Do you have enough fiber in your diet?

Here is some info that my doctor shared with me. African Americans should eat high fiber diets - really, I dont even know what a high fiber diet means. Well, I have found an article that provides information on what exactly a high fiber diet is as well as what it consists of (all the foods that I dont eat).

When I read this article it just reinforced for me that deciding to loose wieght and keep it off is a lifestyle change not a diet. It is important to understand and accept that the foods that we know and love will not promote healthy living.

Take a look at the food below and find ways that you can slowly integrate these things into your diet so that you can loose, manage and maintain your healthy diet!

High Fiber Foods
A product or a food item can be labeled "High Fiber" when it contains more than 5g of fiber per serving. Benefits of High Fiber foods include the prevention of constipation, lowering cholesterol, weight loss management and many more. Also check out our list of low-fiber foods and replace them with the following foods if possible

Grain Products:
whole grain breads, buns, bagels, muffins
Bran Flakes, All Bran, bran Buds, Corn bran, whole wheat Shreddies, 100% Bran and Fiber 1
Cooked cereal such as Red River and Oat Bran
whole-wheat pastas
whole grains such as barley, popcorn, corn and brown rice
Fruits:
dried fruits such as apricots, dates, prunes and raisins
berries such as blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries
oranges, apple with skin, avocado, kiwi, mango and pear
Vegetables:
broccoli, spinach, swiss chard, green peas and other dark green leafy vegetables
dried peas and beans such as kidney beans, lima beans, black-eyed beans, chick peas and lentils
Nuts and Seeds:
nuts and seeds such as almonds, whole flaxseed and soynuts.

Also, as mentioned in the article here are some low-fiber foods that you will want to replace or AVOID all together:

Grain Products:
enriched refined white bread, buns, bagels, english muffins
plain cereals e.g. Cheerios, Cornflakes, Cream of Wheat, Rice Krispies, Special K
arrowroot cookies, tea biscuits, soda crackers, plain melba toast
white rice, refined pasta and noodles
avoid whole grains
Fruits:
fruit juices except prune juice
applesauce, apricots, banana (1/2), cantaloupe, canned fruit cocktail, grapes, honeydew melon, peaches, watermelon
avoid raw and dried fruits, raisins and berries.
Vegetables:
vegetable juices
potatoes (no skin)
alfalfa sprouts, beets, green/yellow beans, carrots, celery, cucumber, eggplant, lettuce, mushrooms, green/red peppers, potatoes (peeled), squash, zucchini
avoid vegetables from the cruciferous family such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale,Swiss chard etc
Meat and Protein Choice:
well-cooked, tender meat, fish and eggs
avoid beans and lentils
Nuts and Seeds:
Avoid all nuts and seeds, as well as foods that may contain seeds (such as yogurt)