DIETS
High-fiber diet
High-fiber diet
Diets such as the F-Plan Diet became popular
in the 1980s after Dr. Denis Burkitt connected
the benefits of traditional rural African diets
with their high fiber intake. The idea went out
of fashion as the focus moved to reducing carbs,
but it is now becoming popular again.
Benefits of a high-fiber diet
As a weight-loss plan, high-fiber diets reduce calories while increasing
fiber. The diet focuses on eating plenty of vegetables and whole grains,
so it fits with governmental guidelines on healthy eating and is
recommended by many dieticians. No food is off limits, and the foods
eaten can reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes, and other diseases
related to insulin resistance. However, some people find high-fiber
foods unappealing, which may make the diet difficult to stick to. If
water intake isn’t increased, it can cause short-term constipation.
What to eat
A high-fiber diet should contain lots of fruit
and vegetables (including skins and peels, where
possible), whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, and
pulses. By swapping to items like whole-wheat
bread and high-fiber breakfast cereals, you can
easily increase your fiber intake.
Well-known high-fiber foods range from 5 percent fiber
by weight (broccoli) to 15 percent (lentils) and also
include whole-wheat pasta, avocados, and peas.
Eclipsing all of these, however, are chia seeds,
which are 37 percent fiber, four-fifths
of which is soluble. That is why when
soaked in water, chia seeds dissolve
into a gloopy gel—a useful
consistency for desserts.
HIGH-FIBER FOODS
IS FOOD
WITH ADDED FIBER
AS GOOD AS FOOD
NATURALLY HIGH IN FIBER?
Producers may add fiber to
cereals, bread, yogurt, and other
products. Although the fiber is
less varied than natural fiber,
the beneficial health
effects are almost
the same.
Chia seeds soaked
in water form a gel
ONE STUDY FOUND
THAT PEOPLE LOST
WEIGHT SIMPLY
BY ADDING FIBER
TO THEIR DIETS,
CHANGING
NOTHING
ELSE!
B
R
E
A
K
F
A
S
T
L
U
N
C
H
D
I
N
N
E
R
A banana contains
about
1
/10oz (2–3g)
of fiber
Switch to
whole-wheat
bread for
sandwiches
Leave the skin on
fruit to maximize
fiber intake
BRAN FLAKES
BANANA
WHOLE-WHEAT
SANDWICH
S
N
A
C
K
DRIED
APRICOTS
PISTACHIOS
FIG
PRUNES
APPLE
US_198-199_High_Fibre_Diet.indd 198 18/01/2017 09:47
198 199
DIETS
High-fiber diet
Keeping regular
Fiber helps keep your gut healthy by
bulking out and softening your stool
and reducing the time it takes to pass
through the bowel. This can help reduce
constipation. Fiber is also prebiotic,
meaning it feeds beneficial gut bacteria.
These bacteria produce byproducts that
help keep our colon cells healthy and
protect against bacteria that can make
us ill by making the colon more acidic.
The bacteria also produce vitamins B
and K, which we can then absorb.
How does it work?
Fiber helps with weight loss in a range
of ways. It isn’t easily digested, so it
doesn’t provide many calories, but the
bulk makes you feel full quickly. High-
fiber foods also need a lot of chewing, so
you eat more slowly, meaning your body
can register you are full before you overeat.
Fiber-rich foods also travel slowly through
the stomach, keeping you full for longer,
so it is easier to resist unhealthy snacks.
Soluble fiber (see p.24) can even reduce
blood sugar spikes after meals, which helps
to avoid insulin resistance (see pp.216–17).
Stomach
Soluble fiber encourages the body to
use and expel cholesterol, reducing the
risk of developing heart disease. It forms
a gel when mixed with liquid in the
stomach. This helps slow the release
of sugar into the bloodstream, avoiding
the sugar rush that is common after
eating low-fiber carbohydrates.
Colon
Fiber passes through the stomach and small
intestine relatively unchanged, but in the colon,
some types are fermented by bacteria. Although
this produces embarrassing gas, it also generates
beneficial products including some vitamins and
short-chain fatty acids. Over time, the gut adapts
to a higher-fiber diet and flatulence decreases.
LARGE INTESTINE
S
T
O
M
A
C
H
Food is churned
in stomach for
several hours
Gases
produced by
fermentation
Soluble fiber slows
sugar absorption in
small intestine
D
I
N
N
E
R
FIVE BEAN CHILI WITH
BULGAR WHEAT AND
BROCCOLI
L
A
R
G
E
I
N
T
E
S
T
I
N
E
Large molecule of
fiber being broken
down by bacterial
fermentation
S
N
A
C
K
Broccoli provides
vitamins as well as fiber
BLO
OD
STR
EAM
Bacteria lining wall
of intestine
F
O
O
D
I
N
S
T
O
M
A
C
H
F
O
L
D
E
D
W
A
L
L
O
F
I
N
T
E
S
T
I
N
E
Products of fermentation, including
vitamins K and B, enter bloodstream
Short-chain
fatty acid
produced
by bacteria
S
M
A
L
L
I
N
T
E
S
T
I
N
E
US_198-199_High_Fibre_Diet.indd 199 03/02/2017 10:21
198 199
DIETS
High-fiber diet
Keeping regular
Fiber helps keep your gut healthy by
bulking out and softening your stool
and reducing the time it takes to pass
through the bowel. This can help reduce
constipation. Fiber is also prebiotic,
meaning it feeds beneficial gut bacteria.
These bacteria produce byproducts that
help keep our colon cells healthy and
protect against bacteria that can make
us ill by making the colon more acidic.
The bacteria also produce vitamins B
and K, which we can then absorb.
How does it work?
Fiber helps with weight loss in a range
of ways. It isn’t easily digested, so it
doesn’t provide many calories, but the
bulk makes you feel full quickly. High-
fiber foods also need a lot of chewing, so
you eat more slowly, meaning your body
can register you are full before you overeat.
Fiber-rich foods also travel slowly through
the stomach, keeping you full for longer,
so it is easier to resist unhealthy snacks.
Soluble fiber (see p.24) can even reduce
blood sugar spikes after meals, which helps
to avoid insulin resistance (see pp.216–17).
Stomach
Soluble fiber encourages the body to
use and expel cholesterol, reducing the
risk of developing heart disease. It forms
a gel when mixed with liquid in the
stomach. This helps slow the release
of sugar into the bloodstream, avoiding
the sugar rush that is common after
eating low-fiber carbohydrates.
Colon
Fiber passes through the stomach and small
intestine relatively unchanged, but in the colon,
some types are fermented by bacteria. Although
this produces embarrassing gas, it also generates
beneficial products including some vitamins and
short-chain fatty acids. Over time, the gut adapts
to a higher-fiber diet and flatulence decreases.
LARGE INTESTINE
S
T
O
M
A
C
H
Food is churned
in stomach for
several hours
Gases
produced by
fermentation
Soluble fiber slows
sugar absorption in
small intestine
D
I
N
N
E
R
FIVE BEAN CHILI WITH
BULGAR WHEAT AND
BROCCOLI
L
A
R
G
E
I
N
T
E
S
T
I
N
E
Large molecule of
fiber being broken
down by bacterial
fermentation
S
N
A
C
K
Broccoli provides
vitamins as well as fiber
BLO
OD
STR
EAM
Bacteria lining wall
of intestine
F
O
O
D
I
N
S
T
O
M
A
C
H
F
O
L
D
E
D
W
A
L
L
O
F
I
N
T
E
S
T
I
N
E
Products of fermentation, including
vitamins K and B, enter bloodstream
Short-chain
fatty acid
produced
by bacteria
S
M
A
L
L
I
N
T
E
S
T
I
N
E
US_198-199_High_Fibre_Diet.indd 199 03/02/2017 10:21
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