In America Today
Currently, more than 44 million Americans are considered obese by body mass index (BMI), reflecting an increase of 74 percent since 1991. During the same time frame, diabetes increased by 61 percent, reflecting the strong correlation between obesity and development of diabetes. Today an estimated 17 million people have diabetes in the United States.
The incidences of diseases like obesity, diabetes, colon diseases are minimal in countries where the population has a regular dose of dietary fiber. Dietary fiber is critical in managing a healthy weight. Dietary fiber cannot be digested by the human digestive system, and as it passes though the colon, it takes with it all the accumulated metabolic waste material.
Eating healthy high-fiber foods makes you feel full, so it’s easier not to eat more food than you need.
How Much Dietary Fiber Do You Need?
Most women should get at least 25 grams and most men 38 grams each day to gain all the health benefits of fiber, according to the Institute of Medicine’s Dietary Reference Intake. The problem is that most Americans get only about half of that amount when not on a diet, and even less when dieting, especially on low-carb diets.
Research has shown that people who eat 35 to 45 grams of fiber a day are less hungry and therefore lose more weight than people who eat less fiber.
Fiber and Weight Loss
High-fiber foods generally require more chewing time, which gives your body time to realize that you're no longer hungry and therefore less likely to overeat. Also, a high-fiber diet tends to make a meal feel larger and last longer, so you stay full for a longer amount of time. And high-fiber diets also tend to be less "energy dense," which means they have fewer calories for the same volume of food.
Your Best Fiber Choices
If you aren't getting enough fiber each day, you may need to boost your intake. Good choices include:
- Grains and whole-grain products
- Beans, peas and other legumes
Refined or processed foods — such as canned fruits and vegetables and pulp-free juice, white bread and pasta, and non-whole-grain cereals — are lower in fiber content. The grain-refining process removes the outer coat (bran) from the grain, which lowers its fiber content. Similarly, removing the skin from fruits and vegetables decreases their fiber content.
However, sometimes obtaining the adequate amount of fiber through your daily food consumption is just not possible or extremely challenging. That’s when a good fiber supplement, such as Konsyl Original Formula, Easy Mix, Balance Sugar Free or Orange Sugar Free can help you to reach the recommended daily dose of fiber. Check out all our weight management products.
A Healthy Lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle is about choices. Choices we make everyday impact our weight and indeed, our overall health. When you think about “healthy lifestyle”, at least two important factors should come to mind:
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Healthy Eating
Plan, and then plan some more! Keep a Food Journal, really just a diary of everything you eat throughout the day. You'll catch potential problem areas you probably didn’t even realize you had – banana split vs. banana, whole container of nuts instead of a handful. Check out My Fitness Pal for a great tracking tool.
Set Specific Goals. You can't just tell yourself to eat less junk food in the evenings. Be specific - 'I'm going to eat a banana instead of a piece of banana cream pie.'
Use Your Free-Time Efficiently. Whenever you may have some “down-time”, either on the weekend or a day off from work or when your kids are at school, plan your meals, for the entire week, if possible. Go to the market, so you can buy the healthy foods you need and not the “not so healthy” foods your kids probably want. You can even prepare meals during your free time and freeze them, so you’ll have them ready and waiting for you when you come home late from work, or are busy with the kids and don’t have time to cook.
Consider Your Options and Shop Wisely. Keep lists of healthy foods and meals you love, and plan accordingly. A well-stocked fridge and pantry can make it easier to grab a healthy snack or prepare delicious meals that are also good for you. Keep basics on hand such as: low-fat milk and yogurt, eggs, peanut butter, a variety of fresh fruits (include berries and grapes) and vegetables (include carrots and celery), soybeans, whole grain pasta/bread, fish, and high-fiber cereal.
Plan healthy treats. Low-fat cheese or yogurt, hummus with veggies, and fresh fruit are great choices. Keep them with you, whether at work, home or driving the kids to school. That will help you eat the right foods when you're starving – and you aren’t ready to eat a real meal.
Metabolism and Exercise
Metabolism establishes the rate at which we burn calories and, ultimately, how quickly we gain weight or how easily we lose it. Of course, not everyone burns calories at the same rate.
Your metabolism is influenced by your age (metabolism naturally slows about 5% per decade after age 40); your sex (men generally burn more calories at rest than women); and proportion of lean body mass (the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate tends to be).
Though some of the factors affecting metabolic rate can't be changed, there are ways to maximize the metabolism you're born with. Among the best ways is exercise. This includes aerobic workouts to burn more calories in the short term, and weight train to build the muscles that will boost your metabolism long-term.
Muscle burns more calories than fat -- even while at rest – so the more muscles you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate will be, which means your body will burn more calories. Every pound of muscle in our bodies burns 35 calories a day, while each pound of fat burns just 2 calories per day. Having extra muscle also means you can eat more and gain less.
At The End of the Day
There is no one “magic bullet” to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. But it’s not as difficult as you’d think, once you understand the basics and follow them, at least most of the time!! Reward yourself for a week of healthy eating and regular exercise with a small portion of your favorite food – whether it’s a piece of chocolate or a slice of pizza – and then get back on your healthy track for a long, healthy and happy life. |
