Fat's biggest enemy: fat loss in phase 3 of our plan, you improve your waist-trimming efforts with fiber - Personal Trainer

Men's Fitness, May, 2002 by Joseph Wuebben

It helps prevent cancer, lowers your cholesterol and even keeps your pipes clean. It also helps you shave inches off your midsection in pursuit of that washboard look. No, it's not some expensive, synthetic creation of weird science. It's a natural element of food, and it's easier to get than blue balls at a Victoria's Secret fashion show. And even its name is aptly simple: fiber.

Once referred to as roughage, fiber represents the portion of plant-based foods that your body can't digest, a bulky mass that steamrolls through your digestive system virtually unaltered. Technically, fiber is a carbohydrate, though it has no calories or nutritional value. Despite this, fiber's role in overall health is crucial.

"Fiber is key to an active man's diet," says Susan Kundrat, R.D., sports nutritionist and owner of Nutrition on the Move in Urbana, Ill. "It can help you bulk up but stay lean at the same time. By eating more fiber, you're generally getting a good mix of foods--more grains, fruits, legumes and vegetables."

Fiber is found in two different forms: soluble and insoluble. The former variety--which dissolves in water and resembles a sticky gel--is present in fruits, oats, barley and beans, among other nutritious foods. Insoluble fiber is found predominantly in cereals and whole grains, as well as in fruits and vegetables (especially in the peels).

BODY BENEFITS

"Fiber-loaded foods" may sound like snack time at the Waif Model Academy, not something a guy looking to get big and ripped would need, but fiber can help you achieve a manly physique. Here's why.

Controls appetite: Insoluble fiber doesn't dissolve in water, yet it absorbs a good deal of fluid on its journey through your digestive tract, taking up more room in your stomach to create a feeling of fullness. "Foods high in fiber are usually low in overall calories," says Kundrat. "Thus, eating more fiber can fill you up more so than a low-fiber diet."

Moderates insulin: Soluble fiber is the one to thank here. After making its way to the stomach, it forms a protective coat in the stomach lining, moderating the delivery of sugar into the bloodstream so less insulin is released by the pancreas. And since insulin promotes the storage of body fat, the less you have floating around in your system, the better off your waistline.

Lowers estrogen: It's widely thought that fiber decreases your system's level of estrogen, a fat-storing hormone that, when present, contributes to a softer, less defined figure (explaining why women naturally have more body fat than men). Even the male body carries a certain amount of estrogen. "With more fiber you excrete more estrogen," says Julie Feldman, M.P.H., R.D., president and program director of Creative Nutrition & Wellness in Redondo Beach, Calif. "This not only decreases the risk of prostate cancer, but may also indirectly result in fat loss [and] contribute to a higher ratio of testosterone to estrogen." Which helps you put on muscle, which speeds up metabolism, which results in fat loss.

REGULAR OR IRREGULAR?

Fiber has health benefits that go beyond your exterior--way beyond.

Improves protein absorption: Fiber is an absolute necessity for anyone on a high-protein diet. Soluble fiber in particular slows the rate at which protein moves through your system, allowing your body more time to digest and absorb it. Instead of being excreted before it has a chance to be used, the protein goes directly to your muscles.

Prevents cancer and reduces cholesterol: As long as you're leaner, you might as well live longer and enjoy it. Both types of fiber work together to bind to and detoxify bile acids--known precursors of colon tumors and cholesterol formation--eliminating a variety of carcinogens and toxins from the body.

FIBER FACTS

Follow these guidelines for an effective fiber-boosting plan.

Consume 30 grams a day. Most men fall short of the recommended 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day. But don't try jumping up to this level overnight, or you'll be in for a long morning. A rapid increase in fiber can result in gas, bloating, diarrhea and general discomfort. Add between two and five grams a day until you reach 30 grams.

After you turn 30, your metabolism begins to slow. Compensate by consuming more fiber to move food through your body more swiftly. You want fat to go in and out, and increasing fiber intake will speed the process.

Get both kinds of fiber. Kundrat recommends a 50-50 split: "For decreasing body fat, go for insoluble fibers like cereals, whole grains, apples and bananas. To moderate cholesterol and blood-sugar levels, add soluble fiber like beans, peas, oats, barley and vegetables to your diet."

Spread it out. Instead of getting all your fiber in one meal, distribute it evenly throughout the day, shooting for eight to 10 grams of fiber per meal and adding fiber-rich snacks.

Choose whole foods. Fibrous foods render fiber supplements unnecessary. They also deliver other benefits, such as the antioxidants found in vegetables and the sustained energy derived from whole-grain and oat products.