Fiber is an extremely important tool for weight loss. Fiber suppresses a hormone called Grehlin, which stimulates the appetite. An increase of fiber in your diet allows your body to feel fuller, longer. Fiber is like a scrub brush for your digestion, scouring your system until it is sparkling clean. It cleans out your colon, acts as a pre-biotic feeding friendly bacteria in your gut, controls your blood sugar, pulls fat from your arteries, raises your “good” HDL cholesterol, and detoxifies your body. What’s more, it’s bulky; fiber fills you up so you eat less. It is also low on the glycemic index, so having an increase of it in your diet is highly recommended. High fiber foods such as gluten free oatmeal, brown rice, and broccoli can also absorb excess estrogen compounds, which are produced during menstruation.
Check labels for fiber content in baked goods and choose breads, cereals, and pastas made from spouted or organic gluten free grains. Some foods to incorporate fiber into your diet include leafy greens, root vegetable, beans and lentils. Other recommended fiber-abundant foods are quinoa, millet, bulgur, buckwheat, seeds and nuts. Seaweed, wild cold water algae, dark leafy greens, organic produce and properly prepared grains are good sources of trace minerals.
Beans, grains, nuts and seeds are resistant starchy foods that have Phytic acid, a natural resistant enzyme that inhibit digestion. Phytic acid is considered an anti-nutrient, since it binds to minerals like magnesium, calcium, zinc, copper and iron in the intestines, blocking their absorption and carrying them out of the body.
Soaking grains, beans, nuts, and seeds unlocks their “life force” and activates phytase, which starts to break down phytic acid. This also frees up vitamins, minerals and amino acids, making these nutrients more bioavailable.
I recommend that you properly soak your grains at least 5 hours. Beans in purified water with 1 Tbs. of apple cider vinegar for every one cup of beans for 12-24 hours. Nuts and seeds contain less Phytic acid than grains and beans, and also contain delicate oils that can be damaged by heat, so simply soaking them for 2-8 hours is ideal. Limit starchy vegetables and tropical fruits to avoid glycemic spikes.
Fiber is technically a carb – but your body doesn’t digest it. Therefore, eating fiber is highly recommended and entirely low carb!
When you see nutrition panels with a total carb count, this *includes* fiber. Make sure you look further down in the carb area and subtract out the fiber number. So if the chart says:
Carbs: 15g
Fiber: 9g
The actual net carbs – carbs that count – would be 6g.
My patients often complain that on a low carbohydrate diet they are not getting the fiber they need to support elimination. I recommend adding Fiber Factors, physillum husk, or Genesis Rice bran (Do not mix Genesis rice bran in blender) to eight ounces of water several times a day or to their shakes which will keep them more satiated and add to their recommended dosage 40-45 grams of fiber per day.
Click to print a Fiber Chart that shows some great sources of fiber.