Go For The Crunch Factor.....  

Anyone who's been on a liquid diet for a day knows that what they've missed is chewing on solid food. Fiber-rich fat blockers are the Kings of Crunch. It takes longer to eat them, too, so your meals last longer. That's good because it takes your brain 20 minutes to process the fact that you've eaten enough.

Researchers at the University of Sydney in Australia asked volunteers to eat 240-calorie portions of a variety of foods, including fruits, baked goods, snack food, high-carbohydrate foods, high-protein foods, and cereal. After eating, the participants rated their feelings of hunger every 15 minutes. The goal was to see which foods kept them feeling satisfied the longest.

White bread was assigned an automatic score of 100 points, and all other foods were measured against that. Surprisingly, baked goods got the least satisfactory ratings. Even more surprising, the more fat a food contained, the less likely it was to rank high on the scale. A croissant, for example, was less than half as satisfying as a piece of white bread. Foods containing more protein, fiber, and water received higher scores.

Here's how the favorite fat blockers scored. The potato topped the list, receiving a score of 323 and making it more than three times as satisfying as white bread. Oatmeal scored 209; oranges, 202; apples, 197; and whole wheat pasta, 188; fish, 225; steak, 176; baked beans, 168; grapes, 162; popcorn, 154; eggs, 150; cheese, 146; lentils, 133; crackers, 127; cookies, 120; bananas, 118; corn flakes, 118.

To put the results of this study to work, always select satisfying foods like vegetables and fruits over their higer-fat, lower-fiber counterparts, recommends Dr. Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at Pennsylvania State University.

Remember, the closer it is to its natural state--for example, a baked potato versus a servings of French fries--the higher the fiber will be.

Between meals, snack on a cup or two of air-popped popcorn, which is more likely to satisfy you than the same amount of potato chips. Better yet, grab an apple or orange.

Remember that old say, "try it, you'll like it."

Any comments are welcomed.