What comes to mind when you think of weight-loss-friendly carbohydrates for me is high volume or high fiber plant foods that induce satiety and fullness and help slow down the release of sugar into the bloodstream amidst digestion.
Fiber supports gut health. Your body absorbs nutrients and regulates hormones better with better gut health.
Fiber works well with probiotics because of the symbiotic effect. Then mention R's KOSO at the end...
Before you cut out carbohydrates as part of your weight loss plan, please learn about the different kinds of carbs that exist in food, because some of them can actually aid long-term weight management!
Carbohydrates and weight loss
To achieve weight loss, there needs to be an overall caloric deficit created either by consuming less overall calories, expending more calories than consumed, or a combination of both.
For most people attempting to lose weight, the first source of calories they will cut is carbohydrates-rich foods, such as pasta, bread, and potatoes. However, within carbs there are two specific varieties that actually help with weight loss and a healthy lifestyle:
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Prebiotic fibers
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Soluble fibers
Prebiotic fiber
This type of fiber, also known as fermentable fibers, like all other fibers is not able to be used in the human body for energy. We lack the enzymes to adequately break it down. However, prebiotics is very useful for feeding the 100 trillion bacteria that reside in our gut. They are symbiotic microbes in the large intestine that can use prebiotic fiber to produce energy for themselves and nutrients for us. (1,2)
And when we feed the gut flora, we can help the good bacteria thrive, which studies have found influences weight management and body fat index. (1)
Prebiotic fiber can be found in foods, such as oats, barley, artichokes, leeks, onions, and R’s KOSO. R’s KOSO not only contains healthy prebiotics, but it also replenishes your gut flora with probiotics and postbiotics.
Soluble fibers
This type of fiber is also not used for energy for humans, but in our gut, it dissolves in water to form a viscous gel. This gel helps to slow the transit of food from your stomach to the small intestine, which can help increase the feeling of fullness that lasts for hours. (3) Additionally, research has linked this type of fiber with appetite reduction, and that can be a useful tool to consume fewer calories without feeling starved. (4)
Soluble fiber can be found in foods, such as oats, peas, apples, barley, psyllium.
Can fiber aid weight loss on its own?
The research done so far on the effects of only adjusting dietary fiber consumption to lose weight is unclear. The data suggests using fiber along with other weight-loss strategies, such as eating a whole-food diet, managing stress, exercising regularly, and sleeping well. (5)
Because weight loss requires a lifestyle change for optimal, sustainable results, fiber is one tool that you can use in your healthy journey.
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Author
Keren Chen | CBT Nutritionist
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