Getting Your Daily Fiber In

There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Foods on the Enlita program for natural weight loss that are high in insoluble fiber include nuts and seeds, green beans, zucchini, cabbage, beets, carrots, cauliflower, and tomato and apple skins. Grains, which we do not generally recommend unless they are low in gluten and/or properly prepared through soaking/lacto-fermenting, also contain insoluble fiber.

Foods on our program that are high in soluble fiber include oats, beans, peas, rice, barley, citrus fruits, broccoli, carrots, root vegetables, berries and apple pulp.

If you’d like to increase your daily fiber in your diet in order to aid your weight loss efforts, make sure to include lots of vegetables from the above lists, particularly raw and lacto-fermented ones, in your meals. Lacto-fermented vegetables are particularly good as they help to establish healthy amounts of good bacteria in the colon.

Fruits such as berries are high in anti-oxidants as well as good sources of fiber and we recommend them frequently on our meal plan. Prunes are well-known high fiber fruits often recommended for constipation, but take care with them as they contain a lot of natural sugar, Adding flax seeds is also recommended. You can add 1-2 Tb. of ground flax seeds to any smoothie or even to beet kvass. You may also add ground flax seeds to salads, or sprinkle them on soups before serving. Ground flax seeds can also be mixed into water and drank before bed (this usually allows you to have a bowel movement the next morning), or you can make grain-free, “raw” (dehydrated) crackers with them (see recipe below).

Another food that is a good source of fiber which you hear little to nothing about in the mainstream media and that you may want to try is coconut flour. Coconut flour contains no gluten, and retains some of the healthy coconut oils, as well. It is naturally sweet and is excellent for use in healthy desserts. Because it has no gluten and is so high in fiber, some adaptation needs to happen in recipes when you use coconut flour: there are some books available that deal only with cooking with coconut flour and you should seek these out or search for coconut recipes on the internet if you want to try it.

As an alternative to baking with it, coconut flour can be added to smoothies to increase the fiber content. Try adding it in small amounts at a time so the smoothie does not become too thick (see recipe below).

A daily fiber supplement may also be in order, but stay away from harsh fiber supplements that contain laxatives. These are irritating to the digestive system and will do you more harm than good. Also be aware that many commercial fiber supplements contain sugar or artificial sweeteners that might stall your weight loss efforts and will negate the healthy benefits of the fiber.  On the Enlita program, we recommend an all natural and gentle fiber supplement such as our Fiber Harmony.

Good Sources of Daily Fiber:

Fiber Fill is best taken 1-2 times daily 30 minutes before meals.

Flax crackers
2 cups whole or ground flax seeds (flax meal), soaked 4-6 hours

Optional additions:
1/4 cup Braggs Liquid Aminos or wheat-free tamari or salt to taste
1 cup almonds or pumpkin seeds
juice of 1 lemon
2 carrots, juiced or blended in a Vita-mix
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 cup parsley, chopped
1/8 cup cilantro, chopped
1/8 cup basil, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tb. fresh ginger, minced

Place soaked flax seeds or flax meal into a food processor or blender. Blend with enough water and whichever optional liquid(s) you are using to create a thick and smooth consistency. Add additional ingredients listed to taste and mix well. Spread mixture as thin as possible on your dehydrator trays with a teflex sheet on top. Keep your hands wet as this will help with spreading the flax seeds (or use a spatula). Score the crackers when you first put them onto the Teflex sheet so that they break along the lines later. Place in a dehydrator . Dehydrate at 115?F for 6 hours and then flip the mixture and remove the teflex sheet. Continue dehydrating until the mixture is completely dry, approximately 5-6 hours.

High Fiber Banana Berry Coconut Smoothie (2 servings)
½ cup coconut milk plus 1 cup water or 1 ½ cups plain organic yogurt or kefir
½ banana
1 cup frozen berries
1 ½  servings whey protein powder
1 Tb. ground flax seeds
2-3 Tb. coconut flour
1 Tb. coconut oil—optional

Place all ingredients into a Omega 8003 Juicer or blender. Blend until smooth. Add water/ice as necessary to produce desired consistency.

When you join the Enlita program, you will have access to our incredibly informative lessons and our delicious meal plan, with hundreds of health-promoting recipes, as well as weekly shopping lists to make your life easier.