"I already know fiber is good for us, Tara!"
You know some (lots?) of the benefits of fiber but did you know it also helps to protect your brain and keep toxins out and improve fat burning potential?
Here's the long story boiled down to 6 bullet-pointed steps....
1. Fiber Intake:
Soluble Fiber: When you consume fiber-rich foods, particularly soluble fiber found in foods like oats, legumes, fruits, and vegetables, this fiber travels through your digestive system largely undigested until it reaches the colon.
2. Microbiome Interaction:
Fermentation: In the colon, the soluble fiber becomes food for the beneficial bacteria in your gut. These bacteria ferment the fiber, breaking it down and producing SCFAs (like butyrate, acetate and propionate)
3. Production of Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs):
Role of SCFAs: SCFAs have several important roles:
Gut Health: Butyrate, for example, is a major energy source for the cells lining your colon and helps maintain a healthy gut barrier, preventing "leaky gut."
Anti-inflammatory Effects: SCFAs have been shown to reduce inflammation in the gut and throughout the body by modulating the immune system and inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Appetite Regulation: SCFAs also influence the release of hormones that help regulate appetite, like GLP-1 and PYY, which signal fullness and help reduce overall calorie intake.
4. Blood-Brain Barrier Protection:
SCFAs and the Brain: Some SCFAs, particularly butyrate, can cross the blood-brain barrier, a protective shield that controls what substances can enter the brain from the bloodstream. Once in the brain, SCFAs help to reduce neuroinflammation (think: depression, anxiety, mood + behavioral disorders -- in adults and kids) by suppressing the activity of microglia (the brain’s immune cells), which can become overactive in response to toxins and inflammation.
Strengthening the Barrier: By supporting a healthy blood-brain barrier, SCFAs help to keep harmful substances out of the brain, reducing the risk of neuroinflammatory conditions that can contribute to cognitive decline and mood disorders.
5. Reduced Toxins and Inflammation:
Detoxification: A healthy gut lining supported by SCFAs prevents toxins from leaking into the bloodstream ("leaky gut"). This helps to reduce systemic inflammation—a common driver of many chronic diseases, including weight loss resistance and insulin resistance.
Inflammation Control: By modulating the immune response and reducing the production of pro-inflammatory molecules, SCFAs play a crucial role in lowering overall body inflammation, which is closely linked to metabolic health.
6. Easier Fat Loss:
Improved Metabolism: Reduced inflammation and a well-regulated immune system contribute to better insulin sensitivity and metabolic function, making it easier for the body to burn fat and use glucose efficiently.
Appetite Control: With hormones like GLP-1 and PYY being regulated, you experience better appetite control, reducing the likelihood of overeating, which supports fat loss efforts.
Energy Balance: SCFAs help to balance energy expenditure by influencing metabolic pathways, further promoting a healthy weight.
TL,DR: the pathway from fiber intake to fat loss involves a complex interaction between your diet, gut health, and overall metabolic function. By feeding your microbiome with the right fibers, you can boost the production of SCFAs, protect your brain, reduce toxins and inflammation, and ultimately make fat loss easier. It’s a holistic approach that ties together nutrition, gut health, and metabolic health in a way that’s supported by the latest science. This is PART of the reason we focus on balancing our meals / days with enough fiber here at Tara Allen Health. It's not just because of appetite regulation or being regular in the bathroom ... there's a whole lot more to the story when you consider our microbiome and what they produce, blood brain barrier and gut health and how those things impact metabolic health and fat loss potential.
A few of my favorite ways to ensure I'm getting at least 30g of fiber a day (women need at least 25g daily but even that is too low in my opinion):
1. Every meal must include 5-15g fiber (and not all meals can be 5, lol)
2. I think of protein + fiber as 2 main characters in my meals
3. 2 T basil seeds get me HALF (15g) of my fiber needs. I sneak them into all kinds of things (yogurt, cottage cheese bowls, basil seed pudding, smoothies, homemade jam...)
4. Lots of fruit, veggies, legumes, nuts, seeds
5. Smoothies always get fiber added: besides produce, something like chia, flax, hemp, acacia
6. When eating pasta, I make varieties that are high in both protein and fiber like this one -- which has 15g per serving
7. Ditto ... for rice (15g of fiber per serving)
7. Protein bars sometimes as snacks as long as they have ingredients I'm ok with, truly have a decent amount of protein and fiber (these are a fav. lately - with 10g of fiber per bar)
Go feed that microbiome!
XO,
Tara
P.S. The cart opens for the September round of TRANSFORM: Body + Mind -- my 28-day metabolism-boosting course -- in 3 weeks! If you're already on the waitlist, you'll be getting notified first about being able to join AND I'll be sending you a discount code at that time. Woo hoo! This will be the last round of 2024 and for those of you who will be participating, I cannot wait to hear all about how your life changes when you feel incredible, strong, vibrant and sexy as you achieve your health + body composition goals. We do things in a WILDLY different way than what's out there. We focus on getting to the root of mitochondrial / metabolic health, inflammation and oxidative stress. By doing this, we can improve the function of all of our cells / organs and increase daily fat-burning (rather than dieting down to rabbit portions). Get ready for WILDLY different results too. ;-) Not on the waitlist yet? What are you waiting for?!?!