Opt for cereals with 'whole grain,' 'bran' or 'fiber' in the name. For breakfast choose a high-fiber breakfast cereal - 5 or more grams of fiber a serving. Need ideas for adding more fiber to your meals and snacks? Try these suggestions: Studies suggest that increasing your dietary fiber intake - especially cereal fiber - is associated with a reduced risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and all cancers. And high-fiber foods tend to take longer to eat and to be less 'energy dense,' which means they have fewer calories for the same volume of food.

High-fiber foods tend to be more filling than low-fiber foods, so you're likely to eat less and stay satisfied longer. A healthy diet that includes insoluble fiber may also reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

In people with diabetes, fiber - particularly soluble fiber - can slow the absorption of sugar and help improve blood sugar levels. Studies also have shown that high-fiber foods may have other heart-health benefits, such as reducing blood pressure and inflammation. Soluble fiber found in beans, oats, flaxseed and oat bran may help lower total blood cholesterol levels by lowering low-density lipoprotein, or 'bad,' cholesterol levels. Researchers are looking at how this may play a role in preventing diseases of the colon. Studies have also found that a high-fiber diet likely lowers the risk of colorectal cancer. A high-fiber diet may lower your risk of developing hemorrhoids and small pouches in your colon (diverticular disease). If you have loose, watery stools, fiber may help to solidify the stool because it absorbs water and adds bulk to stool. A bulky stool is easier to pass, decreasing your chance of constipation. Dietary fiber increases the weight and size of your stool and softens it.

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