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Increasing fiber
Types of fiber
Extra tips
It’s important to get the right amount of fiber to keep your digestive system
running smoothly. Fiber also provides a lot of health benefits beyond digestion,
such as help with weight loss and with balancing gut bacteria.
The average American eats only about 16 grams of fiber per dayTrusted Source.
That’s quite a bit less than the daily recommended intake for a lot of people. Read
on to learn more about the benefits of fiber, where to get fiber, symptoms of
consuming too much fiber, and more.
In general, “dietary fiber” is an umbrella term for the parts of plants and other
foods that your body can’t digest. Your body does not break down fiber. Instead,
fiber passes through your system and eases symptoms such as constipation.
It’s important to eat a wide variety of foods instead of relying on one source for
fiber intake.
How to increase your fiber intake
The best way to get fiber without consuming too many calories is to eat high fiber
foods. Most vegetables, fruits, and other plant-based foods contain fiber.
If your body is slowly adjusting to more fiber, spread out your portions across
multiple meals instead of eating a lot in a single serving.
boiled split peas and lentils; black, lima, and baked beans 10–15 g per cup
Looking for how to get your kids to eat more fiber? Check out these 10 high fiber
foods your kids will actually eat.
Sources of fiber by type
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that comes in three main forms: soluble, insoluble,
and fermented fiber.
Soluble fiber dissolves in water and slows down digestion. It can help lower
your cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve in water and plays a different role in
digestion. It adds bulk to stool and passes through your system more
quickly. Basically, it helps keep your pipes working regularly and prevents
constipation.
Fermentable fiber can come from either of the previous two categories,
although it is more often soluble fiber. Fermented fiber helps increase the
healthy bacteria in your colon.
Here are some tips for adding fiber — but not too much:
Eat whole fruits such as pears and apples instead of drinking fruit juices.
Opt for whole grain foods instead of white rice, white bread, and white
pasta.
Snack on vegetables instead of pretzels and chips.
Eat beans and lentils daily.
Sprinkle chia seeds on cereal, smoothies, or salads.
Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water when you eat fibrous food.
You may also find it helpful to track the foods you eat and note the fiber content to
better understand how much you’re actually eating. Some people who find it hard
to eat enough fiber may want to consider taking a fiber supplement.
That said, too much fiber can also be a bad thing. And your body will speak up
(literally and figuratively) with a variety of symptoms if you’re eating too much of
it. Fiber supplements have also not been found to be nearly as beneficial as eating
high fiber foods.
Keep in mind that everyone’s body reacts to fiber a bit differently. Some people
with a condition called irritable bowel syndrome may not tolerate fiber well.
gas
bloating
constipation
diarrhea
abdominal cramping
Cut back on your fiber intake if you experience these symptoms and feel that they
are the result of your diet and not another condition, like the stomach flu, that has
similar symptoms.
If you experience severe symptoms, consult your doctor or visit an urgent care
center or the hospital. In rare but serious cases, consuming too much fiber can
cause an intestinal (bowel) obstruction, which is a blockage that prevents contents
from moving through.
What is unsaturated fat?
Unsaturated fats are loosely packed. They tend to be liquid at room
temperature.
Monounsaturated fats
olive oil
peanut oil
avocados
most nuts
most seeds
Polyunsaturated fats
Polyunsaturated fats can be further divided into two types: omega-3 and
omega-6 fatty acids.
There’s debate about the inflammatory role of omega-6 fatty acids. Most
Americans consume more than enough of them. Consuming too many
foods rich in omega-6 fats may increase inflammation in your body and
raise your risk for certain health conditions, including obesity.
canola oil
safflower oil
soybean oil
sunflower oil
walnut oil
corn oil
This is a moderate carb intake. It may work for people who are lean, active, and
trying to stay healthy and maintain their weight.
It’s possible to lose weight at this — and any — carb intake, but you may also
need to be aware of calorie intake and portion sizes to lose weight.
all vegetables
several pieces of fruit per day
moderate amounts of healthy starches, like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and
healthier grains, like rice and oats
This range may be beneficial if you want to lose weight while keeping some carb
sources in the diet. It may also help to maintain your weight if you’re sensitive to
carbs.
plenty of vegetables
2–3 pieces of fruit per day
minimal amounts of starchy carbs
This is where the low carb diet has bigger effects on metabolism. This is a possible
range for people who want to lose weight fast, or have metabolic problems,
obesity, or diabetes.
When eating less than 50 grams per day, the body will go into ketosis, supplying
energy for the brain via so-called ketone bodies. This is likely to dampen your
appetite and cause you to lose weight automatically.
Be aware that a low carb diet doesn’t mean it’s a no-carb diet. There’s room for
plenty of low carb vegetables.
Each individual is unique and what works for one person may not work for the
next. It’s important to do some self-experimentation and figure out what works
best for you.
If you have type 2 diabetes, talk to your healthcare provider before making any
changes, because this diet can drastically reduce your need for medication.
SUMMARY
For people who are physically active or want to maintain their weight, a range of
100–150 grams of carbs per day may have benefits. For those aiming to lose
weight quickly, going under 50 grams per day under the guidance of a healthcare
provider may help.
For this reason, the diet should be based on whole, unprocessed foods and healthy
carb sources.
If you want to improve your health, choose unprocessed foods such as:
lean meats
fish
eggs
vegetables
nuts
avocados
healthy fats
Choose carbohydrate sources that include fiber. If you prefer a moderate carb
intake, try to choose unrefined starch sources, like potatoes, sweet potatoes, oats,
and brown rice.
Added sugars and other refined carbs are always unhealthy options, it’s
recommended that you limit or avoid them.
For more details on specific foods to eat, check out this list of low carb foods and
this detailed low carb meal plan and sample menu.
SUMMARY
It’s very important to choose healthy, fiber-rich carb sources. A healthy diet
includes plenty of vegetables, even at the lowest level of carb intake.
Low carb diets help you burn fat
Low carb diets greatly reduce your blood levels of insulin, a hormone that brings
the glucose from carbs into the body’s cells.
One of the functions of insulin is to store fat. Many experts believe that the reason
low carb diets work so well is that they reduce your levels of this hormone.
Another thing that insulin does is to tell the kidneys to retain sodium. This is the
reason high carb diets can cause excess water retention.
When you cut carbs, you reduce insulin and your kidneys start shedding excess
water (11Trusted Source, 12).
It’s common for people to lose a lot of water weight in the first few days on a low
carb diet. Some dietitians suggest you might lose up to 5–10 pounds (2.3–4.5 kg)
this way.
Weight loss will slow down after the first week, but your fat mass may continue to
decrease if you maintain the diet.
One study compared low carb and low fat diets and used DEXA scanners, which
are very accurate measures of body composition. The low carb dieters lost
significant amounts of body fat and gained muscle at the same time (13Trusted
Source).
Studies also show that low carb diets are particularly effective at reducing the fat in
your abdominal cavity, also known as visceral fat or belly fat. This is the most
dangerous fat and is strongly associated with many diseases (14Trusted Source).
If you’re new to low carb eating, you’ll probably need to go through an adaptation
phase where your body is getting used to burning fat instead of carbs.
This is called the “low carb flu,” and it’s usually over within a few days. After this
initial phase is over, many people report having more energy than before, with no
afternoon dips in energy that are common on high carb diets.