I recently asked several of my medical-nutrition colleagues if they could only track one nutrient/food measure, what would it be?
A few said carbs, as they were aiming for low carb intake, others said fat, as they had a specific fat level they recommended daily. I heard magnesium, as it is a super important mineral and 70% of people don’t get enough. Even omega-3 fats came up, as they have a very important anti-inflammatory role.
These are all very important nutrients to monitor, but when I look at what single indicator could have the most beneficial aspect on your health, I would pick…………………FIBER.
I’d pick fiber. Why?
- First, eating fiber makes you full and satisfied. From the National Weight Loss Registry, a study that tracks people who have lost more than 10% of their body weight and kept the weight off long term, the single nutrient that best predicts “successful” weight loss is fiber intake.
- Eating fiber improves blood sugar control and reduces insulin resistance. Basically, fiber binds sugars in your gut and releases them slowly into your bloodstream, rather than a blood sugar spike upwards stimulating excessive insulin production.
- Eating fiber binds to cholesterol and lowers LDL cholesterol levels. Eating more fiber from vegetables, fruits, beans and nuts also increases the size of the cholesterol particles, yielding big, fluffy LDL and HDL cholesterol that form less arterial plaque.
- Consuming the right fiber improves other cardiovascular risk factors too. Eating more fiber improves blood pressure control, decreases fibrinogen (a risk factor for blood clots) and lowers inflammation levels as well.
- Fiber is also great for helping to detoxify the body. Heavy metals and toxins bind to fiber and are eliminated through your waste.
Is There Good and Bad Fiber?
Fibrous foods come from carbs. The key is that you want low-glycemic load fiber sources, as in foods that don’t raise your blood sugar levels.
All fruits (except a banana, and processed fruits—like juice or dried or canned fruits) have a low glycemic load, meaning they don’t increase blood sugar levels significantly when eaten in a normal 1 cup portion.
Eating vegetables has a very minimal impact on blood sugar levels, except for the potato, which has a high glycemic load; sweet potatoes and little-boiled potatoes have a medium glycemic load and are better choices than mashed potatoes or baked potatoes.
Beans and nuts both have a low glycemic load. In fact, eating beans with rice or corn, or other high glycemic load foods will decrease their overall impact on blood sugar control.
Sources of fiber that increase your blood sugar levels should be avoided, or at least limited to occasional small portions. These include potatoes, rice, corn, and grains, especially any grain that has been processed into flour; consuming grain flour, including whole wheat flour, has the same impact on your blood sugar levels as if you ate table sugar instead.
Which Is Better, Soluble or Insoluble Fiber?
Insoluble fiber is found in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Eating more insoluble fiber prevents constipation, and is loaded with nutrients.
Soluble fiber is found especially in citrus fruits, vegetables, nuts, and oats. Consuming more soluble fiber improves cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
The bottom line is that you want both soluble and insoluble fiber, and you get both from eating a combination of vegetables, fruits, beans and nuts.
How Much Fiber Should You Get Daily?
30 grams of fiber is the minimum daily goal for adults. That is about 10 servings of fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts.
As an example, to get 30 grams in a day, you would want to eat:
- 3 cups of vegetables (three 4-ounce/110 gram servings)
- 2 fruits, such as 1 cup of berries or cherries (4-5 ounces or 120 grams) plus one apple, orange, or pear
- ½ cup of cooked beans
- 2 handfuls of nuts (2 ounces or 60 grams)
- 1 ounce of dark chocolate (30 grams)
If you don’t reach 30 grams daily, you can also take a fiber supplement in a smoothie or drink. A few examples of good sources of fiber include:
- Fiber-Blend 6 grams (per tablespoon)
- Psyllium husks (1 tablespoon) 4.5 grams
- Flaxseed (1 tablespoon ground) 2.5 grams
Sample Fiber Chart:
Below is a sample table with fiber sources. Pick the foods you like the best and aim to eat at least 30 grams of fiber every day.
I hope that you feel motivated to eat more fiber every day.
I wish you the best of health!
Steven Masley, MD, FAHA, FACN, FAAFP, CNS
Love this article. I have saved it and will try to follow your recommendations. I am committed to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and your emails are very helpful.
I have been following you since you spoke here in Reno. I love reading yours posts because you are not out to sell a product – it seems you truly care – and I look for integrity in people. Especially doctors. And I believe I have good discernment. Thank you.
What do you think about the Whole 30 program?
Thanks for your confidence.
For people with unexplained health problems, I always recommend a 30 day elimination diet–cutting out sugar, flour, grains (especially gluten), dairy, soy, eggs, alcohol, and avoiding all processed foods for 30 days. If you feel better, then aim to identify the foods that you are sensitive to and avoiding them long term. Yet, I don’t think everyone needs to avoid organic, non-GMO soy, or red wine, or eggs and yogurt long term. These foods have clear and established health benefits for people who are not sensitive too them.
Steven Masley, MD
Would you recommend these shakes or smoothies for a diabetic with very high blood sugars
Sharon,
Absolutely, the shake powders I recommend and the shake recipe ingredients are designed to improve blood sugar control.
Thanks for asking.
Steven Masley, MD
Excellent guidance! Practical and easy to understand. I have printed off the charts and have them on my kitchen counter!
I have diverticula disease. I just turned 60. I am very healthy, I exercise, take fiberwise daily. I feel I eat well but just had to go to urgent care with a fare up, infection in colon. I had this once before 9 years ago. Had a colonoscopy a year ago, removed a couple polyps. I live in fear of constipation and what just happened, infection in colon. Thinking of adding enzymes. Hoping that will help.
Hi Linda,
Digestive enzymes can help many digestive issues, but I doubt they would do much for diverticulosis. Far better would be to focus on getting more healthy fiber, and if you wanted to supplement with something else, I’d suggest a probiotic.
Steven Masley, MD
Thank you. This was very helpful. I have suffered with gut issues for 30 years. I have your book. Appreciate all your work and sharing your knowledge.
Dear Dr Masley,
Your work is more than excellent in term of medical & nutritional values but also in a very easy layman terms with human touch and feelings to express them. People without medical knowledge can understand them and follow them through very easily….. The value of fact speaks louder than the words. Great job, Dr Masley….
I enjoy reading them and learn from them and share your great work with all of my family, friends, colleagues even the very young kids.
You’re a 5 + stars doctor with a great heart for every one
I salute you from the bottom of my heart
stephen from SF
I think you should address resistant starch. Because it is present in green-tipped bananas, as well as potatoes, and does not impact blood glucose, that can influence choices.
Jo, This is a good question. I plan to write a more detailed blog on resistant starch in the next month.
Thanks SO much. Dr. M! The fiber chart is awesome to have on hand. Good health is just fibers away…
Robb Moss
Thank you so much for providing information without coercing a purchase.
I follow a healthy diet and am in excellent, but I need to gain weight not lose weight.
I am sure others beside myself would like to gain weight in a healthy way
Norah Knoblauch
If you are trying to gain weight, eat “extra” nuts, seeds, and nut butters, and use extra virgin olive and avocado oil liberally on your food. That would be a super healthy source of extra calories. Also, ensure you get a full set of strength training at least 2-3 times per week and eat adequate clean protein to help build muscle mass.
Steven Masley, MD
hello doctor, thanks for all the efforts you put in to make sure we live healthy balanced life.
now just a quick one , do we have to eat all the listed fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains everyday? or we can choose a few? thanks.
The beauty is that you can pick the ones you like. Just be sure to eat at least 3 cups of vegetables and 2 pieces of fruit (or a cup of berries) every day.
Steven Masley, MD
Thank You for this! Specific info is so very appreciated.
I think this is a good chart but the quantities should varies. I am 95 pounds and cannot eat as much fiber as those who weight 125 ponds! example I eat about 1ounce of nuts, 1 tablespoon of chia seeds and another of flax seeds.
I would like to see a chart for fat and more details on Omega 3….. I was told I should
take 1,500 units of EPA everyday but I do not want to take fish oil. What food should I eat to get 1,500 units of EPA?
Marguerite,
If you look at my past blogs, you will find detailed information about omega-3 fats, which are also mentioned in my latest books, The Better Brain Solution, and Smart Fat.
For the most part, EPA is only found in fish oil. If you are trying to avoid fish oil, but you want the benefits of long chain omega-3 fats, you can get a DHA supplement that comes from seaweed. For vegetarians, I recommend they consume about 500 mg of DHA daily. Of the long chain omega-3 fats, DHA is more potent at lowering triglyceride levels and lowering inflammation that EPA, and some of the DHA will convert into EPA. Keep in mind that the omega-3 fats in chia and flax seeds have a very low conversion to long chain omega-3 fats, at most a 7% conversion, so flax seed oil is not a reliable source for the most important forms of omega-3 fats.
Steven Masley, MD