Benefits of Fiber
Increase daily fiber consumption to 14-16 grams fiber for every 1,000 calories consumed, or about 30 grams for a 2,000 calorie diet. This is the single most important factor in reducing those calories and losing weight.
Target a ratio of approximately 70% insoluble fiber to 30% soluble fiber.
Gene Smart Principle: Increase Fiber
Every single person who participated in our study of the Gene Smart Diet will tell you that the single most important key to losing weight without hunger is dietary fiber. There’s something almost magical about dietary fiber and weight loss—although the results are no illusion. Studies confirm a direct relationship between the amount of fiber you eat and the number of pounds you lose.
Along the way, you’ll be reaping all of the rewards that come from following a high-fiber, protein-rich diet—you know, little things like lots more energy and lower disease risk. In fact, losing weight the Gene Smart way is sure to have a profound effect on your health because it will have a profound effect on your inflammatory profile. Remember, the more body fat you have, the more inflammation you have.
Fiber 101
The Gene Smart Program classifies fiber as a bioactive because it meets the definition of something that influences cellular activities to modify disease risk, rather than preventing deficiency diseases. Please note that it is not a nutrient in a classical sense, which is to say that it isn’t essential for life—a fundamental criterion for a nutrient.
So what is it? Dietary fiber is plant material that humans can’t digest; it’s not absorbed into the bloodstream to be used as energy, so nearly 100 percent of it reaches the colon. That’s why so many high-fiber foods are so low in calories.
Fiber comes in two forms: soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fiber passes through our intestines largely intact. It’s the insoluble type of fiber that takes the credit for fiber’s positive effects on constipation and digestive health, as it facilitates the movement of toxic substances through the colon in less time. Foods that are high in insoluble fiber include whole wheat breads, wheat cereals, wheat bran, cabbage, beets, carrots, brussels sprouts, turnips, cauliflower, and apple peels.
Soluble fiber forms a gel when it’s mixed with liquid, while insoluble fiber does not. The soluble form is thought to be primarily responsible for lowering total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the so-called “bad” kind), therefore reducing the risk of heart disease. It is also credited with regulating blood sugar for people with diabetes.
Foods that are high in soluble fiber include oat bran, oatmeal, beans, peas, rice bran, barley, citrus fruits, strawberries, and apple pulp.
On Gene Smart, you’ll get plenty of both kinds of fiber. In fact, you'll get not only the correct amount of fiber, but what is considered an optimal ratio of insoluble to soluble (approximately 70/30). Fiber supplements are also available, although we encourage you to get your fiber from whole foods whenever possible.
