Fun with Fiber

I love nutritional information.  I am one of those people.  I bore everyone at work to death with factoids about cholesterol and the like.  I can't help it.  It's my hobby.  I know, there are better hobbies out there,  but I can't help what I like!  I feel lucky to be able to research nutrition and exercise information for my work.  How lucky am I?  I get paid for my hobby.  I can tell you, I would totally be researching this sort of stuff on my own time if I didn't work in the weight loss and wellness industry.  It's a bonus that I get to do it for work.  So let me bore you with my latest.

Fiber.  We don't eat enough of it.  It's only found in plant based foods....you know, fruits and veggies, beans.  Things that grow out of the ground.  Unfortunately, ice cream does not have fiber.  Neither does steak.  Or cookies.  Darn.  I know I'm a food geek, but fiber is a beautiful thing.  We can't digest it.  It passes through.  Like a little loofah sponge.  Transporting bad fats out of our bodies along the way.  I love that.  Think about that....a little sponge transporting fats out of your body.  Do I need to tell you how?  I think you get the picture.

 

So what's not to love about fiber?  It makes you feel full because you don't digest it.  I love to feel full.  I want that sponge in my stomach filling me up.  Then there is less room for ice cream.  I want that sponge dragging all that nasty fat out of my body.  Better than that fat staying inside going who knows where?!  That's why a high fiber diet lowers your cholesterol ( boring factoid that I mentioned early ).

 

My favorite high fiber foods?  Black bean salsa for sure.  No, not with Tostito's.  Black bean salsa with Celery Sticks.  Hummus with celery sticks or carrot chips is another good high fiber food.  All beans have tons of fiber, around 15 grams per cup.  Raspberries have 8 grams of fiber per cup.  Who knew?  Apples, pears, broccoli...all have lots of fiber.  We're supposed to eat at least 25 grams of fiber per day so if you're not a veggie and fruit person you should get on down to the Walmart and get a fiber supplement.  I like Benefiber Chewables.  They come in fruit flavors and taste like candy.  OK, actually they taste like chalk...but in a good way :)