The Importance of Fiber
Dietary fiber is one of the fundamentals of a balanced diet, and most people, particularly if they consume a lot of packaged, pre-prepared foods, and don’t eat a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits do not get enough to keep them healthy. Learning about the different types of fiber and how and why to incorporate more fiber into what you eat is one of the keys to staying slim and being able to avoid degenerative disease.
What is Fiber?
Fiber is the generic name for all of the components of plant cell walls, and all dietary fibers are complex carbohydrates which contain long chains of polysaccharides. There are two types of fiber; water soluble and water insoluble, and both types are important for a healthy body.
Water soluble fiber includes gums, pectins, hemicelluloses and mucilages, all of which help to bind bile acids and facilitate the removal of toxins from the body. Soluble fiber also slows down gastric emptying, which reduces the rate at which your blood sugar rises after consuming carbohydrates, so making sure that you have fiber rich foods i.e. complex carbohydrates at every meal reduces your risk of developing insulin and leptin resistance, which can lead to obesity and diabetes.
Water insoluble fiber, which is primarily cellulose, also helps to clear toxins as it provides bulk to your stools and helps your colon contents move along in a timely manner. These days, we live in such a polluted world that the more opportunities we have for detoxifying our body the better, particularly if we are losing weight, when toxins that have been stored in our excess fat are released into the bloodstream. Insoluble fiber also helps you feel fuller for longer and helps prevent hemorrhoids, constipation and diverticulitis, all of which can lead to more serious bowel problems if left untreated.
Most plants contain a mixture of soluble and insoluble fiber, and in general the structural, tougher skins of plants (such as the peel or the outside of grains) provide insoluble fiber, whereas the pulpy softer parts such as the flesh are where the soluble fibers are found. It is important to remember that chewing raw fruits and vegetables well before swallowing helps to alleviate the intestinal distress that some people experience when they try and increase their consumption of these foods, as although humans cannot produce cellulase (the enzyme responsible for breaking down fiber in the digestive tract) the cellulase naturally present in the raw plants is liberated by the mechanics of chewing.
How much fiber do we need?
The US government recommends that the typical adult consume 25g of fiber a day (I recommend 30g on average) but in general the Standard American Diet provides just half of that. A diet rich in vegetables, fruits and legumes is vital if you are to be certain that you are getting enough fiber and because you need both soluble and insoluble fiber, just taking a soluble fiber supplement will not provide the same health benefits as getting your fiber from food.
Often the challenge for people trying to lose weight is being able to eat enough fiber as they reduce their food consumption, particularly if they are cutting down or eliminating starchy carbohydrates. Too much fruit, even if eaten with the skins, is not ideal if you have blood sugar problems, which basically leaves vegetables and legumes as people’s primary sources of fiber. For any one in this situation, I usually suggest that they try and incorporate as many non-starchy vegetables into their day as possible, get very creative with legumes such as chick peas or all of the different types of lentils and dried beans, and supplement with sprouted flax seeds or an inulin based fiber supplement as well, to assist in bowel detoxification. However this is best done gradually, enabling your lower colon to get used to the extra fiber without causing you gas or bloating.
For more tips on how to incorporate more fiber rich foods into your diet, or if you would like to talk to me about a comprehensive nutritional evaluation, please contact Flourish.