High Fiber Diet Plan

Unknown to most people, fiber is actually an indigestible component of food. Yes! Most fibers are insoluble and cannot be digested. The soluble one merely helps softening the stools, due to bacterial fermentation, but they too are indigestible.

So what is the big deal about fibers anyway? Fibers perform the important function of pushing the food along the digestive tract, easing the process of digestion. Research has found that fiber also has several uses such as reducing the cholesterol level in the body and also reducing the risk of intestinal and colon cancer. It also helps the stomach to fill with food faster, without adding those extra, unnecessary calories, thus helping us boost weight loss. It also helps control blood sugar. Hence it is important for us to follow high fiber menus as a part of our daily diet.

High Fiber Diet Plan
A high fiber and low residue diet would ideally include at least 25 gms of fiber. Here's a list of high fiber foods and high fiber recipes that will help you consume your daily requirements of fiber. Here's a list of foods that will help you increase your fiber intake:

High Fiber Fruits

1. Apple
2. Grapefruit
3. Banana
4. Prunes
5. Dried fruits
6. Pear

High Fiber Vegetables

1. Avocado
2. Carrots
3. Coleslaw
4. Corn
5. Peas
6. Potato
7. Spinach

High Fiber Cereals

1. Bran
2. Oats
3. Rice

High Fiber Beans

1. Kidney Beans
2. Lima Beans
3. Lentils
4. Soyabeans

By including one or more of these products we can improvise to make high fiber recipes such as salads, whole wheat breads and cereals. We should also make sure that we eat the fruits with the skin, as the skin is the main source of the fiber.

A sample high fiber low fat diet plan is given below:
For Vegetarians
A breakfast of Cereal/fruit mix with low fat milk or piece of fresh fruit. Lunch of nutty coleslaw and fresh fruit and dinner of baked potato, mixed salad. You can also incorporate drinks like tea and coffee with low fat milk and other calorie-free drinks. This meal consists of 1250 calories.

For Non-vegetarians
A breakfast of cereal with fruit, almonds, wheat germ and nonfat milk. A lunch of tuna salad, whole wheat crackers, some fruit and carrots and dinner of beef and pepper sauté with rice and fruit.

Weight loss is the natural consequence of a high fiber diet as it fills the body up with non-calorific foods and avoiding consumption of other foods. Thus if the calorie intake of the body decreases, then the weight will also decrease.

Things to remember when following a diet
Never jump into a high fiber diet, give your body some time to get accustomed to the new diet plan. Go slowly on the fiber intake. Make sure you drink enough water. It is also important to keep a track on your food intake with the help of a high fiber food chart. A word of advice - you should not consume too much fiber as it may cause bloating and cramps.