Fibres are natural appetite suppressants which is why you will often see high-fibre cereals advertising that they can keep you full until lunch. It goes without saying that an increase in your fibre intake can be achieved with a few simple changes in your diet.
Making a change to your diet can, at first, seem like a tough thing to do. However, a few small changes over time and you will soon have increased your fibre intake and start feeling the benefits of appetite suppression.
Before we provide you with some suggestions on how to incorporate more fibre in to your diet let's first look at what fibre is and what its health benefits are.
Fibre is made up of several complex carbohydrates and can either be soluble or insoluble. Unlike most other foods we consume, fibre contains no calories, vitamins or minerals and therefore passes through your body without being digested. This is also why people suffering from constipation are encouraged to eat more fibre (or roughage as it is also known).
If you are thinking you can gain fibre from eating meat then you are sadly mistaken. Fibre only exists in the cell walls of plants, therefore things like fruit, vegetables, and grain are all commonly high in fibre.
In addition to the appetite suppression and therefore weight loss benefits, fibre also offers other health benefits. It is known to help reduce the risks of bowel problems such as haemorrhoids and cancer of the bowel and colon. It also helps to stabilise blood sugar levels and reduce blood cholesterol levels.
As you can see, the benefits of a high-fibre diet stretch much further than just helping you to control your appetite and lose weight. Therefore even if you are happy with your current weight a little more fibre in your diet can only be a good thing.
With this in mind here are some simple meal ideas to help you begin to increase your daily fibre intake:
Breakfast:
Wholemeal toast
Wheat or grain based cereal
Bran muffins
Porridge oats
Pure fruit smoothie
Lunch:
Sandwiches made with wholemeal bread
Any vegetable soup with wholemeal bread
Beans on wholemeal toast
Wholegrain pasta salad
Nuts and seeds
Fruit Salad
Dinner:
Wholegrain pasta or rice with a sauce of your choice
Vegetable stir fry
Bean or vegetable Enchiladas (use wholemeal tortillas)
Vegetable chilli with kidney beans
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