Eating more soluble fiber is one of the best ways to lose body fat in the long term. Soluble fiber is best found in eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes.
Soluble fiber is important as it promotes regular bowel movements and increases stool bulk, meaning it’s beneficial for anyone struggling with constipation or irregular stools.
Eating foods rich in soluble fiber is therefore essential for losing body fat, as it affects how quickly the stomach releases digested food in the gut. Here are some more reasons why you should increase your soluble fiber intake…
Encourages More Gut Diversity
In the lower gut there are over 100 trillion helpful bacteria. These bacteria are harmless and share a beneficial relationship with humans.
Humans are the home for these bacteria, giving the nutrients needed for taking care of processes such as producing vitamins and processing waste.
By having a great variety of gut bacteria, this is linked with lowered risk of Type 2 Diabetes, along with insulin resistance and heart disease to name a few.
Studies show that people who eat more soluble fiber have greater variety of bacteria and better health outcomes as a result. While a recent study showed that people who had a higher number of gut bacteria have lower risk of belly fat – although more studies are needed to determine if there is a clear link.
Eat More Fiber To Reduce Appetite
Soluble fiber is a natural appetite suppressant that can help to reduce your calorie intake and therefore lose weight. There are various theories that soluble fiber can help with reducing appetite.
Some of the ways soluble fiber does this is by regulating hormones involved in appetite control, reducing hunger hormones such as ghrelin and neuropeptide Y.
Other studies show that soluble fiber increases hormone production, including cholecystokinin, GLP-1 and peptide YYand this leaves you feeling full. Fiber also has the benefit of reducing your appetite by slowing the movement of food through the gut.
The slow release of nutrients such as glucose in the gut can help your body to release insulin at a slower rate and this has been linked with reduced hunger.
Helpful Gut Bacteria Reduce Belly Fat
Including more soluble fiber in your diet can help with losing belly fat and preventing belly fat gain. One study showed there was a link and a 10-gram increase in daily soluble fiber intake to a 3.7% lowered risk of gaining belly fat [1].
There are numerous other studies that show people eating more soluble fiber also have a lower risk of belly fat. Animal and lab studies have also shown that short-chain fatty acids can reduce the risk of colon cancer.
If you’re having trouble with your gut health, then you may need to take a good probiotic to support normal absorption and assimilation of nutrients in the gut – and to get the digestion process moving more smoothly.
Choosing Good Sources of Fiber
Many high fiber foods are also a rich source of carbohydrates. Unfortunately, these starchy foods aren’t always healthy and include breads, pastas, cereals. Instead healthier options to consider include Asparagus, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Black Peas, Lentils and Lima Beans.
A more convenient way to eat foods with plenty of fiber is to enjoy Really Healthy Pasta™ as part of a really healthy diet. Legumes include Black Beans, Buckwheat and Golden Flaxseed, Chickpeas, Mung Beans and Red Lentils. Getting plenty of legumes is one of the best ways to add more healthy fiber into your diet.
Recommended Examples
Really Healthy Pasta™ – This Red Lentil Fusilli pasta is organic and non-GMO. Ready in 5 minutes, this gluten-free pasta is high in protein, fiber and rich in nutritious content.
Prescript-Biotics™ – Recommended to support a healthy and strong immune system. SBOs in PrescriptBiotics™ are cultured together and encapsulated with their own ancestral food source to keep them vital and living: a humic and fulvic acid prebiotic made from minerals that are billions of years old and extracted from deep inside the earth.
PrescriptBiotics™ capsules are pure, chemical-free, toxin-free, GMO-free, nutrient-rich, and naturally dehydrated to avoid damage done in the freeze-drying process.
Recommended Dose: Take 1 capsule a day. Increase by one capsule a day, for each week.
Available from Good Health Naturally.
References:
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21681224
