Weight Loss Alert: Control Your Appetite With 32 Dietary Fiber Grams A Day

I thought I'd share a few importants facts about dietary fiber that mercola.com has published in the past few days.

Dr. Mercola contends that fiber curbs appetite in several ways:

Recent research has shed new light on the mechanics behind its (dietary fiber) appetite suppressant potential. It was previously thought that you were less likely to overeat simply because fiber provides "bulk" and slows down digestion, which allows you to feel fuller, longer. 

However, there's more to it. As recently reported by Time Magazine, when microbes in your gut digest fiber, a short-chain fatty acid called acetate is released.

The fiber basically ferments, and releases acetate as a waste product—albeit a useful one. The acetate then travels from your gut to the hypothalamus in your brain, where it helps signal you to stop eating. The appetite suppressant qualities of acetate have been confirmed through direct administration into the bloodstream, colon, and brain. 

Also, he recommends at least 30-32 grams of daily fiber from these sources:

• Psyllium seed husk, flax, and chia seeds

• Root vegetables and tubers, including onions, sweet potatoes, and jicama

• Green beans

• Berries

• Vegetables such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts

• Almonds 

• Peas

• Cauliflower

• Beans

Note that whole grains are missing from the list because "while they contain fiber, if you are already insulin and leptin resistant they will raise your insulin and leptin levels, which is a major driver of most chronic diseases."

Get that daily dose of fiber!

valmillsy

P.S. Check out my FREE Reports . . . 

Forget Counting Calories To Lose Weight - Count These Critical Items Instead

Wanna Lose Weight?

Counting calories just doesn't work because all calories are NOT created equal.

Instead, use the following 3 nutritional tips I've discovered in my search for the best eating plan (not a diet, a forever eating plan).

1. Lower your sugar intake to 25 grams or less per day. This is not as easy as it sounds: sugar appears in just about every processed food. Pay attention to the sugar content of everything you eat.
2. Lower your carb intake to only good carbs (no white rice, enriched wheat); six servings for a total of 120 grams per day. In fact, you may benefit from gluten-free food, especially if you have even a slight wheat allergy. Just be wary of sugar-laden gluten-free food.
3. Increase your fiber consumption to 25 grams per day for women and 35 per day for men (less for adults over 50). Adding a fiber supplement low in sugar and without artificial sweeteners gives you a good start to reaching the daily fiber target.

The first two items will automatically help you lose at least 20 pounds in the first month. See www.lose20lbsin1mo.com to get a free ebook outlining the low sugar/low carb eating plan..

The increased fiber consumption aids digestion, conquers constipation, lowers blood sugar, and also helps you lose weight. This last item I recently discovered after suffering from a common lower bowel dysfunction. I wish I had started this one many years ago.

The Best Fiber Supplement For Weight Loss And Control (It's NOT What You Think!)

My last two blog posts have addressed fiber as a weight loss accelerator as follows:

A Critical Dietary Weight Loss Accelerator

A Surprising Prescription For A Common, Painful, Embarrassing Condition (And A Helpful Side Effect For Weight Loss)

According the doctors I'm following (Dr. Mark Hyman - 10-Day Detox and my own gastro surgeon), a fiber supplement is a must-do for digestive health, weight loss, and blood sugar control.

But which fiber supplement is the best?

My gastro surgeon's prescription was 1 tablespoon of Metamusil in a big glass of water every morning. It's active ingedient is psyllium husks but the sugar free version contains the artificial sweetener Aspartame. Artificial sweeteners are as bad as sugar!

What's the alternative?
(as recommended by Dr. Hyman)

Natural Factors PGX Daily Singles ($15.99 on Amazon, the cheapest price)

Note These Contraindications:

• PGX can slow the rate of absorption of medications, so it is recommended to take any oral medications 1 hour before PGX Daily Singles or 2 to 3 hours after.
• Diabetics must monitor their blood sugar and adjust their medication accordingly as the PGX helps to control blood sugar and it may lessen the need for medications or insulin over time. Consult a health care practitioner prior to use.
• Consult with your health care practitioner prior to taking PGX if on any medication.

A Critical Dietary Weight Loss Accelerator

If you have been reading my blog posts, you know I have been recommending detox as a way to restart the body’s metabolism. Unfortunately, because of an ongoing medical condition (see my previous post), I can't use Dr. Hyman’s 10-day detox at this point. I have been experimenting with parts of this detox, including the addition of more fiber in my diet.

For example, the intake of the right amount of dietary fiber (about 25 grams a day for women, 35 for men) complements the low sugar/low carb eating plan I recommend AND acts as a weight loss accelerator.

BENEFITS

If you are not getting a sufficient amount of fiber, you are shortchanging your weight loss efforts! But weight loss is only a side benefit!

Here’s the Mayo Clinic listing of the ways the proper amount of fiber impacts your health: 

Normalizes bowel movements. Dietary fiber increases the weight and size of your stool and softens it. A bulky stool is easier to pass, decreasing your chance of constipation. If you have loose, watery stools, fiber may also help to solidify the stool because it absorbs water and adds bulk to stool.
 Helps maintain bowel health. A high-fiber diet may lower your risk of developing hemorrhoids and small pouches in your colon (diverticular disease). Some fiber is fermented in the colon. Researchers are looking at how this may play a role in preventing diseases of the colon.
 Lowers cholesterol levels. Soluble fiber found in beans, oats, flaxseed and oat bran may help lower total blood cholesterol levels by lowering low-density lipoprotein, or "bad," cholesterol levels. Studies also have shown that fiber may have other heart-health benefits, such as reducing blood pressure and inflammation.
 Helps control blood sugar levels. In people with diabetes, fiber — particularly soluble fiber — can slow the absorption of sugar and help improve blood sugar levels. A healthy diet that includes insoluble fiber may also reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
 Aids in achieving healthy weight. High-fiber foods generally require more chewing time, which gives your body time to register when you're no longer hungry, so you're less likely to overeat. Also, a high-fiber diet tends to make a meal feel larger and linger longer, so you stay full for a greater amount of time. And high-fiber diets also tend to be less "energy dense," which means they have fewer calories for the same volume of food. 

 Another benefit attributed to dietary fiber is prevention of colorectal cancer. However, the evidence that fiber reduces colorectal cancer is mixed. 

CAUTION!

If you increase the amount of fiber in your diet, please drink plenty (64 ounces daily) of water.

Also, you may want to S-L-O-W-L-Y increase dietary fiber because you will avoid the excess gas and bloating that likely will accompany added fiber intake.

A Surprising Prescription For A Common, Painful, Embarrassing Condition (And A Helpful Side Effect For Weight Loss)

I procrastinated writing this particular post because it covers a painful and embarrassing topic. But I learned some surprising information worth sharing because it will help a whole lot of people who suffer from hemorrhoids.

Quite frankly, I've put up with this ailment since I was pregnant more than 35 years ago.

Recently, I was driving for 5 and 6 hours a day. For some reason, they flared up to the point where sitting or standing became impossible. Plain and simple, I had a big pain in the butt. 

I ended up seeing a gastro surgeon. If you've never had kids or never had a butt exam, it is probably the single most embarrassing examination you'll ever have. That being said, this doc was real clear what I had to do as follows:

1. Take a tablespoon of Metamusil orange powder in a big glass of water every day forever.Why? Almost everyone in this world is constipated and that's the reason you have this condition.
2. Get a colonoscopy.
3. Make another appointment (with the gastro guy) after the colonoscopy. Surgery may be required.

Aside from the fact that step 2 is about as appealing as chinese water torture, this doctor has a major point - Americans do not have enough fiber in their diet. 

And there is an interesting side benefit to adding fiber to your diet (besides stopping the hemorrhoid pain) - 
it'll help you lose weight. 

The fact that fiber is an important element in your diet is one of the reasons that Dr. Mark Hyman includes a fiber powder (other than Metamusil) in his 10-day detox diet. The pieces of the puzzle are coming together!

So now I'm into investigating the role of fiber in the American diet . . .