FUEL WEIGHT LOSS, FIGHT DIABETES WITH FIBER

Prevention Magazine

Whole foods tempt us with their come-hither hues--the jewel-toned berries and lush, leafy greens; the luminous beans; the rich, earthy grains. Like bees to flowers, we're drawn to them. That's a good thing, because underneath those beautiful exteriors, whole foods pack some serious nutrition, including a mother lode of fiber.

A half century of research has proven fiber to be the Swiss Army knife of nutrients. Name just about any health problem--high blood sugar or type 2 diabetes, for example--and a high-fiber diet probably can help treat it, if not prevent it in the first place.

Trying to lose weight? Then fiber-rich foods definitely are the way to go. Case in point: Researchers at the University of Minnesota found that people who ate the most vegetables, fruits, and other fiber-rich foods lost 2 to 3 pounds more per month than those on lower-fiber diets. That's why fiber is one of our Fat-Fighting Four  supernutrients.

With all the good things it has going for it, fiber ought to be a dietary mainstay. Yet a full two-thirds of us are getting 15 grams a day, at most. That's about half of the recommended 25 to 30 grams a day!

Why are so many of us coming up so short? The answer, at least in part, is that fiber-rich whole foods must compete with processed foods for our dietary favor. The latter's very name suggests their inherent weakness: Processed foods are pretty much devoid of fiber.

Prevention's Diabetes DTOUR Diet, a science-backed eating plan to lower blood sugar and reduce the risk of developing diabetes and its complications, is all about whole foods--fruits, veggies, beans, and whole grains. They're the staple ingredients of the Diabetes DTOUR Diet's menus and recipes, which are as easy to make as they are fabulous to eat! You'll enjoy stir-fries, bean tostadas, pasta primavera, and pancakes--yes, pancakes!--on this plan. And no worries about fiber: You'll be getting between 26 and 29 grams every day on DTOUR, depending on your calorie level. You'll eat great, lose weight, and rein in your blood sugar. That's the DTOUR promise!

If you're not accustomed to eating so many high-fiber foods on a regular basis, you'll want to ease your way into this to allow your digestive tract time to adjust. Start with one or two of the tips below and gradually add more fiber to your diet as your body adapts.

• Select a breakfast cereal that provides 5 or more grams of fiber per serving. Another option: Add 2 tablespoons of unprocessed wheat bran to your favorite nonsugary cereal.

• Switch to a whole grain bread that contains at least 2 grams of fiber per serving. Read labels to make sure you're getting the real thing. You should see whole wheat, whole wheat flour, or another whole grain in the top spot on the ingredient list.
  
  
• Eat whole fruit instead of drinking fruit juice. Berries, along with pears, apples, and oranges, are good sources of fiber.
  
  
• Swap meat for legumes two or three times per week. Black beans, chickpeas, and edamame (whole soybeans) are high in fiber, low in fat, and packed with lean protein. Toss them in salads, or add them to chili or soups.
  
  
• Visit your local natural-foods store and experiment with some of the more exotic whole grains, such as buckwheat, millet, barley, and quinoa.
  
  
• Take advantage of ready-to-use vegetables. Mix chopped frozen broccoli into prepared spaghetti sauce or nibble on baby carrots.
  
  
• Add some roughage to your snacks. Fresh fruits, raw vegetables with fat-free dip, and low-fat popcorn are all good choices.
  
  
• Experiment with Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines, which feature whole grains and legumes as part of the main meal. You might whip up Indian dal or Middle Eastern tabbouleh--a cracked-wheat salad flavored with lemon, fresh parsley, mint, chopped tomatoes, and spices.
  
  
• Add 1/2 cup of chickpeas, either cooked or canned, to a pot of your favorite soup. You'll boost its total fiber count by 6 grams. Be sure to rinse canned chickpeas to reduce their sodium content.
  
  
• Steam your broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots before eating them, and you'll get 3 to 5 grams of fiber per serving--up to twice the amount in the raw veggies. Heat makes fiber more available.
  
  
• Use uncooked oatmeal instead of bread crumbs in meat loaf. Add 3/4 cup of oats per pound of lean ground beef, and you'll boost the total fiber count to more than 8 grams.
  
  
• Top your fat-free ice cream with sliced fresh berries. One-half cup of raspberries provides 4 grams of fiber; the same amount of strawberries or blueberries packs 2 grams.