Fiber: Another Word for Real Food

There's a big emphasis on fiber these days. Eat more fiber. Check the fiber content. Dietary fiber. Soluble fiber. Insoluble fiber. Fiber fiber fiber!

And yes! It is very important. It's important for staying at a healthy weight and for preventing diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. It's also something that naturally resides in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. That's doesn't include refined flour (white bread) - think oatmeal, legumes, brown rice. So when you're told to eat more fiber, don't first reach for the Metamucil. Instead, up your fruit and veggie intake and fill your diet with foods our bodies are meant to digest. The Mayo Clinic provides a comprehensive list of foods and fiber content here.

The more we learn, the more we are led to simplify our diets and the easier it becomes to stay on a healthy path.

Exercise and Weight Loss

Do you ever put in time at the gym or spend hours pounding the pavement and don't see the results you feel like you've earned? Simply stated: most of us cannot lose a substantial amount of weight through exercise alone.

Of course exercise is an important part of maintaining overall health. When it comes to keeping the weight off, it's critical. Not to mention exercise's other attributes: preventing and managing diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and hypertension.

If you're taking a serious shot at losing weight, don't overlook the role of exercise, but start by evaluating your diet. It's more productive to simplify your diet and cut calories than it is to burn those calories off. And, try not to view exercise as a pass to eat whatever you want. Both diet and exercise are partners in this thing called healthy, but you can save yourself a lot of frustration if you look at the overall picture.