1. It’s Filling

When you eat fiber, it bulks up in your digestive tract, which satisfies your appetite for longer than foods low in fiber. People who want to lose weight or maintain their current weight know that fiber rich meals helps prevent between meal munching because you’re not hungry. Add some fiber to your meals and I think you’ll see just what I mean.

2. You Have Lots of Choices

If you think fiber is only available in boring, bland foods, you could not be more wrong. Fiber comes in many forms. Fruits and vegetables are great choices and eating them allows you to mix things up at mealtime. Whole grains are found in breads, pastas and crackers so you have options in the carb world too. Beans are another flavorful and high fiber food.

3. It Regulates Digestion

Part of being fit is being able to get some physical activity. If you feel super hungry or your digestion isn’t what it should be, you probably don’t feel up to exercise. By making sure you get enough fiber, you keep your bowel function humming along like it should so you are comfortable and can burn some calories every day.

4. It Protects Your Heart

As fiber moves through your digestive tract, it sloughs off cholesterol and carries it out of your system. By controlling your cholesterol, you protect yourself from heart disease since high levels can lead to problems. Obviously, having a healthy heart is part of a fit and healthy lifestyle.

5. It’s Calorie Free

Fiber itself is calorie free, but that doesn’t mean that the foods you eat are. The point is that you can increase your fiber intake without going overboard on calories. Many of the foods that contain a good amount of fiber are very low in calories anyway. By eating them, you cut your calorie intake and cut down on snacking, both of which can be powerful for weight loss.

6. Controls Blood Sugar

Elevated blood sugar is never a good thing, especially if you have diabetes or are at risk of developing it. Fiber helps slow the absorption of sugar, which makes it an essential part of your diet. If you want to be fit, you need to know this. Add more fruits, vegetables and whole grains to your diet and you’ll get there easily.

7. Prevents Disease

It’s hard to be totally fit when you have health problems. And skimping on fiber can lead to a variety of health issues that I know you’d rather avoid. In addition to heart disease and digestive troubles, adequate fiber intake can help prevent the development of certain cancers, including colon cancer.

How do you get your fiber? One of the best sources is raspberries, which are like eating nature’s candy. Will you pay more attention to your fiber intake now?