While the most popular weight loss diets today are the so-called fad-diets, the more traditional high fiber diet does still have a good following. The high fiber weight loss diet is an easier to follow weight loss system than the more extreme fad diets such as the Atkins diet or South Beach diet. More importantly than that, many dieticians and nutritional consultants favor high fiber diets as they are generally considered to be a safer option that can have a positive effect on health in addition to weight loss.
There are two different kinds of fiber, soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber is found in many foods such as fruits, vegetables, and beans. Soluble fiber is thought to help in keeping cholesterol down and to reduce the risk of heart disease, according to some dieticians.
Insoluble fiber is usually found in whole meal foods such as flour, grains, rice and pasta. Insoluble fiber is thought to help with the passage of the food through the digestive tract and therefore promote good digestive health.
High fiber weight loss diets generally rely on a combination of increased fiber in the diet, through more consumption of foods such as whole grains and cereals, while at the same time also restricting the amount of calories in the diet. This approach allows the dieter to promote weight loss by eating less calories, while at the same time, eating normal amounts of food. This is an important aspect of this weight loss plan as the dieter will not get hunger pains and therefore, not be tempted to eat “easy” foods that are unhealthy and not a part of the weight loss diet. It is this feeling of hunger that is often the difficulty that many dieters face when on a restricted weight loss diet.
Also, while many weight loss experts may debate this, high fiber foods can take longer to chew. Although this is not directly beneficial to weight loss, it does allow the dieter to feel as though they have eaten a more substantial meal and it also makes the meal take longer and this in turn helps.
Furthermore, along with weight loss, some dieticians believe that high fiber foods can make a positive contribution to good health by helping the food to move more efficiently through the body. Also many of the foods that are helpful in a high fiber weight loss diet are very good nutritionally. Many fruits, vegetables, and whole grains contain large amounts of vitamins and minerals and are thought to be very good for the health, as well as beneficial to the promotion of weight loss.
A high fiber diet an take a little getting used to, although this is also true with many other weight loss diets. The difference is that the high fiber weight loss diet is easy to follow and has been established for much longer than many of the fad diets that are an ever changing. The high fiber weight loss diet has many recommendations from health professionals but it is always a good idea to consult your doctor before changing your diet or starting a new weight loss plan.
