Pro Cheer Health: 8 Ways to Get More Fiber In Your Diet
To all aspiring and current professional cheerleaders alike, I have a message for you: Watch what you eat.
Cheerleading requires a lot of energy and stamina, so food is important to be able to perform and execute well during practice and game time. Your food habits can also affect your body weight and your skin, both of which you need to maintain.
Why fiber?
Fiber has a lot of health benefits. It reduces constipation, lowers cholesterol levels, and reduces the risk for diabetes and heart-related illnesses. In addition to these amazing benefits, getting enough fiber can also help you lose weight and maintain it.
Fiber controls your appetite. It takes longer to digest, so you’ll feel fuller longer.
According to the Institute of Medicine, the recommended daily fiber intake for women is 25 grams, but an American only consumes around 16 grams on average.
If you’re part of that statistics who isn’t getting enough, here are 8 ways to get more fiber in your daily diet:
1. Drop the white rice.
This is the culprit to most weight gain stories that I know of. The problem with white rice is that it's heavily processed. It’s been stripped of nutritious parts including its fiber-rich hull. It’s also easily absorbed, so it’s easy to feel hungry in shorter periods.
You can replace white rice with whole grain options such as oatmeal, brown rice, millet, quinoa, barley, and buckwheat. You’ll notice that you’ll feel full with fewer servings of these fiber-rich carbs compared to refined grains.
2. Read the label.
Sometimes life gets us and we’re so busy, so if you’ll have to get processed food, you might as well choose products that are high in fiber.
Look for inulin or polydextrose and also check nutrition facts to find out how many grams of fiber are there in one serving. Over 2.5 grams to 5 grams per serving is good.
3. Snack healthily.
If your idea of snacking include oily calorie-induced potato chips, you might want to consider popcorn. Go for the plain air-popped popcorn. Three cups of this will give you 4 grams of fiber per ounce. You can also snack on nuts, seeds, and fruits like berries.
Read more: 7 Healthy Snacks to Power You Through Your Day
4. Whole-food carb is your new BFF.
Fiber is a carbohydrate and is found in plant-based foods. Include veggies (especially non-starchy ones), fruits and legumes in your meals. Eat a serving of fruit every meal, Include legumes at least thrice a week.
5. Include chia seeds.
There’s a lot of buzz around chia seeds these days and it’s well deserved because these small seeds are packed with important nutrients. It’s an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. It’s rich in antioxidants and provides fiber, iron, and calcium. One-ounce of serving has 11.2 grams of fiber. Add chia to your food or beverage.
6. Eat avocados.
Avocado is a superfood. Many health-conscious individuals are including it in their daily diet. Carbohydrates make up 8.5% of avocado and 79% of that is fiber. Just half of an avocado can give you 4.5 grams of fiber.
7. Leave the skin on.
Half of the fiber is on the skin of your fruits and veggies. So if you’ll be snacking on apples, potatoes, and sweet potatoes, consider leaving the skin on.
8. Bake with it!
If you like baked goodies, there are high-fiber flour options that you can replace your regular white floor with. You’ll want that extra nutritious kick in your bread and pastries.
Final Thoughts...
I hope this list will guide you on your next trip to the grocery. Pro cheerleaders need to maintain a good figure. Make sure you get enough fiber in your diet and not overdo it. As with all things, keep it in moderation.
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