The world went crazy for the keto diet – the low-carb, high-fat approach credited with helping women drop excess pounds while enjoying decadent foods like chocolate pudding and bacon. Can it have any better? Works out, it may!
Naomi Whittel, Nutrition expert and author of Glow15 (Buy on Amazon, $13.43), has discovered the surprising secret to making the keto diet much more effective: “I have been following a keto diet for two years, and I cut out a lot of my personal favorite fiber-rich fruits and vegetables because most professionals believe that fiber can disrupt fat burning. But I missed those foods, and I felt enjoy it couldn't eat well to scrimp on fiber for so long,” she shares. “So I added fiber back to my diet – simply to find out if I could without stalling my weight loss. I had been surprised and thrilled when I felt great and finally lost the really stubborn pounds which i thought would never appear!”
The Keto Fiber Secret
“Fiber feeds the good bacteria within the gut, and those bacteria create a short-chain essential fatty acid called butyrate. This compound can lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation and induce fat burn,” explains Raphael Kellman, MD, author of The Microbiome Diet. “Butyrate activates the genes that boost metabolism.”
Indeed, according to Canadian scientists, adults who've more butyrate in their system produce 5 times more ketones compared to those who have 'abnormal' amounts of butyrate. Ketones, in turn, power up your body's fat-burning engines and flip the genetic switch that instructs cells to burn body fat. Another boon: Plant-based high-fiber foods are rich in alkalinizing minerals. And researchers in the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom are convinced that your body produces even more ketones in an alkaline state.
Fiber also makes sticking with a keto diet effortless. “A large amount of women experience flu-like symptoms and constipation on the keto diet,” explains Whittel. “But by giving plenty of electrolyte minerals and keeping the bowels moving, fiber eliminates those symptoms even as it maximizes the power of the diet plan.” Hunger can also be a problem for keto dieters because high-fat foods contain a large amount of calories in a tiny package -they simply don't take up much room in the stomach. “But fiber comes in a bigger package. It fills the stomach to help control hunger,” says Dr. Kellman. “Your appetite is going to be stable, and your desire for processed foods will rapidly diminish.” In fact, one study discovered that eating more fiber-rich foods decreased appetite by 20 %. “I've been eating a high-fiber keto diet for 32 months, and that i never feel hungry,” says Whittel. “I can't believe how easy it's!”
Inspired by her own success, Whittel created a intend to share with others – and the results were astounding. Not only did the ladies in her own highfiber keto medical trial lose 117 percent more stomach fat than those who didn't consume a high-fiber keto plan, but they experienced incredible gains within their all around health. “They let me know, 'This changed my entire life,' and I get it because I feel the same way,” cheers Whittel, that has explained her plan and the amazing leads to High Fiber Keto.
Women saw dramatic improvements in blood sugar, blood pressure level, anxiety, and sleep. “We were shocked in the benefits they achieved in such a small amount of time.” Indeed, women in the trial reported that the plan was much better than they could have imagined. “I felt my energy go way up, and my mood improved too,” raves 46-year-old Florida mom Leslie Carvell, who lost two jean sizes in only 22 days. “It's actually as pleasing than my old way of eating.”
How It Works
Adding fiber to a keto diet nourishes beneficial bacteria in the GI tract, boosting their manufacture of butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that fires up fat burn. “This plan's designed to heal your metabolism so that you can lose weight and it off,” promises Whittel. “You'll help your body without hunger, without flagging energy, and with no uncomfortable symptoms typically linked to the keto diet.”
Before you start, Whittel recommends a five-day self-test. During this period, it's not necessary to improve your diet at all – simply track just how much fiber (in grams) on your table every day (begin to see the chart below or use a free meal-tracking app, like MyFitnessPal).
After 5 days, accumulate the grams of fiber you ate each day, then divide by five. In case your result is 20 or more, you can proceed to phase two. If your result is between 10 and 20, stay in Phase One for at least 5 days. In case your outcome is less than 10, follow phase one for at least 12 days.
Phase One: Get the fiber fix.
“At first, fiber and keto appear to be archenemies rather than a dynamic duo,” Whittel admits. “How can a low-carb plan include a lot of a carb-centric nutrient like fiber?” The key, she discovered, is to focus on foods that offer fiber in a fairly low-carb package, like nonstarchy veggies, berries, and seeds.
Phase One is all about introducing greater number of these foods until on your table a minimum of 20 grams per day. But don't try to do all of it at the same time:
“When you begin consuming more fiber suddenly, it can lead to gas, bloat, constipation, or perhaps diarrhea,” says Whittel. That's why you'll slowly increase your daily fiber intake, adding an additional three grams of fiber for your diet every 72 hours.
“If you are feeling any GI discomfort, slow down. You need to build up to eating a minimum of 20 grams of fiber every day before starting Phase Two,” cautions Whittel. “Go in a pace which works for you!”
Phase Two: Turn off the pounds.
During this phase, you'll transition right into a high-fiber keto diet for 22 days, cutting out most starchy carbs (like rice and bread) if you eat them, and adding plenty of fiber (such as the foods listed in the chart at left) and dietary fat (like essential olive oil and cheese).
“You'll enjoy the high-fat, low-carb foods allowed on typical keto diets,” says Whittel. “But you'll also eat delicious high-fiber foods that keep the belly full while helping the body burn fat.” The good thing: Unlike a traditional keto diet, which caps daily carb intake at 20 grams, you can eat around 50 grams of carbs each day on the high-fiber keto diet – so long you're also eating at least 20 grams of fiber.
To obtain the benefits, start every morning with a fat- and fiber-filled breakfast, blending MCT oil and seeds into smoothies, digging into full-fat yogurt with berries and nuts, or whipping up two-egg omelets with spinach, bacon, and cheese.
At lunch and dinner, build meals around three ounces of protein, like salmon or grass-fed beef, and two cups of nonstarchy veggies, like cauliflower and squash. To enhance fat burning, add healthy fats, like half an avocado or two ounces of full-fat coconut milk, in addition to two tablespoons fermented foods, like sauerkraut or yogurt.
Between meals and for dessert, enjoy fat-rich treats which contain fiber. These snacks could be simple (like celery spread with nut butter) or decadent (like keto-friendly fat bombs or chocolate chia pudding).
Keto-Fiber Diet Sample Day
Breakfast: Egg cups – Mix 1 egg, 1 Tbs. water, 2 Tbs. diced spinach and 1 Tbs. diced bacon into 4 greased ramekins. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 min.
Lunch: Broccoli Cheddar soup – Simmer 2 cups chicken broth and 2 cups broccoli for 15 min. Stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1 cup Cheddar.
Dinner: Bolognese – Inside a pan, warm 3 oz. browned ground beef, 2 oz. crushed tomato and 1 tsp. red wine vinegar. Serve over 1 cup zucchini noodles.
Lunch: Broccoli Cheddar Soup – Simmer 2 cups chicken broth and a pair of cups broccoli for 15 min. Stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1 cup Cheddar.
