Article Review: Fiber is your body's natural guide to weight management
An article recently published by Christopher Damian, a professor of gastroenterology, describes the importance of fiber in the diet and it's effectiveness in weight management. He states,
"Rather than cutting carbs out of your diet, eat them in their original fiber packaging instead."
When carbs are eaten in their natural packaging, meaning as whole food rather than processed foods, they have a balanced ratio of fiber and carbs. Fiber can help regulate how many carbohydrates are actually absorbed by your body and how the cells process them using gut hormones. These hormones regulate the rate of stomach emptying, blood sugar control, and hunger cues.
The gut hormones that are stimulated by fiber are a part of the process that new weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic try to mimmic, but done naturally by simply eating whole foods rather than processed foods.
Processed foods have most of their natural fiber stripped which causes them to be more readily absorbed, which is not necessary for the majority of our population. They are digested quickly and cause a spike in blood sugar which cues hunger and promotes chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. It is therefore not all that surprising that the rates of these chronic diseases are rising considering only about 5% of Americans eat the recommended 25-30 grams of fiber per day.
Whole foods that are high in fiber, often called complex carbohydrates, generally have a ratio of carbs to fiber of 10:1 or 5:1. This ratio can be easily determined in the store on any foods by dividing total carbohydrates by dietary fiber. The table above lists some high fiber food options. The goal is not necessarily to decrease the number of carbohydrates that someone is eating, but instead change the type of carbohydrates that someone is eating!
Written by Meghan Hawley, RD
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