I’m about to drop an F bomb that will scare a lot of people… FIBER.
Yes; today I want to talk about a taboo food group, carbohydrates, more precisely, fiber. Somehow carbs have gotten a bad rapport; low carb, no carb, carbs are the enemy, what do these majestic nutrients do to you?! Would you believe me if I told you that eating carbs could be the key to weight loss? Now, I’m not talking about cookies and pie, and junk; I’m talking about the wholesome, nutritious, fibrous carbs that make weight loss easy.
FUN FACT: Only 2% of the population is gluten sensitive. So why does it seem that everyone is avoiding it? Most people following a gluten free diet for weight loss are consuming little to no fiber! Insufficient fiber consumption can lead to constipation and WEIGHT GAIN.
What is fiber?
Fiber is the part of plant foods that your body cannot digest or absorb. Unlike protein and fat that are broken down and absorbed, fiber remains intact as it passes through the body. Have you ever wondered why “net carbs” are less than total carbs? This is because the carbs from fiber are not counted as they are not actually digested, they are simply excreted. This is one of the aspects that make fiber so magical. The actual process of digesting expends energy, however, fiber does not yield any calories because it cannot be broken down, therefore fiber is touted as one of the amazing negative calorie foods.
This is only the beginning of the amazing benefits of fiber!
What else can fiber do?
- Normalizes Bowel Movements – NO ONE LIKES TO BE BLOATED. Consuming fiber keeps everything flowing making your stomach flatter and energy high.
- Lower Cholesterol – may help to lower LDL the “bad cholesterol” and reduce heart disease risk and inflammation.
- Control Blood Sugar – fiber helps slow the absorption of sugar and help improve blood sugar levels.
- Lose Weight – fiber rich foods tend to not only be lower in calorie, but also more voluminous and filling.
Now that we know why fiber is so amazing, how can you make sure you’re reaching your fiber goals? Women should be aiming for 35g fiber per day, while men want 38g fiber per day on average.
Here are a few fiber rich foods you should include in your everyday diet:
- Split Peas: 16.3 grams per cup, cooked
- Lentils: 15.6 grams per cup, cooked
- Black Beans: 15 grams per cup cooked
- Broccoli: 5.1 grams per cup cooked
- Brussel Sprouts: 4.1 grams per cup
- Raspberries: 8 grams per cup
- Avocado: 6.7 grams per half
- Whole Wheat: 6.3 grams per cup
- Oatmeal: 4 grams per cup
Not sure how to include these foods in your daily grind? Try adding flaxseed meal to oats, add some veggies in your egg whites, have 2 chocolate BeautyFit Probiotics with fiber for dessert… its easy!
Check out BeautyFiber for an easy and delicious way to get the fiber you need.
Essentially, it’s still a numbers game; if you eat more calories than you are expending, weight loss will never happen. Fiber isn’t an easy answer in a delicious plant form, it’s simply a useful tool that absolutely should be utilized to help reach and maintain, a confident, healthy beautiful you.
Till next time beauties.
Recommendations
- BeautyFiber ~ Upper & Lower Digestion Health
- BeautyGreens ~ SUPERFOODS - Extra-Strength Anti-Oxidant Power
- BeautyWhey ~ Highest Quality Protein Isolate