Why Fiber?

I'm no saint. Those brownies are calling my name just as loudly as they're calling yours. And yes, I do give in--not always, but sometimes. Let's face it: we live in a world that doesn't always present us with ideal choices. Sometimes we're going to down that bag of chips or we simply don't have 45 minutes to cook brown rice so we need to go with white. That's just life. However, I've been at this game long enough to have learned a few tricks that will minimize the damage so I won't get upset when I step on the scale the next day. One of my favorite tricks involves fiber.

I can't emphasize this enough: Fiber is your friend. It will fill you up, keep you from overindulging in less-healthful foods, and help those foods move through your system--and out of your body--faster. So if you have to eat white rice, pair it with black beans or chickpeas and tomatoes. Throw a side salad in there and you've got a pretty healthful meal. Gotta have that to-die-for chocolate cake? Go for a sliver or small slice and heap some fruit salad on the plate next to it. (Top the fruit salad with some chopped pecans, almonds or walnuts and you may not be able to finish the cake anyway.) Remember that bag of chips? Eat it with some chunky salsa and you'll be getting in another serving of veggies as well as feeling full faster so you'll eat fewer chips (ideally). Alternate chips with fresh veggies and you'll be doing yourself an even bigger favor.

The point is to balance out your indiscretions--and there will be some--with positive behavior. You don't want to make a habit of it, but this isn't a prison sentence; it's a way of life.