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Dietary Fiber and Low Carb Eating |
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Remember your grandmother telling you that you need to get enough fiber in your diet?
Well she was right! Eating enough is important for your good health. It adds bulk to your food and your stool so it can help you feel full longer and stay regular. It can also help keep you healthy by playing a role in the prevention of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, diverticulitis, hemorrhoids, high cholesterol, heart disease and some cancers. Plus you'll just plain old feel better when you're more regular!
Soluble and Insoluble There are 2 kinds of dietary fiber, soluble and insoluble. Soluble dissolves in water and is found in fruits, some cereals and legumes. It is a natural thickening agent which slows the time it takes your stomach to empty, thus causing you to feel full longer and regulating the release of glucose into the blood. It decreases absorption of fat in the intestines (contributing to lower cholesterol) & increases stool volume. Insoluble does not dissolve and passes through the digestive system virtually unchanged. It is found in seeds, nuts, corn, bran and fruit and veggie skins. It helps to “clean out” the intestines and adds bulk to your stool. You need both kinds and they are usually found together in fruits and veggies. So what’s this got to do with low carb eating?
Dietary fiber is only found in plants, it does not exist in meat, cheese, or eggs at all. It’s easy to eat a lot of meat and very little plant foods on a low carb diet so it is especially important for low carb eaters to make sure they get enough. The good news for low carb’ers is that it passes through the body undigested, therefore it does not count in your total carb intake! When you eat foods that contain it you can subtract it from the total amount of carbs to get the “net” carbs of the food. So, if you are eating a packaged food, like perhaps
Low Carb Success Flax Meal Hot Cereal
, you will see on the label that it has 12 grams of carbs and 10 grams fiber - so your total carb intake is only 2 grams. The same rule applies for fresh fruits and vegetables or any other type of food. Getting enough through whole grain like cereals and vegetables can help alleviate constipation which is a common complaint on low carb diets. Try adding a generous helping of the cereal mentioned above each day or taking supplements - I recommend these
NSI Fiber Supplements
It is estimated that you need about 25-30 grams per day - about 3/4's of that from insoluble and the rest from soluble. Make sure you get plenty of water and if you are increasing your fiber intake, increase water intake as well. Add to your intake slowly to avoid excessive gas and bloating! I have read that large amounts of can lower your absorption of zinc, magnesium, calcium and iron so you may want to add a mineral supplement to your diet. You can add to your intake by picking foods that are more fiberous. Low carb packaged foods typically have larger amounts than their high carb counterparts - especially the cereals, but I have noticed that there is some listed in the breads, and even puddings - check the labels and go for the higher fiber foods. ( Click Here to see my cereal section and find out which cereal you can eat to get your entire recommended daily amount.) It is best to try to get as much as you can from natural foods since the natural foods have other benefits such as enzymes, vitamins and minerals. However, keeping your carbs low while adding fiber can be quite a balancing act. The list below shows you the amounts in some fruits and vegetables along with their net carbs. If you can’t get enough without going over your carb limit, you may want to try a supplement or a powder like Fibercon.
*NOTE: These amounts are approximate for whole fresh fruits and vegetables - juice has no fiber and don’t forget to leave on the peels - that’s where a lot of it is! |