Eating high fiber foods may sound about as exciting as chewing on carpet, but if it can really make you happy, then this might be just the mood boost you need. Here are 5 feel-good reasons to eat more foods high in fiber.

1. Fiber rich foods contain some of the most valuable nutrients at the lowest cost.Beans, for instance, provide vitamins and minerals such as calcium, potassium, Vitamin C and folate (which is especially good for pregnancy nutrition). Add in several grams of fiber per serving and these high fiber foods are worth their weight in green.

2. Foods high in fiber are easier on the digestive system. If you're not accustomed to eating high fiber foods it may take a while to ease into it. The fiber absorbs lots of water and makes stools softer, which can help relieve constipation and/or hemorrhoids. Consuming at least 25 grams of fiber each day usually makes things smoother as the fiber rich foods move through your intestines without pressure.

3. High fiber foods, especially those rich in soluble fiber, provide a way to achieve natural weight loss without diet programs or pills. You see, soluble fiber regulates metabolism and digestion, and helps to stabilize normal blood sugar levels. Fiber rich foods also make you feel full, but they usually contain fewer calories than other choices on the menu. So, loading up on foods high in fiber, instead of junk foods will give you the gift of natural weight loss and you'll naturally feel lighter. The combination of normal blood sugar with less weight is a life changing, mood boosting experience that everyone can enjoy! It has been proven that high fiber foods are very useful in calorie reduction.

4. Soluble fiber foods such as oats, rye and barley are known to have a positive effect on lowering total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad kind). In "You, the Owner's Manual" by Dr. Mehmet Oz, M.D. he refers to one study which "…showed that a 10-gram increase in the daily intake of fiber decreases the risk of heart attack by 29 percent…"

Dr. Oz, mentions that the positive effects of consuming more fiber rich foods will happen "almost immediately." The fiber helps transport stuff through your digestive system-including toxins-very quickly. He goes on to say, "Bile, when it gets absorbed through the bowel, turns into cholesterol. So when you take a lot of fiber in your diet, you suck the bile out of you, and your cholesterol drops automatically. It also gets rid of sugar, which helps the diabetics. And it's a great tool if you want to lose weight because it makes you feel full."

5. Eating high fiber foods gives you smooth moves. Of course, when discussing fiber it always seems to come down to the fecal frequency. Don't you feel happier when you go to the bathroom and you're not straining to poop? Let's face it, no one wants to die on the toilet like Elvis, with their pants around their ankles and a heart attack from too much straining. It's not a pretty picture.

On the other hand, if you consume the recommended 25-35 grams of fiber rich foods each day, you will be so regular you will be able to set your watch by the time of your bowel movements. They'll be right on schedule, like a banker making the daily deposits and you'll feel rich and happy. Ok, maybe it's not a pretty picture, but those are the cold, hard, high fiber food facts.

So now that you know several ways to be happy just by adding more fiber to your diet, you are ready to start chewing and start feeling great with more of those good fiber rich foods and plenty of high fiber foods.