How To Use Fiber To Lose Weight
We have talked a lot about protein on this blog, and with good reason! Protein can help you to stay fuller longer, helps build muscle, and can help you maintain a more stable blood sugar.
A balanced diet, however, cannot only consist of protein. There is another important nutrient that helps us not only with an all-around balanced diet, but can even assist with weight loss. What is this magical nutrient you ask?
Fiber!
Insoluble vs. Soluble Fiber
Fiber refers to the carbohydrates in food that are not broken down by your digestive system, but mostly pass through and turn into stool. Fiber is found in plant foods like produce and legumes and can come in two forms- insoluble (doesn’t dissolve in water) and soluble (does dissolve in water).
Insoluble fiber does the important job of attracting water to your stool, making it softer and easier to pass, increasing your regularity. It also helps to support your insulin sensitivity or blood sugar.
Soluble fiber dissolves in water into a gel-like consistency that helps to aid in digestion, controls your cholesterol and blood sugar, and feeds your gut microbiome among other things.
Both forms of fiber are important to your health and can even help you to maintain a healthy bodyweight, which is probably why your clicked onto this article in the first place!
So, let’s talk about how.
Fiber Feeds Gut Bacteria
Your gut is full of good bacteria that helps to support your body and your health, playing a role in blood sugar regulation, weight management, cognitive function, and even your mental health.
These bacteria are living organisms which require a food source to stay alive and do their job. This is where fiber comes in. Insoluble fiber is actually the food source for your microbiome.
Remember how I said that fiber isn’t broken down by your digestive system? It actually makes it relatively unchanged into your large intestine where it is digested by the good bacteria. This whole process is part of maintaining a healthy bodyweight.
Fiber Helps Reduce Your Appetite
Maybe appetite reduction isn’t the best way to put it, rather, a high fiber diet helps to keep you satiated faster and longer!
Recall how soluble fiber turns into a gel-like consistency. Well, that gel is quite viscous and slower moving than the more watery fluids moving through your system. This substance remains in your system for longer, slowing down your digestion.
Slowing your digestion helps you to stay fuller for longer, making it easier to eat fewer calories required to say in a calorie deficit and lose weight.
Sources of Soluble Fiber
Now let’s talk about how much fiber you should be eating. For the average woman, 25 grams per day is ideal and for men, up to 38 grams of fiber per day is recommended by health professionals.
Like we mentioned earlier, fiber can be found in plant based foods such as fruits and vegetables, legumes and beans, and whole grains.
Sources of soluble fiber can include:
Black beans with 15g per cup
Brussels Sprouts with 4g per cup
Pears at almost 2g per medium sized pear
Carrots at 2.5g per cooked cup
Oats at 2g per cup
Sources of insoluble fiber can include
Cauliflower at 4g per cup
Peas at 15g per cup
Prunes at 12g per cup
Spinach at 5g per cooked cup
Blackberries at 6g per cup
How will you be adding more fiber to your diet?
