Fiber has so many great benefits and is absolutely essential to ahealthy diet. Fiber is the part of fruits, vegetables, and grains thatdoesn’t get digested; it actually travels through your entire digestivesystem and out, cleaning along the way. Since our bodies don’t have theenzymes to break down fiber, we can’t absorb it, which means we don’tget calories from it. Did you catch that? Fiber provides ZERO calories,which means it gives you bang without the buck. It slows down the early digestive process in the stomach, which helps to keep you full longer. Whenyou feel full longer, you don't get as hungry between meals, whichmeans you won't snack as much, and you won't consume as many caloriesthroughout the day. Since it slows down digestion, fiber also slows the rate at which yourblood sugar rises after a meal. This is important because when you eatmostly processed white flours with very little fiber, your blood sugarrises more quickly and is more likely to crash afterwards. When yourblood sugar crashes, or lowers quickly, you feel hungry and are morelikely to snack again sooner. It has been said that fiber is like a broom for your GI tract because it sort of sweeps as it travels through. As a result, fiber has been shown to lower cholesterol levels, as well as reduce the risk for heart disease and colon cancer. Sinceit adds bulk to your stool, it reduces the risk of diverticulosis(pouches in the colon), constipation, and hemorrhoids. Lastly, fiberincreases the production of “good bacteria" in the colon, which helpsthe immune system. Breakfast is a great time to fit in a good amount offiber, but try to squeeze more fiber in throughout the rest of the daytoo by eating fruits and vegetables (with the skin when possible) aswell as whole grains. Look on the label for fiber content (under Total Carbohydrate); tryto find grains (e.g., breads, tortillas, rice, pasta, bagels, Englishmuffins, waffles, and buns) that have at least 2 grams of fiber perserving. Try to find a breakfast cereal that has at least 5 grams offiber per serving. A high-fiber breakfast helps you stay fulluntil lunch without cravings for snacks. If you don’t like any of thehigh-fiber cereals, then try mixing one of them with your favorite.This way, you’ll get to taste your favorite cereal and get extra fiberat the same time (the best of both worlds). Here's a tasty combo: Mixabout 1/2 cup of Fiber One® with Honey Clusters with about 2/3 cup ofCinnamon Toast Crunch®. Eating healthier and losing weight in a waythat you can actually maintain long-term is all about moderation andcompromise. Adults need 20–35 grams of fiber per day. Your kiddos need about fivegrams plus one gram for each year of age. Be sure to increase yourfiber intake gradually and drink more fluids to help decrease thepotential side effects.