Day 10: Fiber and Carbohydrates
We continue to probe and dissect carbohydrates and their fiber content.
Food from plant sources is rich in fiber, some soluble and others insoluble. Fiber passes through the small intestine quickly and is not absorbed. Talk about feeling full without getting fat.
When fiber reaches the large intestine, the insoluble fiber helps keep toxins and harmful chemicals from being absorbed and flushes them out of our bodies. The soluble fibers become food for the good bacteria and are broken down into small chain fatty acids. Studies have shown that eating a high fiber diet, especially soluble ones, can lower your bad cholesterol levels and reduces your risk for heart disease, stroke, or high blood pressure. That’s why the Mediterranean Diet scoring system includes tons of fiber-containing foods to earn points.
Remember whole grains and seeds like oats, millet, quinoa, wild rice, whole wheat, buckwheat, brown rice, farro, amaranth, chia, flax, and the like? Fruits and nuts? Legumes like chickpeas, peanuts, green beans, black beans, lentil, monggo, soybeans, and the like?
Vegetables?
But how do we increase our fiber intake and incorporate these in our lifestyle?
When reading nutritional labels, look at the percentages:
Anything close to 20% is considered high. You want the good stuff to be high, like fiber, protein, and micronutrients like calcium, vitamin D, and iron.
Anything close to 5% is low. Make sure your food is low in saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, and added sugar.
Look at the serving size. Some labels show low percentages of salt, for instance, but when you look at the serving size, it says nine chips. If you eat 18 chips (which we often do), you also need to double that amount of sodium you saw on the label. You may end up with a high-sodium snack in the end.
Check your favorite snack and drinks. Do you see red flags? Now you know what’s the culprit behind the weight gain and abdominal flab.
Having sugar addiction and can’t give up soda? Try this weaning method: buy sparkling water and drink it while eating fruits. Or get those fizzing multivitamin supplement tabs and imagine you’re drinking soda.
Are you addicted to ice cream for dessert? Freeze bananas, berries, watermelon, pineapple, and cantaloupes.
If you’re not too keen on eating whole grains, try doing the 50/50 method. Make sure the bread you eat is at least 50% whole grain. Add seeds like flax and sesame and psyllium husk if you bake your own bread.
People who stick to these kinds of quality foods tend to maintain their BMI without caloric restriction or dieting. I can personally attest to that.
What other hacks have you tried to increase your fiber intake?
Food from plant sources is rich in fiber, some soluble and others insoluble. Fiber passes through the small intestine quickly and is not absorbed. Talk about feeling full without getting fat.
When fiber reaches the large intestine, the insoluble fiber helps keep toxins and harmful chemicals from being absorbed and flushes them out of our bodies. The soluble fibers become food for the good bacteria and are broken down into small chain fatty acids. Studies have shown that eating a high fiber diet, especially soluble ones, can lower your bad cholesterol levels and reduces your risk for heart disease, stroke, or high blood pressure. That’s why the Mediterranean Diet scoring system includes tons of fiber-containing foods to earn points.
Remember whole grains and seeds like oats, millet, quinoa, wild rice, whole wheat, buckwheat, brown rice, farro, amaranth, chia, flax, and the like? Fruits and nuts? Legumes like chickpeas, peanuts, green beans, black beans, lentil, monggo, soybeans, and the like?
Vegetables?
But how do we increase our fiber intake and incorporate these in our lifestyle?
- When hungry, go for the whole foods and not processed snacks (chickpeas, almonds, popcorn, pickles, fruits instead of doughnuts and candies).
- Don’t peel your fruits and vegetables if the peel is edible (e.g., apples, potatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini, cucumber, or eggplant).
- Eat whole fruits like oranges instead of juicing them. You not only increase your fiber but also decrease your caloric consumption.
When reading nutritional labels, look at the percentages:
Anything close to 20% is considered high. You want the good stuff to be high, like fiber, protein, and micronutrients like calcium, vitamin D, and iron.
Anything close to 5% is low. Make sure your food is low in saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, and added sugar.
Look at the serving size. Some labels show low percentages of salt, for instance, but when you look at the serving size, it says nine chips. If you eat 18 chips (which we often do), you also need to double that amount of sodium you saw on the label. You may end up with a high-sodium snack in the end.
Check your favorite snack and drinks. Do you see red flags? Now you know what’s the culprit behind the weight gain and abdominal flab.
Having sugar addiction and can’t give up soda? Try this weaning method: buy sparkling water and drink it while eating fruits. Or get those fizzing multivitamin supplement tabs and imagine you’re drinking soda.
Are you addicted to ice cream for dessert? Freeze bananas, berries, watermelon, pineapple, and cantaloupes.
If you’re not too keen on eating whole grains, try doing the 50/50 method. Make sure the bread you eat is at least 50% whole grain. Add seeds like flax and sesame and psyllium husk if you bake your own bread.
People who stick to these kinds of quality foods tend to maintain their BMI without caloric restriction or dieting. I can personally attest to that.
What other hacks have you tried to increase your fiber intake?