A daily dose of fiber provides myriad health benefits, but as a calorie-free weight loss tool, it is indispensable. When incorporated into your diet, fiber can help you lose weight in four important ways: Fiber will help curb your appetite. Fiber stimulates cholecystokinin (CCK), a hormone that sends a message to your brain that you are full. Fiber promotes and prolongs the elevation of CCK in the blood, which makes you feel full for longer periods of time. Fiber will actually eliminate calories
from the food you eat. Research has shown that people who consume a diet high in fiber tend to excrete more calories in their stool. This is because fiber helps to block the absorption of calories consumed and lead calories out of the body. This Fiber Flush Effect can help you lose up to 2 additional pounds each month! Fiber foods are low energy-density foods. Because high-fiber foods typically have a very low energy density (the number of calories in a particular volume of food), eating them allows you to eat a larger volume of food without consuming a lot of calories. This helps you feel satisfied longer. Fiber slows down the rate at which your body converts carbohydrates into sugar. High-fiber foods help normalize blood glucose levels by slowing down the time it takes food to leave the stomach and delaying the absorption of glucose (blood sugar) from a meal. |