Is More Fiber the Answer?
Resoundingly, yes. Keep in mind, though, that this fiber should be coming from naturally fiber-rich foods first and foremost. If all the fiber in your diet comes from a supplement, chances are good that your diet will be lacking in the vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that are also associated with weight loss and weight maintenance.
If you have made positive changes to your diet, and are consuming more fruits, veggies, legumes, and whole grains, then a fiber supplement is a positive addition. A fiber supplement will make meals more satiating, especially meals which are typically low in fiber (such as a protein shake), which will ultimately decrease the amount of calories consumed during a meal, helping to promote weight loss.
The point I really want to stress is that fiber is just one of many nutrients which work together to promote weight loss, weight maintenance, and health. The phrase “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” is a wonderful truism when it comes to a healthy diet. Vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains aren’t healthy just because they have fiber, or just because they are high in calcium, or just because they have metabolism-enhancing phytochemicals—they’re healthy because they have all of these things and because all of these things work together to create health benefits you simply can’t experience with individual nutrients!
Increasing the fiber in your diet by eating more fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains is the healthiest move you can make towards reducing belly fat, and more importantly, it creates habits that fight any future gains in belly fat as well.
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