It’s amazing how important fiber is and how little credit it gets. It’s the butt of constipation jokes and people’s moods, but it does more than help prevent constipation. It keeps your gut microbes healthy and in perfect balance. That leads to improved weight, a healthier body, and better mental functioning. Fiber can play a vital role in weight loss and eliminating waste.
There are two basic types of fiber.
Fiber is either soluble or insoluble. The body can’t digest insoluble fiber. It adds bulk to stools to make them less compacted and softer. That makes stools easier to eliminate. The other type of fiber is soluble fiber. It turns into a gel when it is mixed with water. It blocks the absorption of fat and lowers cholesterol. It also helps slow the absorption of sugar and keeps blood sugar levels stable. Another role of soluble fiber is feeding the beneficial microbes in the gut. It helps build a stronger community of beneficial microbes, which reduces the population of harmful ones.
Keeping your gut microbiome in balance keeps you healthier.
The gut microbiome controls many things. It’s necessary to help you digest food and absorb nutrients. The mix of fungi, bacteria, viruses, and other microbes almost acts like a separate body organ. The microbes affect you from cradle to casket. They control many functions, such as boosting immunity, digesting food, nervous system control, heart health, and brain health. A healthy gut microbiome lowers the risk of diabetes and obesity.
Fiber is filling.
When you eat food with fiber, the fiber fills you and keeps you feeling full longer, without adding excess calories. It is the champion of weight loss. Foods containing fiber are traditionally low in calories. The soluble fiber group includes strawberries, apples, peas, and other fruits and vegetables. whole grains. A few insoluble fiber sources are whole grains, nuts, the skins of apples, and beans. Only plant-based foods have fiber, animal products don’t.
- Studies show an unhealthy balance of microbes can increase the risk of weight gain. Consuming food beneficial to your microbiome, like fiber or probiotic food like yogurt, can help you lose weight.
- When you increase fiber in your diet, do it slowly. If you increase it too fast, it can cause gas, bloating, and other unpleasant digestive issues.
- Highly processed foods, including white bread, contain very little fiber. Both the bran and germ are removed when the grain is processed, leaving only the high-calorie endosperm. It’s why eating whole grain products is important.
- If you’re taking antibiotics, your gut needs probiotic food, like yogurt and sauerkraut. It also needs prebiotic food like fiber. When you increase fiber in your diet, don’t forget to drink extra water.
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