If you want to shed fat, fiber is an important element in your diet. But many dieters stick with just counting calories and underestimate the importance of how those calories are packaged. Fiber makes you feel full longer, regulates blood sugar and keeps your digestive system running smoothly. In sum, fiber not only helps fight the battle of the bulge, it will help keep you healthy inside and out.
Types of Fiber
Fiber is basically the part of any plant that cannot be digested. There are two different types of fiber--soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber turns to a gel when digested. It slows digestion and gives you a feeling of fullness. It is found in oatmeal, nuts, seeds, fruit, beans and lentils, and some vegetables. Soluble fiber helps lower cholesterol, according to the National Institutes of Health, which is why it's an important part of a heart-healthy diet. Insoluble fiber, found in wheat bran, vegetables and whole grains, passes through your system in its original form. It helps keep your digestive system working efficiently and reduces the risk of some intestinal cancers.
Weight Loss and Fiber
Clearly, fiber helps keep you healthy. It can help carry cholesterol out of the bloodstream, reducing the risk of heart disease, and it reduces the rate of certain types of cancer. But fiber is also a key component in weight loss. Because it moves through the system slowly, soluble fiber helps keep your blood sugar levels from spiking, which keeps your energy steady and prevents cravings. Most foods that are high in fiber are also low-calorie, such as a cup of green beans or a serving of beans, so they aid in weight loss. A Tufts University study in 2001 showed that eating at least 14g of fiber per day equated to a 10 percent decrease in calorie intake in study participants. Because you are more satiated by fiber-rich foods, you'll eat less, according to the study's findings.
Does Fiber Flush Fat?
Although there are plenty of diet books out there promising a high-fiber diet that will "flush" fat out of your system or "absorb" fat that you would otherwise digest, fiber doesn't flush fat from your body. Fiber does prevent a "small amount of fat from being absorbed," according to NutritionData, but it is not enough to be calorically significant. Instead, it is the healthy, naturally fiber-rich foods that make for successful weight loss.
Getting Enough
Dr. Sharon Griffin, writing for My Food Diary, suggests you worry less about what type of fiber you're getting and just make sure you're eating plenty of natural whole grains and vegetables. If you need a ballpark figure to think about, try eating about 20 to 35g of fiber per day. Most Americans get less than half that amount.
Adding Fiber
Griffin suggests you eat whole, natural fruits and vegetables, with the peel if possible, as much as you can. Eat fewer processed foods, and remember that meat and dairy do not contain fiber. Replace white rice with brown rice, choose whole-grain breads and try to switch in beans and legumes for meat in one or two dinners each week. Add more fiber to your diet slowly. The increase in your diet can be hard on your digestive system, causing gas or other digestive problems. Also drink plenty of water if you have increased your fiber intake, to prevent discomfort from constipation or bloating.tL
Posted in: Fat Burners