Is High Fiber Ok On A Low Carb Diet?

If you have decided to follow a low-carb diet, whether you want to lose body fat, stabilize your blood sugar levels or improve your blood lipid profile, you will need to eliminate or limit foods like bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, starchy vegetables, fruits, baked goods, sweets and desserts. These foods have a high carb content, but constitute some of the main sources of fiber on the standard American diet, especially whole grains and fruits. Even though you do not eat these foods on your low-carb diet, you can still maintain an appropriate fiber intake to ensure the regularity of your bowel movements. Always consult with your doctor before changing your diet.

Carbohydrates and Fiber

Fiber is part of the total amount of carbohydrates, which also include starch and fiber. The total amount of carbohydrates corresponds to the sum of the grams of starches, sugars and dietary fiber. Both sugar and starches have the ability to raise your blood sugar levels, stimulate the release of insulin and provide calories to your body, but fiber does not. This is why low-carb dieters often track their net carb intake, rather than their intake of total carbohydrates. The net carb content of a food can be obtained by subtracting its fiber content from its total carbohydrate content. In the case of a slice of whole grain bread, the net carb content corresponds to 13.3 g.

Nonstarchy Vegetables

Nonstarchy vegetables are a good way to include plenty of fiber in your low-carb diet, while limiting your carb intake. Try including 1 to 2 cups of non-starchy vegetables at each of your meals to meet your fiber requirements, which corresponds to 25 to 38 g a day for adults, according to the "2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans." For example, 2 cups of lettuce contains 2.0 g of carbs and 1 g of fiber, which corresponds to a net carb content of only 1 g. A serving of 1 cup of chopped broccoli contains 11.2 g of carbs and 5.1 g of fiber, or 6.1 g of net carbs.

Nuts, Seeds and Bran

You can also obtain significant amounts of fiber from low-carb foods like nuts and seeds. For example, 1 oz. of almonds, or about 23, contains 6.1 g of carbs and 3.5 g of fiber, or 2.6 g of net carbs; 1 oz of sunflower seeds contains 6.8 g of carbs and 2.6 g of fiber, or 4.2 g of net carbs; and 2 tbsp. of peanut butter has 6.9 g of carbs and 2.6 g of fiber, or 4.3 g of net carbs. A tablespoon of ground flaxseeds contains 2.0 g of carbs and 1.9 g of fiber, or 0.1 g of net carbs.

Staying Regular

There is no problem in keeping a high fiber intake while following a low-carb diet, especially if you choose low-carb sources of fiber from non-starchy vegetables, nuts, seeds and bran. Maintaining a high fiber intake will help you keep regular bowel movements, which can sometimes be a problem for low-carb dieters, especially when getting started. In addition to choosing low-carb, high-fiber foods, you should also drink a minimum of 64 oz. of water every day as dehydration is a common cause of constipation in low-carb dieters. Moreover, being physically active can help with your regularity. Try at least going for a 30-minute walk most days of the week.