• binds to cholesterol in the intestine, helping rid the body of it.
• absorbs and then eliminates bacterial toxins in the intestine.
• reduces the likelihood of getting diverticulitis.
• speeds the excretion of gallstone-promoting bile.
• supports the immune system by crowding out harmful bacteria in the colon.
• bulks up the stool and make it easier to pass.
Supplementing With Fiber
Fiber-rich foods include vegetables, nuts and seeds, fruits, beans and whole unrefined grains. During Induction, your primary source of fiber will be vegetables.( In later phases you will be introducing the other sources of fiber in the order aforementioned.)
How can you get the benefits of fiber without the carbs contained in these foods? The answer is supplementation. I recommend that you take one tablespoon of psyllium husks daily. Be sure to select a sugar-free product. You can also take one tablespoon of coarse wheat bran or flaxseed meal. Although it ' s derived from grain, coarse bran is pure fiber and therefore it too contributes zero to your carb count. Psyllium husks should be mixed with water. You can sprinkle bran over your vegetables or blend flaxseed meal into a shake.
Drinking the recommended eight glasses or more of water daily is also essential to avoid constipation. You need to accompany any increase in fiber intake with plenty of water.
Be aware that fiber is one place where less is more. Consuming too much can block mineral absorption because food simply doesn ' t stay in the digestive tract long enough for your body to extract valuable nutrients. Gas, flatulence or constipation can also result. If you haven ' t been eating significant amounts of fiber, increase your intake gradually to allow the intestinal tract to adjust. ==================================================================
The Carbs That Count
The fact that fiber is not converted to blood sugar makes for an interesting benefit for people doing Atkins, allowing you to sneak in a few extra carbs in the form of high-fiber foods. Let me explain what I mean by " sneaking," because it is most definitely not the same thing as cheating.
Let ' s compare a cookie made of white flour and sugar with a couple of fiber-rich crackers. Both contain 10 grams of carbs. But there the similarity ends. Eat the cookie and you ' ll send all 10 grams of carbs coursing into your blood stream. But when you chomp into the crackers( which have, say, 4 grams of fiber) only 6 of those 10 grams impact on your blood sugar. Basically, you can deduct the grams of fiber from the food ' s total carb count. I call the net number of grams, " The carbs that count when you do Atkins." In the case of those crackers, you got a 4-gram free ride.
Consider the possibilities! By merely choosing fiber-rich foods over their flab-inducing, refined counterparts, you can benefit your health and get more bang for your carbohydrate buck. And determining which carbs count is simple: Check the total fiber grams listed on the food label and subtract that number from the total grams of carbohydrate listed.( For more on how to read a food label, turn to Chapter 19)
To know how many grams of carbohydrate a portion of a certain food contains, you will likely need a carbohydrate gram counter. And so one has been provided for you in this book. An even more extensive version, continually updated, is available on our website at www. atkinscentercom.
56