|
 By Elena Voropay
Want to improve digestion, lose weight, lower cholesterol, slow down Insulin release, suppress hunger, prevent cancers and many other diseases with 100% natural, 100% safe supplement from a calorie-free food list? Bulk up your diet.
When it comes to eating enough Fiber, most bodybuilders fail. Miserably. Often, they're so focused on protein (how much and what kind), watch their fat grams or looking for ways to cut down on carbohydrates for fat loss or what is the best way to manipulate all the nutrients for bulking or cutting phases. that wholesome foods that are high in Fiber, such as oranges, cabbage and broccoli, take a back seat. Body-conscious individuals completely forget about the terrific natural ingredient that will get them into the best shape of their lives and spark up the record-breaking workouts. Ultimately, this means bodybuilders fall short of their optimum Fiber intake.
The Story of Fiber
In the fourth century BC, Hippocrates wisely stated, “To the human body it makes a great difference whether the bread be made of fine flour or coarse, whether of wheat with the bran or without the bran.” The father of modern medicine recognised long ago what many Americans today fail to understand: natural Fiber found in whole grains, seeds, legumes, nuts is essential for good health and well-being.
 Fiber became a household word when a British surgeon Dr. Denis Burkitt, nicknamed the “Fiberman” made "the Fiber hypothesis." During 20 years in Africa, Fiberman discovered that diseases that were common in the Western cultures were not common there. These included cardiovascular diseases (such as heart attacks and high blood pressure), metabolic disorders (obesity and diabetes), digestive problems (constipation, diverticulosis, diverticulitis, gallstones, appendicitis, haemorrhoids, polyps, and colon cancer), varicose veins and blood clots (deep vein thrombosis).
After evaluating the diet of African people, Dr. Burkitt found that the primary dietary difference was the high intake of Fiber and low intake of refined carbohydrates in the African population. In Burkitt's early research, he made reference to the fact that the typical African stool specimen was large and soft, and that stool transit times were rapid, compared to the puny hard faecal deposits and slow transit times of Europeans. While the exact mechanism by which Fiber might prevent these diseases remained unknown, Burkitt made a discovery about the beneficial impact that Fiber by observing the size and frequency of bowel movements in patients who increased their Fiber intake. Those with high intakes of Fiber had more frequent and bulky stools and had less illness. This led to Burkitt's theory that Fiber's health benefits stemmed from its ability to increase stool bulk and speed up how quickly stool moves through the colon.
With the introduction of white flour came an increased prevalence of bowel disorders such as diverticulosis, diverticulitis, haemorrhoids, polyps, colon cancer, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). “America is a constipated nation.... If you pass small stools, you have to have large hospitals,” said Burkitt.
This observation led to the conclusion that a high-Fiber diet seems to protect natives against cancer of the colon and other diseases common in the Western world. Burkitt also noted these diseases emerged in the United States and England after 1890 following the introduction of a new milling technique that removed Fiber from whole grain flour to produce white flour. An interesting point here is that although Africans have a low incidence of some diseases, they also have a short life expectancy.
Burkitt and Trowell wrote articles in the late 1960s and early 1970s pointing out the value of high Fiber diets. In particular, Burkitt wrote a book “Don’t forget Fiber in your diet” (1979) that spurred a popular revolution in diet.
In the U.S., the “Fiber hypothesis” was taken up by psychiatrist David Reuben, author of the popular sex manual, “Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask)” (1969). Shifting his attention to the intestinal tract, Reuben wrote a book “Save-Your-Life Diet” in 1975. Reuben said that Fiber, composed largely of cellulose, is indigestible and moves rapidly through the digestive tract. Besides speeding the process of digestion, he found Fiber to absorb a lot of water, increase the bulk of stool and cause the intestines to excrete rather than absorb fat, in some manner not yet fully understood. In addition to filling you up, the bran-and-water combination induces what Reuben calls "an internal feeling of calmness and tranquility" and "an indescribable feeling of well-being." Overall, your diet should include 24 grams of Fiber daily--enough to produce 1 or more bowel movements daily that are "large in amount, well-formed, low in odour, and passed without straining," according to Reuben. Thus, as current belief goes, a high-Fiber diet flushes fats from the body, lowers cholesterol, provides protection against digestive disorders and heart disease, and aids in weight control.
Other diet gurus who have picked up the Fiber theme include Carlton Fredericks and osteopath Sanford Siegal.
Today it is nearly universally conceded that the typical Western diet with its reliance on refined and processed foods is deficient in natural Fiber. While the scientific verdict on Fiber is not yet in, dieticians, nutritionists, doctors recommend that all low-roughage foods, processed food products, refined sugar, and alcohol lack this important part of diet and should be eliminated. Instead, you should eat lots of cereals and other grain products, as well as fruits and vegetables, either raw or prepared with a minimum of cooking.
What Is Fiber
"Fiber" is a term that sounds quite simple and straightforward, but it's actually been a term of great controversy in nutrition. Since the late 1970s Fiber has been identified as a macro-constituent non-nutritive part of the food which the human digestive tract cannot break down for energy. The definition which was accepted is captured in these terms: "Dietary Fiber consists of the remnants of edible plant cells, polysaccharides, lignin and associated substances resistant to (hydrolysis) digestion by the alimentary enzymes of humans." The final physiological definition was reaffirmed among scientists internationally in surveys in 1992 and 1993 and as the outcome of a consensus workshop in 1995.
However, this definition is not complete and Fiber is a nutrient which deserves a place in a class of its own. The structure of Fiber is more complex and this is what makes this nutrient so unique. While Fiber can only be found in plant foods, complex carbohydrates are not the only type of nutrients that share the characteristics of Fiber and not all Fibers are calorie-free. Many Fibers can actually be used by the body as fuel after being fermented by bacteria in the large intestine. They all share 1 special feature - their tendency to go through the digestive tract in a way that is well protected from digestion and allows them to play roles that other parts of food cannot play.
A variety of definitions of Fiber exist. In the traditional classification, Fiber is a carbohydrate, a non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) consisting of many mono-saccharide units which resist the breakdown in the digestive tract. It is a carbohydrate made of sugars without the starch.
In an attempt to develop one definition of Fiber that everyone can use, the Food and Nutrition Board assembled a panel that came up with the following descriptions:
- Dietary Fiber consists of non-digestible carbohydrates and lignin that are intrinsic and intact in plants. This includes plant non-starch polysaccharides (for example, cellulose, pectin, gums, hemicellulose, and Fibers contained in oat and wheat bran), oligosaccharides, lignin, and some resistant starch.
- Functional Fiber consists of isolated, non-digestible carbohydrates that have beneficial physiological effects in humans. This includes non-digestible carbohydrates from plants (Resistant Starch, pectin, and gums), chitin, chitosan, or commercially produced Fiber (polydextrose, inulin, and indigestible dextrins).
- Total Fiber is the sum of dietary Fiber and functional Fiber. It's not important to differentiate between which forms of each of these Fibers you are getting in your diet. Your total Fiber is what matters.
You may also hear Fiber referred to as bulk or roughage. Call it what you want, but always remember that Fiber is an essential part of everyone's diet.
Dietary Fiber can be found in many different forms:
- Cellulose, found in bran, legumes, peas, root vegetables, cabbage family, outer covering of seeds, and apples
- Hemicellulose, found in bran and whole grains
- Polyfructoses (Inulin and Oligofructans)
- Galactooligosaccharides
- Gums, found oatmeal, barley, and legumes.
- Mucilages
- Pectin, found in apples, strawberries, and citrus fruits
- Lignin, found in root vegetables, wheat, fruits with edible seeds (such as strawberries)
- Resistant Starches, found in ripe bananas, potatoes
Types of Fiber
The basic difference in Fiber is found on its physiological effects in the body. Different types of dietary Fiber can be distinguished by viscosity, fermentability, and faecal-bulking or water-binding properties. For simplicity, most classify Fiber into 2 categories: water-Insoluble and water-Soluble. Both are important as they play a role in disease prevention, but there's a big difference in how they work and what they do for the body.
Soluble Fiber: The Glue of Life
Soluble Fiber is gummy and found more in fruits, some vegetables, dried beans and peas, and oat products. Also known as viscous Fiber, it is the softer type that dissolves in water and forms a gel-like substance. It is also known as fermentable Fiber because it ferments the "friendly" bacteria that live in the large intestine. Soluble Fiber makes stool softer and easier to pass, which means less constipation and fewer haemorrhoids If intestinal bacteria are fed properly, they become plentiful spreading throughout the GI tract and increasing faecal mass. This is why Soluble Fiber makes you feel fuller. If you add Soluble Fiber to every meal, you will naturally feel satisfied and happy after a sensible portion. Your desire to put down the fork and spoon sooner and retire from the table becomes second nature – a terrific tool to not overeat (always hard to do when you worked out your body with tough exercises).
Soluble Fiber helps dieters in several ways. First, foods containing Soluble Fiber typically take more time to consume, have fewer calories for the same volume of food than simple sugars and are more enjoyable to chew. Second, these foods empty the stomach more slowly, causing greater feelings of fullness and fewer cravings. Third, Soluble Fiber “soaks up” some of the calories in a meal by trapping nutrients in its gel so that it is harder for them to be absorbed before leaving the body as eliminated waste.
This type of Fiber minimises the rise in blood sugar levels after a meal by slowing the rate at which food leaves the stomach delaying the absorption of Glucose. In order for nutrients to be absorbed into the intestines, they must first cross an unstirred water layer covering the surface of the intestines. During digestion, wave-like currents caused by contractions of the intestinal muscles bring nutrients to the surface of the intestinal wall for absorption. Soluble Fiber thickens this layer, making it more resistant to the movement of nutrients diffusing into the body. After Soluble Fiber dissolves in water, however, it traps other sugars and fats inside its gummy gel and considerably slows down the movement of these through the digestive tract. Inside the gel, some nutrients are also shielded from digestive enzymes and less likely to reach the wall of the intestines.
Consequently, sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream more slowly, blunting the sharp spike in blood Glucose. Fewer spikes in blood Glucose lead to greater sensitivity to the action of Insulin. Avoiding high peaks and low valleys in blood Glucose places less stress on the pancreas and is important not only to diabetics, but also to those who want to prevent the development of Type II Diabetes. You can greatly improve your Insulin sensitivity by eating more Soluble Fiber.
Soluble Fiber also helps prevent cholesterol and saturated fats from entering the bloodstream, where they can collect and form plaques on artery walls. This reduces blood cholesterol and improves the flow of blood in the system. Viscosity is important physiologically because it slows transit in the small intestines allowing nutrients to be absorbed more efficiently. This property is beneficial for regulation of blood Glucose and of appetite, and may also reduce the quantity of bile acids reabsorbed.
Technically speaking, Soluble Fibers include pectin, gums (such as guar), betaglucans, some hemicellulose and mucilage. It's obvious, however, that these terms won't be of any help to you in your grocery store. Translated into “real-food” terminology, you'll find soluble Fiber in the following:
- Grains (particularly oats, barley, rye, brown rice)
- Legumes (peas, kidney beans, lentils)
- Seeds
- Fruit (especially apples, strawberries, oranges, bananas, nectarines, and pears)
- Vegetables (carrots, corn, cauliflower, and sweet potatoes)
Insoluble Fiber: Pushing Masses
Insoluble Fiber is what we usually think of when we think “Fiber” or “roughage”. It accounts for about 70% of the total Fiber in our diets and is concentrated in the bran or outer shell of various grains, such as wheat, oats, barley, rice, rye and spelt.
Unlike Soluble Fiber, Insoluble Fiber doesn't dissolve in water and literally flushes through your system undigested pushing the contents of your bowel down the tract keeping you 'regular'. While Soluble Fiber slows down your digestion, Insoluble Fiber does the opposite – it speeds it up. When you eat Insoluble Fiber, it takes its expedited journey through your GI tract attracting some of the food together with it. The food just takes a non-stop road trip on your digestive highway. Insoluble Fiber makes stools heavier and makes their passage through the gut quicker. Working like a sponge, Insoluble Fiber helps to eliminate faeces, relieves constipation and reduces the body's absorption of calories.
Not only does it provide bulk in the stool, the tendency of this Fiber to speed digestion means that the fermentation will take place all along the length of the colon, including the near the end, where the majority of colon cancer occurs. Without Insoluble Fiber, most of the fermentation would take place in the top part of the colon, so the colon cells there would get most of the benefit. This is why Insoluble Fiber has shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer and other less severe problems in the lower part of the body, such as haemorrhoids
This resistant to digestion Fiber can also benefit in reducing your total energy intake without dieting – it binds with some of the dietary fat in meals and pulls calories through the body. The problem with this may be that Insoluble Fiber lowers the amount of nutrients you are able to absorb.
Cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin are all types of Insoluble Fiber. Converted into understandable food terms, we are talking about tough part of plants which doesn’t easily break down. You will find Insoluble Fiber in:
- Wheat bran
- Corn bran
- Rice bran
- Whole-wheat breads and cereals
- Fruits (the skins of apples, for example)
- Vegetables (especially potatoes with skin, parsnips, green beans, celery, peppers and broccoli)
Does Fiber Have Calories?
Yes and no. From the nutritive standpoint, human digestive systems cannot derive caloric density of the fibrous part of the plant. Some of this stuff does not break down into usable fuel, which is Glucose, before it gets to the colon, and often not even there. But once the cells of your gut notice the presence of Fiber, the halal gets into its springtime. Your guts' response to Fiber goes something like this: “Oh, it's Christmas time! Let's brew some beer!” And the fermentation begins.
This is how you get the calories from Fiber which are not exactly the same as calories from sugars. In fact, even though Fiber is found in carbohydrate foods, your body treats Fiber as 'good' beneficial fats coming to your service as products of fermentation in the colon. When Fiber reaches the colon, it brews lactate and a certain type of fat called Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs) most commonly acetic, butyric, and propionic acids. Short-chain fatty acids aid in the proliferation of mucosal cells that produce mucus for lubrication. It's like a gel which moisturises stool as well as nourishes and protects the intestinal lining of the intestines. Theses fats become the sources of energy which contribute to Glucose metabolism.
One particular SCFA known as butyric acid has been researched as a therapeutic aid for patients with colo-rectal disorders (the problematic uncomfortable condition deep in the tummy). Butyric acid has repeatedly shown to help maintain the health and integrity of the colon and the immune system by preventing disease-causing bacteria from surviving in the intestinal tract. 2 other Short-Chain Fatty Acids produced during fermentation, propionic acid and acetic acid, are used as fuel by the cells of the liver and muscles and may be responsible for the cholesterol-lowering effect.
Why Do We Need Fiber
Research suggests that high-Fiber diets are excellent when it comes to all metabolic functions. Fiber may help you
- Lose weight
- Improve digestion
- Boost immunity
- Facilitate nutrient absorption
- Provide anabolic environment for new cells and tissues to grow
- Speed up recovery from illness
- Help you recuperate faster from exhaustive exercise
- Curb sugar cravings and blunt appetite
- Provide bulk for the foods and thus increase satiety
- Reduce any food's Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load — the rate at which a food releases sugar into the bloodstream — by displacing quickly digesting carbohydrates (starches, sugars)
- Lower blood pressure
- Reduce rate of heart disease
- Assist in digestive disorders (lower rates of hiatal hernias, appendicitis, diverticular disease, constipation, irritable colon, bowel polyps, and haemorrhoids)
- Bind and flush cholesterol, carcinogens and undesirable chemicals from the body
- When Fiber is consumed from fruit, vegetables, beans, legumes, whole grains, brans and other nature-given fountainheads, they contribute essential nutrients (antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, essential proteins, fats, lignans and phytochemicals)
Of course, the role of Fiber in treating these diseases is not proven, but strong evidence supports increasing Fiber intake is a way to go if health is on your mind.
Before you read on about the many benefits of Fiber, there is 1 important consideration. The way our bodies handle all Fiber has a high price tag. Naturally, Fiber has no desire to leave your digestive tract, so every single organ, from your mouth down to the anus, has got to do a lot of labour to push the bulk out. Some Fiber goes through your entire system unchanged, binding toxins and waste products as it goes, and promoting healthy elimination. More than that, the fibrous bulky foods can be quite annoying – they actually sink down and stay in the intestines interfering with all the important communications between other nutrients and the absorption mechanism.
Fiber cleans your system.
Just like your muscles, your intestines need bulk. In both cases, the needed bulk should comes from Fiber. This complex carbohydrate helps with digestion and absorption by cleaning up the walls of your intestines from various harmful substances, toxins and many by-products of metabolism and enhances permeability of the internal protective 'skin'. Consuming Fiber creates the best anabolic environment in your body, because Fiber enhances nutrient absorption along the intestinal walls by helping to keep the walls free of undigested food.
The clean-up charity work from roughage flushes triglycerides and cholesterol from your body, improves blood lipid profile and thus eases the work of your heart. Your body not only becomes more efficient in absorbing every nutrient you eat, every supplement you take, but also does a better job in transporting these nutrients, oxygen, blood to the muscle cells. This leads to better and more efficient growth of muscle cells as well as naturally increases your metabolic rate.
Fiber helps to lose weight.
Fiber for fat loss, are you crazy? That's right folks, Fiber can actually help you lose fat. There is some evidence that "bulking up" could lead to slimming down. We all know that Fiber will help fight against heart disease, cholesterol, diabetes and colon cancer, but it also plays a role in fighting obesity. It is the new-age time-tested well-researched new thermogenic supplement. You can end the metabolic battle and repair fat-muscle-brain communication by eating more Fiber in your diet.
Depending on what exactly you try to achieve with eating, the best part or maybe the worst part is that the fibrous foods are almost like “negative calorie foods” which ask for energetic help to break down not only their own calories, but also to facilitate digestion process, thereby giving a tremendous natural fat-burning advantage.
First, many foods that are full of Fiber tend to be low in calories. Although most Fiber is found in foods rich in carbohydrates which have calories, Fiber and resistant starch yields few calories and doesn’t raise blood sugar levels to the same extent as simple sugars or rapidly digested starches. Insoluble Fibers typically contribute less than 1 calorie per gram and Soluble Fibers about 2- 3 calories per gram of carbohydrate, in contrast to proteins (4.0Kcal/g), digestible carbohydrates (4.0Kcal/g) and most oils (9.0Kcal/g).
In a recent study of more than 1700 overweight and obese men and women, those with the highest Fiber intake had the greatest weight loss over 24 months. 1 of the reasons that Fiber may have an impact on body weight is its ability to slow the movement of food through the intestines.
Fiber curbs appetite.
The irreplaceable carbohydrate curbs your appetite in several other ways. The 1 fascinating feature of Fiber is its effect on the brain. Eating fibrous foods balances levels of many appetite-related messengers, such as Leptin and CCK or Cholecystokinin, hormones that triggers a sensation of satiety in the brain. At the same time, Fiber lowers levels of appetite-stimulating hormones NPY and Ghrelin.
Fiber makes you eat less by making you feel fuller because fibrous foods are very much 'felt' – due to their heaviness, they drown like concrete and water. Fiber adds low-calorie bulk it makes you feel fuller with lesser calories consumed. The gel-like substance that Soluble Fibers form when they dissolve in water causes things to swell and move slower in the intestines. This increase in time that foods stay in the intestines has been shown to reduce hunger feelings and overall food intake.
Fiber eats calories for you.
Besides slowing down the digestion, Fiber can decrease the number of calories that are actually absorbed from the ingested food. Obviously, whenever fewer calories are taken in, or more are excreted, weight loss will generally occur. The way it works is that Fiber binds to other proteins, fats and other carbohydrates that are eaten at the same time and decreases their absorption. You can eat the same amount of calories as before, but if you get additional Fiber, your body will not assimilate all of them. As some researchers found, when dieters increased their Fiber intake from 18 grams to 36 grams a day, they absorbed 540 kJ or 135 calories less. If you do this daily for a year, you can 'burn' 49 275 calories in a year, and lose 7 kilograms of weight. All of this without going on a 'diet', or working out extra-hard.
Many nutritionists focus on the benefits of dietary fat for bodybuilding. But calorie for calorie, a high-fat diet is usually a lot higher in calories and may not as anabolic or conducive to gains in lean mass as a lower-fat and higher-carbohydrate diet. In excess, fat can contribute to poor heart health and increase the storage of body-fat. Fiber binds with some of the dietary fat and the mega calories in a meal and pulls it through your body. It was found that up to 5% of the fat in a moderately high Fiber diet is not absorbed because of Fiber's interference with the sites where fat gets into your system. This may even be a good thing for anyone who watches their triglycerides and cholesterol levels, given that 63% of men and 47% of women are overweight.
If you're eating a fattier cut of steak, or dairy products such as cheese, yogurt or whole milk, eating a green salad can help neutralise some of the extra fat calories. Other option is to eat Fiber-rich cereal grains with whole milk or full-cream yogurt which is a lot more satisfying and has more protein and other compounds your tissues can use in a beneficial way. Even if you're eating low-fat protein foods, adding Fiber-rich veggies or ending a meal with a piece of fruit offers fat-fighting benefits.
Fiber burns calories – no exercise required.
There is more to Fiber than caloric flush and added negative calorie bulk. Even though the presence of Fiber in your stomach seems to be brief, the amount of work it demands from your entire system is tremendous. It's obvious that vegetables are great for all dieters, including bodybuilders who want to rip up and lose weight. But the reason is not as intuitive. Yes, vegetables are healthy, but they have a thermic effect greater than any other food. This means they require more energy for digestion and metabolism than they can provide.
For example, if you were to eat a stalk of celery, it will require about 150 calories to digest while fuelling your body with only 15. This will burn about 135 calories. 3 cups of broccoli yield only 75 calories. That's a lot of chewing for very few calories. On the other hand if you were to take in junk or empty foods, something like sponge cake, soft drink, or an ice-cream, all of which have no Fiber at all, you will be spending fewer calories on digestion while downing a miraculous number of calories from a smaller serving. What's even worse, the so-called 'positive calorie foods, consisting mostly of sugar and fat, are extremely easy to overeat – they just plunge down your throat without trigging a sensation of fullness.
Fiber controls blood sugar levels, prevents Insulin Resistance and Diabetes.
Research has shown that high-Fiber diets can help prevent non-Insulin dependent Diabetes Type II. Fiber has been found to produce significant reductions in blood sugar in 33 of 50 studies testing it. In clinical intervention trials ranging from 2 to 17 weeks, consumption of Fiber was shown to decrease Insulin requirements in people with Type II Diabetes.
A German clinical trial reported that eating Fiber-enriched bread for only 3 days improved Insulin sensitivity in overweight and obese women by 8%. If the subjects were able to achieve such astounding results after a diet intervention this small, you can imagine what years of following a high-Fiber diet, filled with vegetables, fruits and whole grains would do.
The good news for those with Diabetes is that increasing your Fiber now can also prevent long-term complications from Diabetes, such as heart disease, obesity, unmanaged appetite and hormonal disturbances to name a few. In case you don't have Diabetes, it doesn't mean you are completely immune from getting it. In fact, more and more people now go undiagnosed with Insulin Resistance which is a sure way to getting Diabetes if Insulin is not taken care of. If you have ever had to inject yourself with Insulin, you can appreciate how much easier and less painful it would be to increase your Fiber intake to avoid the need for Insulin injections.
Fiber lowers The Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load of anything you eat.
Another terrific weight-loss touch of the Fiber is that you don't have to count your calorie intake with every bite, take appetite-suppressant supplements or worry about Insulin and blood sugar spikes. You can even forget about the satiety factor – naturally!
The size of starch granules in foods influences the gelatinisation of the molecules. The larger the particle size, the longer it takes to be broken down in the stomach. When cereals are ground or milled, the size of the starch granules is greatly reduced making it much easier for water to be absorbed to bursting point which increases the surface area available for digestion enzymes to attack. This is why cereal foods without Fiber from fine flours tend to be digested and absorbed faster than whole-grain products.
The problem with modern processed grains is that they take less time to be metabolised, elevate blood sugar levels rapidly and have high GI factors (GI is known as Glycemic Index and refers to the rate of blood sugar elevation after a meal; the higher and faster blood glucose goes up, the greater the GI number). If the Fiber surrounding a starch granule is still intact it can act as a physical barrier to digestion thus keep your blood sugar levels even and maintain a low GI factor of food. Viscous Fiber also thickens the mixture in the digestive tract slowing down the passage of food and thus slowing down digestion. This will also minimise any potential damage from poring additional calories to your over-worked liver which likes turning simple sugars into fats. Instead, the liver will slowly convert calories to glycogen and give you powerful muscle energy when you are about to hit the gym.
At times when your sweet tooth cravings are hard to resist, you may still have your cake and eat it too, as long as you sprinkle some bran on top. When you add fibrous food to anything else, even simple sugars, you naturally lower the blood sugar response and release of Insulin from these carbohydrates. They do so by interfering with enzymes that hydrolyse starches into sugars and impeding the diffusion of sugars from the intestine into the blood stream.
So, eating Fiber-rich foods lowers the Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load of the entire meal and has a dual role in keeping the blood-sugar response to a minimum. In the short term, this is a great way to prevent your fuel tank from going through peaks and valleys. In the long term, eating more Fiber will improve your Insulin sensitivity and make all body cells more responsive to all foods and the calories they contain. What's more, your muscles will learn to use the ingested sugars for energy, instead of converting these into fats and depositing in various parts of the body, even later on when the Fiber's immediate affect is not present.
Fiber works on your hormones creating anabolic environment.
A high-Fiber diet may be just what the doctor ordered to get your hormones under control. Many bodybuilders are aware that Testosterone is a terrific anabolic hormone which helps them build muscles. Oestrogen, on the other hand, is notorious for making your body store body fat typically in the belly and chest, feminization of the man's body with loss of virility, ageing related andropause, prostate enlargement, increased risk for cancer of breast in women and prostate in men, atherosclerosis and other heart-related diseases. Of course, bodybuilders have known about the need to manage Oestrogen for years. But what they have not realised is that they do not need synthetic drugs to do it – Fiber-rich foods, along with various vitamins and minerals can do a swell job!
Fiber flushes out excess Oestrogen from the body. Why? First, because Fiber increases the amount of time when stool remains in the bowel, it produces additional good bacteria. The longer you wait, the more Oestrogen is absorbed by this bacteria which is then naturally excreted with stool. Additionally, there is scientific confirmation that some Fiber-rich vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, contain compounds called indoles. Indoles can lead to slightly lower levels of Oestrogen in males. Reducing Oestrogen in turn leads to less water retention and ever-so-slightly higher levels of testosterone. And that can help you look harder when you diet. There may be many causes of Oestrogen dominance in both men and women, such as deficient diets, low intake of Omega-3 Fatty Acids and high consumption of alcohol. Ageing is associated with changes in Oestrogen metabolism.
Fiber makes tummies happy.
 "Roughing" up your diet can be the key to healthier bowels, especially when constipation is the problem. Although what constitutes constipation is not well established, diets that increase the number of bowel movements per day, improve the ease with which a stool is passed, or increase stool bulk are considered beneficial. Studies have shown that a high-Fiber diet (particularly fruit and vegetable Fiber) help to prevent diverticulosis and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and will decrease the risk of complications if you have it. Although the mechanism by which Fiber may be protective against diverticulosis is unknown, several hypotheses have been proposed.
For example, some scientists report that Fiber helps by decreasing transit time, increasing stool weight, and decreasing pressure within the colon. The bulk that Fiber provides is thought to help prevent the painful spasms often associated with IBS and aid in comfortable regularity.
There is still a great deal of debate about the role of Fiber in preventing colon cancer. The studies that look for connections with people's diets and their health have seen a trend in low-Fiber diets and people with colon cancer. Some studies that tried to prevent colon cancer or polyps by putting people on high-Fiber diets did not find the same protective relationship.
Both Soluble and Insoluble Fibers are necessary for regular bowel movements, but only with the consumption of an adequate fluid intake. High amounts of Fiber, without fluids, can aggravate, rather then alleviate constipation. The way to go is to eat foods high in both Soluble and Insoluble Fibers and drink lots of water to flush it down.
Fiber helps to prevent heart disease.
One of the best things that you could do on your own to protect your heart is to follow a high-Fiber diet. Numerous studies have produced compelling evidence to support this. In a Harvard study of over 40,000 male health professionals, researchers found that a high total dietary Fiber intake was linked to a 40% lower risk of coronary heart disease, compared to a low-Fiber intake. If you simply switch from eating white bread to whole wheat bread you may save your heart and extend your healthy life. This is the conclusion from a study of over 31,000 California Seventh-day Adventists who reduced their risk of a nonfatal coronary heart disease by 44% and showed an 11% reduced risk of fatal coronary heart disease from this bread change.
Another strong predictor of heart disease is abnormal blood cholesterol, LDL, and/or HDL levels. You may have heard that if your levels of LDL (“bad” cholesterol) are a lot higher than your levels of HDL (“good” cholesterol), chances are that the wrong waxy substance, which cholesterol is, will clog your arteries. It appears that Soluble Fiber reduces the absorption of cholesterol in your intestines by binding with bile so that the body excretes it. The best sources of Soluble Fiber, the oat bran and bean Fiber, along with a low-fat diet were used in the intervention trials. The results showed that reductions in total cholesterol levels ranged from 8-26%. Other studies have shown that just a spoon (5 - 10 grams) of Soluble Fiber a day decreases LDL cholesterol by about 5%.
The extremely interesting part is that all of these benefits will occur regardless of changes in dietary fat. In a trial with low fat and low fat plus high Fiber groups, the group consuming high Fiber exhibited a greater average reduction (13%) in total cholesterol concentration than the low fat (9%) and the usual diet (7%) groups. It seems that you don't have to change everything to gain something.
Recommendations for Fiber
Fiber is a truly underestimated and under-appreciated bodybuilding nutrient. Regardless whether you are eating for fun, pleasure, because your clock or stomach tell you to do so, or you want to nourish your cells and give them what they thrive on, there are many reasons you should include more Fiber in your diet. Fibers:
All healthy individuals should take in at least 25 grams of Fiber each day. Bodybuilders need to strive for 35 or more. Feel free to use a Fiber supplement in addition to Fiber from natural sources.
Increase Fiber slowly.
Eating more Fiber can cause some problems at first. If your current Fiber intake isn't up to par, increase it gradually. Don't go overboard - more is not always better, so try not to eat more Fiber than your body can comfortably handle. There is no Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) set for Fiber, which means that there is no cap on how high you can go before it causes any damage.
The best way to begin is to figure out how much Fiber you are currently eating each day. Once you know your number, you can begin to slowly increase how much you are eating until you reach your recommended amount. Pay attention to how your bowel movements are responding to your Fiber intake, and speak with your physician if you have any questions. Increasing too quickly can lead to gas, bloating, and/or diarrhoea Add about 3 grams a day per week until you reach the desired daily amount. By including a few grams of Fiber with each meal, you greatly improve digestion and the desired effects of carbohydrate, dietary fat and protein utilisation.
Ease the intestinal gas (belching, bloating, flatulence).
 We all need to eat more Fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains, but what can be done if they give you gas? Everybody has gas, and we pass it about a dozen times a day. The gas we burp out or pass it on into the small intestine comes when we take air in when we eat, drink, talk, laugh and chew gum. We also produce gas when bacteria in the large intestine break down indigestible components of food, especially Fiber and food sugars. That gas leaves the body via the rectum. Most is odourless, but some gas contains sulphur When it does, you and those around you know it.
Most of the foods that cause gas are high in Fiber, but they are also high in nutritional value. However, it doesn't make sense to eliminate them from your diet. Plus, people tolerate foods differently - beans may give you gas, for example, but grainy cereals may leave you totally unaffected. The opposite can be said about your partner.
Aside from some medical conditions, the presence of gas in the body is normal and harmless. It may be uncomfortable, though. The pressure from gas in the stomach or intestines can cause pain at times, and sulphur emissions can cause funny looks and embarrassment.
If you tend to get bloated or gassy from raw veggies and/or beans, take Beano with your meal and charcoal after a couple of hours. It will greatly reduce these side effects and make eating much more pleasurable. Be sure to check the ingredients to see if it's okay for you to take.
From personal practice, I suggest to skip Fiber before and after workouts when the ultimate goal of food is to stimulate muscle recovery and growth. Fibrous foods may impede proper nutrient absorption, not to mention flatulence. At these times you want to get glucose from easily digestible carbohydrates and amino acids from proteins into the blood as fast as possible.
Drink more water.
A high Fiber diet may not prevent or cure constipation and may actually make it worse unless you drink enough water every day. Remember, Fiber absorbs and expels liquids, so if you do not have enough fluids (preferably water) with your high-Fiber diet, you may end with the problem that you are trying to avoid: constipation. Some high Fiber breakfast cereals may have around 10g of Fiber per serve and if this cereal is not accompanied by enough milk, it may stay in your intestines for ages, building up stone-like pooh.
Get into the habit of drinking a minimum of 2 cups of a calorie-free beverage between each meal and you will avoid any unwanted problems.
Is there anything bad about eating Fiber?
The downside of eating too much Fiber is that you potentially offset your nutrient intake and positive calorie energy reserves, thereby cancelling out the effectiveness of your bodybuilding training. This is because you need calories to give you energy both for exercise and for recovering from exercise and this is not going to happen if most carbs you eat are filled with “nothings”, or have virtually no caloric energy in them.
Fiber interferes with digestion and absorption of most vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, and all kinds of other important anabolic material. The content of Fiber-rich foods binds to and flushes out of the system the anabolic and anti-catabolic amino acids, essential fatty acids, fuelling carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, all other supplements you take, such as Creatine, Glutamine, HMB, L-carnitine, Beta-Alanine. Your growing cells need all of these, not to mention the requirements of your heart, liver, brain, etc.
Despite these minor detrimental effects, a high Fiber intake is believed to be significantly beneficial overall. While high Fiber foods interfere to some extent with the absorption of some essential minerals and trace elements, if these foods come from Mother Nature, they are likely to provide you with extra minerals and trace elements, so the effect is not believed to be very significant for normal Western diets. Plant foods contain many vitamins, phytochemicals, trace elements, non-nutritional antioxidants and other substances that may be just as valuable as Fiber, or even more valuable. But the fact remains - to get all these other potentially beneficial chemicals you have to eat plant foods instead of relying on Fiber supplements, such as husks and pure brans.
Yummy Tips For Mixing Fibers
Always keep fruits and vegetables in convenient places for snacks. Keep frozen blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries in your freezer to add to cereal, dessert, shakes, or yogurt. Have cut-up veggies in small baggies available to take with you. Use them with a meal or as a snack whenever possible. The more variety, the more we eat, so have as many different veggies at 1 meal as you can. Try mixing fruits with your favourite foods. For example, add a banana or chopped dates to yogurt or cereal. Add bananas or pumpkin in baking sweet breads.
Select cold cereals with at least 4 grams of Fiber per serving. For example, Kellogg's Complete Bran Flakes® (5 grams), Kellogg's All Bran with Extra Fiber® (14 grams), General Mills Fiber 1® (13 grams), and Nabisco Shredded Wheat with Bran® (4 grams). Whole grain oatmeal are also great sources of Fiber and complex carbohydrates.
Forget white processed noodles - try whole grain pasta instead. Get in the habit of eating whole grain or buckwheat pancakes, breads, crackers, waffles, whole grain breads, bagels and muffins. Use brown rice, millet, or kashi instead of white rice. Experiment with whole grain flour instead of white flour in recipes. Try adding oat bran and wheat germ to breads, cakes, cookies, muffins, etc. Add vegetables and high-Fiber cereals to burgers and meat-loaf. Top desserts with bran cereal for added Fiber, flavour, and crunch.
Incorporate dried beans, such as kidney beans, into main dishes - they go with everything; put them in your salad, soup, or have them with your meals or snacks. Beans and legumes are great in soups and casseroles. Chilli with lean meats and beans, baked beans, and lentil soup are filling and rich in protein, not to mention they are excellent sources of Fiber.
Nuts and seeds are filled with essential nutrients and oils as well as being Fiber-rich. Sunflower seeds are rich in linoleic acid (known to reduce cholesterol deposits), iron, potassium as well as Fiber. Pumpkin seeds are a good source of vitamin A, calcium and iron. Flaxseeds are powerful antioxidants that can help boost your metabolism. Whole or ground flaxseed provides you with dietary Fiber that makes you feel fuller and Omega-3 fatty acids that can possibly curb cravings for sweets. Add flaxseeds, seeds, or nuts to your salad, soup, cereal, or yogurt. Sprinkle them on any dessert, shake, smoothie. Mix nuts and seed in baking recipes, or even into casseroles. Experiment and enjoy!
References
- Anderson JW, Ward K. Long-term effects on high carbohydrate, high Fiber diets on glucose and lipid metabolism: a preliminary report on patients with diabetes. Diabetes Care 1978;1:77.
- Anderson JW, Ward K. High carbohydrate, high Fiber diets for Insulin treated men with diabetes mellitus. AM J Clin Nutr 1979;32:2312.
- Anderson JW, Ferguson SK, Karounos D. et al. Mineral and vitamin status of high Fiber diets: Long-term studies of diabetic patients. Diabetes Care 1980;3:38.
- Anderson JW, Chen WJL, Sieling B. Hypolipidemic effects of high carbohydrate, high Fiber diets. Metabolism 1980;29:551.
- Anderson JW. High-Fiber diets for diabetic and hyper-triglyceridemic patients. Can Med J 1980;123:975.
- Kiehm TG, Anderson JW, Ward K. Beneficial effects of a high carbohydrate, high Fiber diet on hyperglycemic diabetic men. Am J Clin Nutr 1976;29:895.
- Story L, Anderson JW, Chen WJL, et al. Adherence to high carbohydrate, high Fiber diets: Long-term studies of non-obese diabetic men. J Am Diet Assoc 1985;85:1105.
- Schmidt LE, Klover RV, Arfken CL, Delamater AM, Hobson D. Compliance with dietary prescriptions in children and adolescents with Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. J Am Diet Assoc 1992;92:567.
Posted by Nina Danilyuk
|
Nutrition 
.png)
