Heart health, cancer prevention, weight loss – is there anything fiber can’t do? Fantastic for a number of reasons, fiber is a great resource to include in a well-rounded diet and exercise plan designed for weight loss.
If you’ve been trying to slim down, this diet change may be just what you need to meet your weight loss goals and establish wellness. Take a look at 5 ways fiber can help with weight loss.
- Fiber makes you feel full without overloading calories.
Whole grains, veggies, beans, nuts – these nutrient-rich, protein-rich foods will fill you up without breaking your calorie intake goals. High-fiber foods can help you feel satiated for longer, which is a great way to combat overeating.
- Fiber helps normalize bowel movements.
In addition to softening stool, dietary fiber helps increase the size and weight of stool, making it easier to pass. People who adopt a high-fiber diet often notice that they have less constipation and their bowel movements become more regular.
- Fiber keeps the gut healthy.
Gut health is huge when it comes to weight management. By decreasing the risk of colorectal cancer, hemorrhoids, and diverticular disease, fiber keeps the bowel doing what it does best – booting excess waste from the body and helping you maintain a healthy weight.
- Fiber helps control blood sugar.
Soluble fiber can slow the absorption of sugar – a common culprit that contributes to obesity. Controlling blood sugar levels can be a huge help to those managing diabetes as well as folks trying to lose weight.
- Fiber lowers cholesterol levels.
Goodbye, LDL (also known as ‘bad cholesterol’)! Soluble fiber from beans and oats can help lower total cholesterol by keeping LDL down. This has deeper effects linked with weight loss, like boosting heart health and cardiovascular functioning as well as reducing blood pressure and inflammation.
Find the Right Type of Fiber for Your Weight Loss Journey
Dietary fiber is a carbohydrate that comes from the parts of plants that aren’t so easily digestible. This indigestibility is actually its weight loss superpower, allowing fiber to pass through the stomach, small intestine and colon relatively intact.
The USDA recommends that adult women get 22 to 28 grams of fiber per day. But remember, everyone’s body is different, and tailoring high-fiber diet plans to your specific needs can help you achieve optimal health.
There are actually 2 types of fiber: soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber – found in beans, oats, peas, apples, carrots and barley – dissolves into a gel-like material that can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose. Insoluble fiber – found in wheat bran, nuts, cauliflower, green beans and potatoes – can help increase stool bulk and movement, making it particularly helpful for relieving constipation. Keep this in mind as you modify your diet to include fiber-rich foods.
High-Fiber Meal Plan Ideas
Fiber-rich foods are fantastic for healthy weight loss and appetite control. Here are a few meal plan ideas. Which meal would you order first from this menu?
- Meal #1: Egg frittata with onions and kale + Lentil stew + Yogurt parfait with raspberries
- Meal #2: Baked chicken with asparagus + Quinoa salad with grilled shrimp + Chia seed pudding
- Meal #3: Butternut squash with salmon + Kale salad with pumpkin seeds + Cottage cheese with peaches
