How Fiber Can Help You Lose Weight and Stay Healthy
Researchers are taking on the eternal battle of diets. Because to lose weight, one should eat until properly full - with a high-fiber diet. Find out why a high-fiber diet helps with weight loss and maintenance, and how you can increase your daily fiber intake here.
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Table of contents
Dietary Fiber - Superheroes of Plants
Dietary fibers are increasingly coming to the forefront of nutritional science – and rightfully so: They offer us many benefits for a healthy life. For example, they are said to have an impact on blood sugar levels, our weight, blood pressure, blood fats, cholesterol, and heart health. Even the risk of gastrointestinal diseases is said to decrease with a diet high in fiber. These plant components have a lot to offer and also contribute significantly to a healthy gut – which also plays a role in weight loss.
Dietary fiber for a healthy gut
Dietary fibers are particularly important for our gut health. They are not digested in the stomach and small intestine, but instead pass undigested into the colon. There, they serve as food for the "good" gut bacteria and help maintain a healthy intestinal mucosa. With a diet rich in fiber, the bacteria that extract many calories from food will grow less.
This is how dietary fibers work - and help with weight loss
Studies show: Fiber can help with weight loss and weight maintenance. There are several reasons for this:
Dietary fibers promote intense chewing. So, by eating slowly and chewing intensively, additional signals of satiety are triggered in the brain.
Water-soluble fibers bind water and swell in the stomach. The stomach is thus more filled and stretched - a signal indicating saturation.
Furthermore it increases the volume of food and stool, which stimulates digestion.
Dietary fibers have a very low energy density. For example, soluble fiber provides only 1.5 to 2.5 kilocalories per gram. In comparison, carbohydrates and proteins provide 4 kcal, and fat provides 9 kcal per gram.
They provide a slower increase in blood sugar levels, which results in less insulin being released and prevents strong fluctuations in blood sugar levels that can quickly lead to cravings.
As you can see, fiber can truly be a great help.
Dietary fiber? Please give me more of that
We should consume at least 30 grams of fiber every day, even better are 40 to 50 grams. They help our digestion and are beneficial for the intestines.
In reality, most of us only manage to eat 20 grams of fiber per day. One third too little! The reason: Especially the common "staple foods" today such as pasta, white bread, white rice, sausage, meat, and dairy products hardly or do not provide any fiber at all. Because fiber is found exclusively in plant-based and unprocessed products.
Here are 5 steps to easily and enjoyably incorporate more fiber into your daily routine.
Getting started - how to succeed in starting
Take it slow, one step at a time. Eating too many fibers too quickly can cause bloating. Especially if you have not integrated many fibers into your diet before, your gut needs some time to adjust to the healthy food. But it's worth it, because as a reward, all the health benefits of a fiber-rich diet await: a reliable digestion, a healthy gut flora, a regulated blood sugar level, lower blood pressure, and a great help in achieving and maintaining your ideal weight.
Step 1: Resistant strength and whole grain as a simple alternative
One of the simplest ways to increase the fiber content in your diet is to switch from refined grains to whole grains.
During the production of white flour, all outer layers of the whole grain are removed. In the end, only the white flour body remains. However, the valuable fiber, minerals, and vitamins are mainly found in the bran and germ.
The same applies to polished rice. Here, too, the outer layers are removed, leaving only the very starchy endosperm.
Comparison of fiber content between whole grain and refined grains:
Food (100 g) | Dietary fiber content whole grain | Dietary fiber content "white flour" |
|---|---|---|
Bread | 7.0 g | 3.0 g |
Noodles | 13.0 g | 1.0 g |
Rice | 4.0 g | 2.1 g |
However, it doesn't always have to be whole grain. When you let cooked potatoes, light pasta, or rice cool down, it creates so-called resistent starch. A part of the starch "crystallizes" in this process. In this form, it can no longer be broken down in our digestive tract. The undigested starch becomes a type of fiber - a good food source for beneficial bacteria in our colon. When the bacteria break down the resistant starch, they produce the short-chain fatty acid butyrate, which is believed to have beneficial effects on inflammation, blood lipids, and blood sugar levels. Fried potatoes, pasta bake, or a vegetable pasta salad are, for example, good ways to consume resistant starch.
Step 2: More fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables not only provide plenty of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and phytochemicals, but also fiber. According to the German Nutrition Society, it is recommended to have at least three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit per day. The more servings you integrate into your daily routine, the better for your health! However, most Germans do not meet these quantities.
Try to reduce the amounts of sweets, sweet pastries, meat, and dairy products in favor of fruits and vegetables. You will see that it will be much easier for you to eat larger quantities of fruits and vegetables. This way, you provide your body with important nutrients and fiber. At the same time, you consume fewer calories and stay full longer. This will be even more successful when combined with step 3!
Fiber-rich fruits and vegetables (excluding legumes) are:
Artichokes (10 grams per 100 grams)
Dried tomatoes (13.5 grams per 100 grams)
Dates (9 grams per 100 grams)
Avocado (7 grams per 100 grams)
Oyster mushroom (6 grams per 100 grams)
Parsnips (4.7 grams per 100 grams)
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Step 3: Meat and cheese become side dishes
Traditional home cooking is unfortunately anything but rich in fiber. Animal products such as meat, sausage, cheese, milk, and eggs do not provide any fiber at all. Instead, they are very high in calories and contribute significantly to the overweight issues among Germans - especially with little physical activity.
A low-fiber diet rich in animal products also promotes various digestive problems, especially constipation. In addition, inflammation or an unstable immune system can be the result.
You want to eat more fiber-rich, but still don't want to completely give up meat and cheese? No problem, just rearrange your plate! Instead of meat, white pasta, and fatty sauces taking up most of the space, it should be vegetables - whether steamed or as a crunchy salad.
Step 4: Rediscover legumes
Legumes are currently experiencing a renaissance. They are appearing more and more in German restaurants and kitchens. Quite rightly so, because these little power beans not only provide plenty of protein, vitamins, and minerals, but also lots of fiber. For example, 100 grams of kidney beans provide around 24 grams of fiber, the same amount of peas 6 grams, and lentils 23 grams.
Tip: Legumes are perfect as a plant-based meat alternative due to their high protein content. Take advantage of this opportunity as often as possible and treat your body to an extra portion of healthy fiber!
Step 5: Drink plenty of fluids
In order for fibers to fully take effect, it is necessary to drink enough water. Only with an increased intake of water can the fibers in the body begin to swell optimally. Older people in particular are at risk of not drinking enough, as the sense of thirst decreases with age.
It is best to have a large glass of water with every fiber-rich meal. You can drink it before or after the meal, depending on your preference. Drinking it before or during the meal will also make you feel full faster.
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