The early Greeks possessed the solution for preventing constipation.  The ancient Aztecs held the secret for a healthy gut and in these days we all have access to the master key for eternal youth and weight-loss.  Here I will explain how by eating enough dietary fiber a day you can manage your body weight successfully and sustainably.

As a quick reference guide, fiber is that part of the fruits, seeds, vegetables, whole grains, and other edible plants that is not digested in the gastrointestinal tract by human digested enzymes, but it plays a very important role in the digestion process.  It is not a nutrient, but it is a form of carbohydrate that doesn’t count calories.

Dietary fiber refers to the two different types of fiber, soluble and insoluble and your body needs both.

1. Soluble fiber is the kind of fiber that turns into a gel in the presence of water. This process slows digestion for a more effective absorption of nutrients.  Soluble fiber is found in oat bran, barley, nuts, seeds, and all legumes as well as in some fruits and vegetables.  It can also be found in supplements such as in psyllium.

2.  Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water. Therefore, it helps food pass quickly through the stomach and intestine while it adds bulk to the stool and makes it softer for easy and effective elimination.  Insoluble fiber is found in foods such as wheat bran, vegetables, and whole grains.

Most foods contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, but they are usually richer in one type than the other. Therefore, in order for you to receive the miraculous health benefits of eating fiber:

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You must obtain its full benefits from a wide range of natural sources.

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Eating enough dietary fiber from a wide range of fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts can help you:

• Lose weight and maintain your healthy weight for life
• Prevent and reduce your risk of a heart attack
• Maintain healthy cholesterol levels
• Regulate blood sugar levels reducing your risk of diabetes
• Prevent and reduce your risk of cancer
• Maintain healthy regular bowel movements
• Protect and improve your immunity

In the Western world, people consume more food than their body’s biochemistry can take in a day to fuel the body with energy.  A percentage of this surplus energy – calories – is then stored as body fat.  In order to reverse this situation and experience weight loss effects in a healthy sustainable way, you need to supply your body with nutrient-dense foods in the right amount based on your daily energy requirements so that your body receives quality nutrients while it draws on its emergency stored surplus fat.

Therefore, having an adequate daily intake of  dietary fiber from nutrient-dense and whole living foods will help your body shed surplus fat in the following ways:

1. Your body will start to eliminate waste as well as getting rid out of toxins and fat through the bowel up to three times a day
2. Fiber will curb your appetite and make you feel fulfilled, reducing food intake
3. It will slow down the conversion of carbohydrates to sugar by stabilizing glucose in the bloodstream aiding in weight loss
4. You will eat more low-energy-density, fiber-rich foods, and less high-calorie foods.

This is why dietary fiber is an important component when it comes to preserving your gut health,  managing your body weight, and maintaining your overall health.  Eating fiber-rich foods offers physiological, psychological, and intellectual advantages as you will experience feelings of fulfillment, satisfaction, complete health, body lightness, youth, and joy.  The benefits of eating more dietary fiber start in the mouth, continue in the stomach, extend to the blood, and reach the colon to finally have a happily-ever-after end – healthy stools –  which are, to me, the clearest proof of a healthy gut.