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts- you'll only choose to eat these foods when you have them on hand.

Next, hydrate your body. Soda, coffee, tea- these don't count. Your body needs pure water if it's going to make progress. It fuels your organs, muscles, and brain and flushes out the toxins from your system.

You also need to give your body enough quality rest. Lack of sleep makes it nearly impossible to stick to a fitness plan. Avoid your computer and TV an hour before bed and take time to wind down. Set a bedtime each night and stick to it.

Shawna is an avid writer about wellness and holistic health, including tips for living a healthier life style. Find similar topics from an Austin wellness center that offers fitness programs for longevity, weight loss and diabetes in Texas using mind/body exercise classes.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawna_Matthews