Fill up on Fibre

It's midafternoon and your stomach is grumbling. It's time to reach for a fibre-filled snack. Fibre will keep you feeling full longer, helping to reduce overeating by sustaining you until
dinnertime. The two types of fibre, soluble and insoluble, work in different ways. Soluble fibre breaks down as it moves though the digestive system, forming a gel that attracts and traps substances like cholesterol and moves them out of your body. Insoluble fibre, much like a sponge, absorbs many times its weight in water. This helps make stools heavier and speeds their passage through your body. To get fibre's benefits, avoid processed foods, such as cereals and crackers, which have most of their fibre removed. Instead, choose whole, unprocessed plant foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and beans, peas, and legumes. Drink plenty of water to replace the fluid fibre absorbs in your body.