Fiber

Increasing fiber is the second most potent nutritional change I promote to my patients. Fiber has been shown to have multiple health benefits, but for weight loss its main benefit is it can cause you to stay full for longer periods of time and to have a decrease in cravings for foods that may not be in your best interest. There are four ways we think fiber helps to increase satiety.

1. It slows down how fast food leaves your stomach
2. It increases how thick food is inside your stomach
3. It can increase the space taken up in your stomach
4. It can promote fermentation inside your intestines

When thinking of eating fiber, try to go for your natural sources. Fruits (berries, pears, apples, etc), vegetables (Brussel sprouts, broccoli), beans (pinto, black, green), and whole grain breads are all great sources of fiber. I prefer these sources to added unnatural fibers. I do not always track how many grams of fiber I get a day. If I were tracking I would shoot for 30 grams. Instead, when I eat a meal I try to get in a high fiber source with each meal. A fruit, vegetable, or bean. I have created a list of foods categorized by which foods are highest in fiber. If I want some fruit, I typically think to myself “which fruit is high in fiber?” If I want a vegetable I ask the same question. Try it out and start to change some habits in your life.

High Fiber Foods

Seth Jarrell, MD