POSTED ON 2ND DECEMBER 2010 BY BRODRICK KENT

Fibre, also known as roughage is essential for optimal intestinal health and plays a key role in weight management. Fibre is the residue of the foods we eat and causes peristalsis, the wave like contractions that move food through the intestines for passage of waste, as well as increasing transit time. Roughage also binds to estrogen and toxins eliminating them in the feces before they re-enter the blood stream and cause havoc.

Your appetite is actually controlled by fibre content, nutrient density and caloric density of certain foods; the single most overriding factor in the feeling of fullness in the stomach being physically full. The human stomach can roughly hold around 1 liter of food and can efficiently digest 450 to 500 calories at one time and it will need to be filled several times daily.

Keeping those figures in mind, the following chart is from Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s book Eat to Live where he illustrates a comparison of the caloric density of the stomach full of different foods. As you will see below it is easy to exceed your calorie needs when a diet is centered around refined foods and animal products, as these foods are void of any protective phytonutrients, ‘fibre’, as well as being calorie dense foods (weight promoting). Unlike fruits, vegetables, beans, seeds, legumes and whole grains in their natural state, these foods are fibre rich, nutrient dense and low in calories. 

• Oils ............................................ 4,100 calories 
• Potato chips ............................... 3,000 calories 
• Meat .......................................... 3,000 calories 
• Cheese ....................................... 3,400 calories 
• Fish ............................................1,400 calories 
• Beans ......................................... 500 calories 
• Fruit ........................................... 300 calories 
• Green Veggies ............................ 200 calories

Cultures who consume high fibre diets (40g+ daily) not only enjoy better overall health, but manage their weight with ease. Why is that?

 “The key to healthy weight loss is to reduce calories through a well-structured plant-based diet that is high in fiber and low in fat and calories. For every 14 grams of fiber consumed, calorie intake is reduced by about 10%. With 12 grams of fiber in the daily diet, you'll feel full at 2000 calories; increase to 26 grams of fiber and it will only take 1800 calories. At 40 grams of fiber daily, the average person will feel full at 1620 calories. By increasing fiber intake, weight loss will take place without hunger, deprivation or willpower.” Dr. Pam Popper PhD

 

It is important to note that an individual should not be concerned about counting calories, as a healthy diet should promote equilibrium. Calories are outlined above only to demonstrate your body’s energy needs, the energy value of certain foods and how poor dietary choices promote weight gain. However, when the correct foods are consumed on a regular basis (predominately unrefined plant based material), the fibre content within these foods would cause you to burst before you exceed your energy needs. Again, fibre dilutes calories and causes satiety (a sense of fullness), hence the need not to count calories when consuming a plant dominate diet.

Brodrick Kent 2/12/10