50 Weight Loss Tips – Tip 7

When you are trying to lose weight, it not enough to just cut back on foods it is all about making lifestyle changes.  Some of these changes can be as simple as eating more fruits and vegetables.  Something that will also help with your weight loss, and quite possibly helping in lower your cholesterol will be eating fibre.  Eating fibre will also help you stay regular as your body goes through changes of your lifestyle adjustment.

There are several products out there – from pills/tablets to other products like Metamucil – but they are pretty disgusting.  I tried the orange flavored Metamucil and I didn’t like it at all.  Instead I stuck with a cereal called All Bran Buds.  You can use this as a topper to another cereal, or as a snack or mix in with low-fat yogourt.  It is cruncy, so may keep those that like to munch on crunchy foods satisfied and because there is a high value of fibre in 1/3 cup (which is what is recommended to take) it will help you stay regular.

So what exactly is fibre and why do you need it?  Read on…

Fibre can be found in two forms: soluble and insoluble – this relates to how well they dissolve in water. Both function very differently in the body, and both are needed as part of a healthy diet.

Insoluble Fibre

Insoluble fibres are often referred to as “roughage.” These fibres do not dissolve in water and pass through the digestive system largely unchanged. Insoluble fibres increase the bulk or weight of undigested material (from foods) through the large intestine and they also increase the speed at which this food material moves through the large intestine. These two effects are related to regularity. For example, wheat bran, which is made up of mainly insoluble fibre, helps to promote regularity.

Food sources that contain insoluble fibre include wheat bran, whole grain cereals and breads, legumes, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Soluble Fibre

Soluble fibres dissolve in water and form a gel-like substance when mixed with water. They delay the speed at which food moves through the digestive system. Generally, soluble fibres contribute to healthy blood cholesterol levels and regulate blood sugar levels.

Food sources that contain soluble fibre include psyllium, barley, oatmeal, lentils, fruit and vegetables.

Taking fibre works best when taken with water.

Now I will not kid you – the cereal isn’t the best tasting so you may be tempted to sweeten it up – DON”T!  It takes some getting used to, but now I can easily put a 1/3 cup into a bowl and have it as a snack.

How can fibre help you?

Reducing Cholesterol Levels

Like soluble fibers, viscous fibers lower serum cholesterol by reducing the absorption of dietary cholesterol. In addition, viscous fibers complex with bile acids, which are compounds manufactured by the liver from cholesterol that are necessary for the proper digestion of fat. After complexing with bile acids, the compounds are removed from circulation and do not make it back to the liver. As a result, the liver must use additional cholesterol to manufacture new bile acids. Bile acids are necessary for normal digestion of fat. Soluble fiber may also reduce the amount of cholesterol manufactured by the liver.

Normalizing Blood Sugar Levels

Viscous fibers also help normalize blood glucose levels by slowing the rate at which food leaves the stomach and by delaying the absorption of glucose following a meal. Viscous fibers also increase insulin sensitivity. As a result, high intake of viscous fibers play a role in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. In addition, by slowing the rate at which food leaves the stomach, viscous fibers promote a sense of satiety, or fullness, after a meal, which helps to prevent overeating and weight gain.

Promoting Bowel Regularity

Certain types of fiber are referred to as fermentable fibers because they are fermented by the “friendly” bacteria that live in the large intestine. The fermentation of dietary fiber in the large intestine produces a short-chain fatty acid called butyric acid, which serves as the primary fuel for the cells of the large intestine and helps maintain the health and integrity of the colon.

Two other short-chain fatty acids produced during fermentation, propionic and acetic acid are used as fuel by the cells of the liver and muscles. In addition, propionic acid may be responsible, at least in part, for the cholesterol-lowering properties of fiber.

In animal studies, propionic acid has been shown to inhibit HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme involved in the production of cholesterol by the liver. By lowering the activity of this enzyme, blood cholesterol levels may be lowered.

In addition, fermentable fibers help maintain healthy populations of friendly bacteria. In addition to producing necessary short-chain fatty acids, these bacteria play an important role in the immune system by preventing pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria from surviving in the intestinal tract.

As is the case with insoluble fiber, fibers that are not fermentable in the large intestine help maintain bowel regularity by increasing the bulk of the feces and decreasing the transit time of fecal matter through the intestines. Bowel regularity is associated with a decreased risk for colon cancer and hemorrhoids (when the hemorrhoids are related to straining and constipation).

So what happens if you don’t get enough fibre?

What are deficiency symptoms for dietary fiber?

There is no identifiable, isolated deficiency disease caused by lack of fiber in the diet. However, research clearly indicates that low intake of dietary fiber (less than 20 grams per day) over the course of a lifetime is associated with development of numerous health problems including constipation, hemorrhoids, colon cancer, obesity and elevated cholesterol levels.

Resources:

• http://www.all-bran.ca/en/default.aspx - contains more information on fibre, and great recipes that use All Bran Buds.  This site is operated by Kellogg
• http://www.kelloggs.ca/cgi-bin/klog-canada/product.pl?product=20&company=2 - more information from Kellogg about their All Bran Buds product
• http://www.kelloggs.com/brand/allbran/benefits2.shtml - US site for All Bran Buds
• http://www.productwiki.com/kellogg-s-all-bran-buds/ - product review
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietary_fiber- Wikipedia page on dietary fibre (also spelled dietary fiber)
• http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=59 - very detailed discussion on dietary fiber
• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/dietaryfiber.html

Eating fiber has many benefits for your health. The consumption of soluble fiber has been shown to protect you from developing heart disease by reducing your cholesterol levels. The consumption of insoluble fiber reduces your risk of developing constipation, colitis, colon cancer, and hemorrhoids.

—Medical News Today, What Is Fiber? What Is Dietary Fiber? Fiber Rich Foods

Previous Tips

• http://www.lose-weight-feel-great.com/2009/05/15/50-weight-loss-tips-tip-6/
• http://www.lose-weight-feel-great.com/2009/05/11/weight-loss-tips-tip-5/
• http://www.lose-weight-feel-great.com/2008/05/27/50-weight-loss-tips-day-4/
• http://www.lose-weight-feel-great.com/2008/05/26/50-weight-loss-tips-day-3/
• http://www.lose-weight-feel-great.com/2008/05/23/50-weight-loss-tips-day-2/
• http://www.lose-weight-feel-great.com/2008/05/22/50-weight-loss-tips-day-1/
• http://www.lose-weight-feel-great.com/2008/05/21/50-weight-loss-tips-day-0/

Here is to your health!

Mohamed

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