How Eating More Fiber Will Help You Lose Weight
It just so happens that every time I mention to a client that they need to eat more fiber; I get this mortified look in their face. I don’t understand it. Maybe I’m just an anomaly, but I find that foods packed with fiber are far more delicious (not to mention healthier for you) than our high fat, high carb and overly-processed counterparts. So in an effort to prove to my clients and every other naysayer out there, I am sharing with you why you should eat more fiber and How Eating More Fiber Will Help You Lose Weight.
Fiber is a carbohydrate of plant-based foods that our human bodies can not digest. It passes through our digestive system without breaking down and does not intake calories or nutrition, but causes our bodies to burn (increase metabolism) extra calories and gives the sensation of fullness.
What most people think of when they hear the word fiber is regularity. Yes, this is definitely a benefit of eating fiber, but it’s not just about keeping things moving smoothly (no pun intended); it’s about keeping our bowel movements regular to ward off diseases, and help to transport cholesterol out of our body, reducing our risk for heart disease, and of course curbing the appetite.
When our bodies consume a food that contains fiber, something happens in relation to your caloric intake; it minimizes. For example: If you eat a 100 calorie apple, you would not be absorbing 100 calories into your body. In fact, you will only be absorbing 45 calories. How is that, you ask? Let’s do the math:
Every gram of fiber contains 4calories per gram, and those calories are not digested. And since every gram of fiber causes your body to burn 7 calories, the retention of calories is much less…
100 Calories
(undigestable) (increased metabolism/burned)
minus -5 g fiber (4 cal/g) minus -7 ca per gram of fiber = 45 net cal
________-20 calories -35 calories
Now let’s say you eat a 2000 calorie diet and eat forty grams of fiber. If you do the math as in above you will see that after all is said and done, you can subtract a whopping 440 cal (160 undigestable, 280 increased metabolism), for an absorbed caloric intake of 1,560, thus keeping you right on track to losing the pounds you desire.
Before you run off to the grocery store to find foods with fiber content, please note that they are not all created equal. Fiber is found in a variety of foods (packaged, high sugar and the like), but you will want to choose foods that are not only high in fiber, but are nutritious and will aide you in your healthy diet.
Happy eating! and remember…
be inspired, be confident, be fit
Warmly,
Kenya