Top 20 High Fiber Foods
We know dietary fiber best for its ability to relieve constipation as it is one of the most efficient ways of cleaning out our digestive system and keeping it in top working condition. But studies have shown that a high-fiber diet may also help our bodies fight diabetes and heart disease.
Dietary fiber comes in two types: soluble fiber helps lower blood cholesterol an glucose levels while insoluble fiber helps to move food through the digestive system and is good for constipation.
It is recommended that men consume 30 to 38 grams of fiber a day and women, 21 to 25 grams. However, it is good to also diversify the foods as much as possible between fruits, grains, cereals, legumes, nuts, seeds and vegetables. Here is a list of the top twenty high-fiber foods with their serving size and fiber content in grams:
1. Cooked split peas. 1- 16.3
2. Cooked lentils. 1-. 15.6
3. Cooked black beans. 1-. 15.0
4. Cooked Lima beans. 1-. 13.2
5. Canned, cooked baked beans. 1-. 10.4
6. Cooked artichoke. One medium. 10.3
7. Cooked peas. 1-. 8.8
8. Cooked whole wheat spaghetti. 1 cup. 6.2
9. Cooked pearled barley. 1-. 6.0
10. Pear with skin. 1 medium. 5.5
11. Bran flakes. 3/4 -. 5.3
12. Oat bran muffin. 1 medium. 5.2
13. Boiled broccoli. 1-. 5.1
14. Boiled turnip greens. 1-. 5.0
15. Cooked sweet corn. 1 -. 4.2
16. Cooked brussels sprouts. 1 -. 4.1
17. Cooked instant oat meal. 1 -. 4.0
18. Sunflower seed kernels. 1/4 -. 3.9
19. Cooked brown rice. 1 -. 3.5
20. Almonds. 1 serving (23 nuts). 3.5
High Protein Diet & Foods For Muscle Building
High protein diets have always been popular with athletes. Their popularity increased tenfold during the past 5 years with the introduction of the low carb type diets to the public that include high protein foods.
Regular people who do not exercise can eat moderately high protein foods. On the other hand athletes and people on muscle building diets must eat at least 1gram per lb of bodyweight in order to build muscle. A high protein diet is the staple of bodybuilders. Bodybuilding athletes always include a high protein food source in their daily diet.
High protein foods you can include in your diet are:
Turkey breast
Chicken breast
Lean cuts of red meat
Lean cuts of pork
Fish (most fish is high in protein)
Eggs & Egg Whites
Skim Milk
Low fat cottage cheese
Protein powders & bars
Whether you are going for muscle building or fat loss, a high protein diet plan can certainly help you either way.
If you are trying to build muscle, you need a high protein intake in your daily diet in order to recover from workouts and build muscle tissue. Protein provides the building blocks for muscle and without it muscle building and growth simply will not occur. During weightlifting and hard training, muscle tissue is broken down. In order for that muscle tissue to be rebuilt and grow stronger, we need to eat a diet high in protein. It’s pretty simple.
If fat loss is one’s goal, a high protein diet is also an absolute must. Most high protein foods are very low in carbs and saturated fats. Therefore by eating high protein foods in your diet, you also also eating quality low calorie foods. In order to accelerate the fat loss process, reducing carbs and overall calories is usually recommended. High protein foods can help you in achieving that.
An average person who trains hard and weighs 180lbs requires a minimum of 180grams of protein in his diet per day. This means at least 1gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. Anything less and muscle building/recovery will not be optimal. Some hard training athletes consume up to 2 grams of protein per lb of bodyweight in order to accelerate the muscle building process. This is not recommended for most people who require a moderately high protein intake. The total amount of protein taken every day should be spread over 5 to 6 meals throughout the course of a day.
Timing of high protein foods is also very important. You should be consuming high protein foods at all times but more for your breakfast, post workout meal and before-bed meal. Start your high protein daily diet by giving your body good quality protein to start the day. Then, right after your workout, consume a protein shake that will help kick start the muscle repairing process. Last but not least you have your before bed meal where you must consume a slow digesting form of protein (casein mostly) that will give you a steady release of high quality amino acids throughout the night.
Eating high amounts of protein in your diet can be very demanding. It requires a lot of time to cook high protein foods like chicken and turkey. The best way to get all of your protein is to use protein powders. Protein powders are extremely high in protein and they are very convenient to use. Just one small scoop of protein can provide 20-24 grams of the highest quality protein available. Make sure you choose your high protein supplements wisely. Do not get caught up in the marketing frenzy of magazines. A tub of high quality protein should not cost you more than $30 at any given time.
If you decide to embark upon a high protein diet, make sure you include a lot of vegetables and fibrous carbs with your meals in order to help protein digestion. Try to eat at least two salads per day and/or steamed vegetables. Furthermore, try to stay consistent with your high protein diet, day in day out, in order to keep a steady influx of aminos to your muscles. Always remember that if you are not eating enough protein & calories in your diet, your body will use existing muscle tissue to repair itself.
Weight Gain Diet Foods
Weight gain diet foods are essential to help you gain extra pounds of healthy weight. Skinny people need to know what kind of food and how much to eat. Eating the wrong foods such as high carbs like fries, chips and other junk food is a sure way to create future health problems downstream like hypertension, heart diseases and diabetes. We will look at some of the proper weight gain diet foods you should include in your daily diet and the portions you should be consuming to gain weight quickly and healthily.
There is a right way to eat for weight gain. Instead of eating everything within the 3 basic meals, distribute your food intake into 5 or 6 meals – 3 main and 2 light ones. This would aid your calorie intake and maintain a healthy balance.
In order to gain weight, it simply means that you have to eat more than what your body requires for the day. This is translated to eating more than your daily calorie requirement to maintain the calorie-burning activities you perform. Eating just enough to meet your daily needs would only keep your weight constant, and not add any additional weight. Studies have revealed that in order for a person to gain extra 1 pound, the person needs to increase his/her calorie intake above what he/she needs by 3500 calories. Assuming the additional weight gain is achieved within a week, this equates adding 500 calories per day to the meals consumed. An average male adult requires about 2000 odd calories per day. If you want to know the exact calorie counts you need to consume, head to my blog to find out your Basal Metabolic Rate.
If you are interested in the kind of weight gain diet foods you can try the following:
1. Milk (3 Glasses)
Milk is packed with protein, the ingredient necessary to put on muscle mass. Start the day with a glass of milk, drink it over the next few meals until you are done with more than 3 glasses.
2. Fruits & Vegetables (5 Servings)
Eating fruits and vegetables help prepare our bodies for healthy weight gain. They are rich in fiber and vitamins, and aid us in digesting our weight gain diet foods.
3. Breads
Choose hearty and dense breads such as oat bran and whole wheat rather than light white breads. Eat them with generous servings of peanut butter and jam.
4. Cereals
Cereals make great weight gain diet foods. Eat more dense cereals such as muesli, grape-nuts, granola, shredded wheat and bran or wheat chex. Avoid flaked cereals. Remember to use low fat milk instead of water when preparing hot cereals and garnish with nuts and dried fruits.
5. Beverages
Drink more filling beverages like shakes, milk, fruit juices instead of water, tea, coffee and sodas. Go for the higher calorie content.
If you are interested to know more about weight gain diet foods and how to gain muscle mass quickly and healthily, read up at my blog for some hot tips.
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