Simple Natural Weight Loss recently posted an article about soluble fiber and it’s relation to losing belly (visceral) fat. We wanted to share a little more information with our readers about fiber as part of a natural weight loss diet.

Dietary fiber,  sometimes called roughage, is an indigestible part of any plant (whole grains, fruits or vegetables) you eat. All plants have both soluble and insoluble fiber; when a food is labeled a good source of soluble fiber, it just means that a higher portion of its fiber is the soluble variety.

MedLinePlus describes the difference between soluble and insoluble fiber:

“Soluble fiber attracts water and turns to gel during digestion. This slows digestion. Soluble fiber is found in oat bran, barley, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, peas, and some fruits and vegetables. Soluble fiber has been scientifically proven to lower cholesterol, which can help prevent heart disease.

Insoluble fiber is found in foods such as wheat bran, vegetables, and whole grains. It appears to speed the passage of foods through the stomach and intestines and adds bulk to the stool.”

Both types of fiber are needed in our diet, and eating vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds, and whole grains is an easy way to add them both.

Fiber also makes you feel full faster, so you eat fewer calories, which helps natural weight loss.

The recommended amount of fiber for Americans (older children through adult) is currently 20 -35 grams daily. The average American eats about 10 grams, or about 1/3 of the recommendation. If you are eating very little fiber now, you should increase your fiber intake slowly, adding too much fiber to your diet too quickly can cause gas, bloating, and even intestinal cramps. Increase slowly, and allow your digestive system to adapt to the increase.

In the Wikipedia entry for dietary fiber, the following health benefits are listed:

“Consistent intake of fermentable fiber through foods like berries and other fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, seeds, and nuts is now known to reduce risk of some of the world’s most prevalent diseases—obesity, diabetes, high blood cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, and numerous gastrointestinal disorders. In this last category are constipation, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, hemorrhoids, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis, and colon cancer—all disorders of the intestinal tract where fermentable fiber can provide healthful benefits.”

If you are not already eating enough fiber every day, you can see that eating more fiber will not only benefit your natural weight loss efforts, but also your overall health.

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