High fiber diet
High fiber diet is a healthy eating plan, containing high-fiber foods, which are more nutritious and very important for your overall health and well-being.
High fiber diet helps you clear out your intestinal system and supports its normal functioning.
High-fiber foods
The high fiber diet menu includes exclusively high-fiber foods – foods containing more that 5 g of fiber per serving.
High-fiber foods are low in fat and calories and are high in healthy nutrients, vitamins, minerals. They are also great sources of antioxidants and phytochemicals that are important for your overall health.
High fiber diet is not very strict and is very easy to follow. You just have to increase the amount of high-fiber foods you eat everyday. To do that you should eat more:
Grain and wholegrain foods
- Whole grain breads, buns, bagels, muffins
- Whole grain or bran cereals
- Wheat germ
- Puffed whole grains
- Whole-wheat pasta
- Oatmeal, oat bran or grits
- Rye bread
- Corn bran cereal
- Popcorn
- Brown rice
Fruits
All fresh fruits – apple with skin, banana, grapefruit, nectarine, orange, peach, pear; berries - blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries.
You can also consume dried fruits - apricots, dates, prunes and raisins, figs.
Vegetables
All vegetables - broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, carrots, spinach, green pepper, onions, tomatoes, baked potatoes with skin, squash.
Beans - green peas and beans, dried peas and beans such as kidney beans, lima beans, pinto beans, black-eyed beans; chick peas and lentils.
Nuts and seeds
Almonds, peanuts, walnuts, cashews, soy nuts, whole flax seed, sesame and sunflower seeds. Consume them in moderation.
Dairy products
They provide very small amounts of fiber, but you can increase it by adding some fresh fruits, muesli, nuts, or seeds to milk and yoghurt.
Meat
You can consume all meat, poultry, fish, and eggs products.
Snacks
Cakes and cookies made with oatmeal, fruits and nuts.
High fiber foods benefits
In order to start a high fiber diet you should add gradually high fiber foods to your normal diet plan.
If you add too much fiber-rich foods too quickly, you may suffer some discomfort like intestinal gases, abdominal bloating and cramping.
Don’t worry, this is only temporary discomfort. The benefits of high-fiber foods are much more and I have listed most of them below:
Weight loss
- Fiber-rich foods take longer to digest - your body burns additional calories to digest the fibers
- You feel full longer, which curbs your appetite and you eat less
- High fiber diet is beneficial for preventing certain digestive disorders:
- Heartburn
- Constipation
- Diarrhea - soluble fiber is best
- Hemorrhoids
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Crohn’s disease
- Colon disease
High fiber diet may lower your risk of other specific disorders:
- Lowers the risk for heart disease - antioxidants and phytochemicals
- Lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes
- Lowers the risk for diverticular disease
- Lowers high blood pressure - potassium and magnesium help regulate blood pressure
- Lowers high cholesterol
Dietary Guidelines
You must eat row fruits and vegetables, because they contain more fibers than cooked products. Any cooking techniques may reduce fiber content.
You should drink plenty of fluids – water, teas, and eat at regular intervals.
Substitute oat bran for one third of all purpose flour in all home baked goods.
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