Fiber or roughage has a remarkable ability to block
absorption of fat from the intestine. Fiber is made up of thousands of
microscopic threads.
When we eat food containing fiber, these threads wrap around
the fat globules, encasing them so they can’t be digested. So the fat goes out
of the body before it can be absorbed and restored!
Fiber also makes the body burn up extra calories. Fiber is
difficult to digest and a food containing fiber makes the body work harder to
digest it. This uses more energy.
Every gram of fiber burns up 7
extra calories. So if you eat 20gm of fiber daily, 140 calories are burnt from
the total amount eaten. In a month, this means 4,000 calories less! Not bad.
Moreover, fiber quietens hunger
pangs. Fiber-containing foods are bulky and give a feeling of fullness with a
minimum of calories. They are also digested slowly and keep you feeling filled
longer than most other foods.
So, include fiber-rich foods like
whole cereals, roasted grains and what have you, in your meals as well as in
snacks between meals.