Speed Your Weight Loss - Eat More Fiber

Getting enough fiber?

When you think about fiber-filled foods, do images of cardboard, hardtack and bulgar wheat come to mind?

Your body needs fiber to function at it’s best, especially if you are trying to lose weight. Fiber fills you up quickly, controls your appetite and keeps you feeling full - all things that will aid in your weight loss efforts. Most people consume less than 10 grams and only 5% of the population is getting the recommended amount of 25 to 35 grams. Just adding another 10 grams of fiber to your diet each day can dramatically speed your weight loss.

Here are four fiber-rich foods that you can add to your diet and watch the pounds disappear.

Avocados - Each avocado contains 12 grams of fiber and is packed with heart-healthy good fats. Avocados are great sliced over beans and rice, added to a sandwich or on top on Mexican food.

Pears - Every pear contains 5 grams of fiber. Pack a pear for a mid-afternoon pickup or add them to a pizza with walnuts and gorgonzola.

Popcorn - Each cup of popcorn contains 4 grams of fiber. Try airpopping - you’ll get all of the whole grain goodness without the calories of microwaved popcorn.

Lentils - Lentils have 16 grams of fiber in every cup. Try lentil soup with avocados or curried lentils over rice.

The Link Between Sleep and Metabolism

Are you getting enough sleep?

Amid economic concerns, job stress and family pressures, it’s no wonder that so many of us are among the sleep deprived. Studies have shown that we function best with nine hours of sleep, yet the average amount of sleep we actually get is around seven hours. Lack of sleep effects mental clarity, job performance and unfortunately, it causes us to gain weight by slowing our metabolism.

When you are sleep deprived, your body’s cortisol levels become elevated. Cortisol, the stress hormone, tends to increase your appetite. Because your body isn’t functioning at peak levels due to sleep deprivation, it doesn’t metabolize all of the extra food you eat, signaling your body to store the excess energy as fat. This results in increased chances of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and memory loss as your body ages.

So skip the bedtime snack and turn off the TV. You need to get some sleep!