F is for fiber, kids! The F-Factor Diet is about more than just keeping things moving, which will come as a relief to you. Tanya Zuckerbrot, a dietitian in New York City, developed an eating regimen based on the notion that increasing your intake of fiber, or what she refers to as the “miracle carb,” will help you lose weight and keep you lean.
The concept has some scientific support. “Fiber is a micronutrient that quickly makes us feel full and keeps us feeling that way for a very long time. According to Brigitte Zeitlin, M.Ph., R.D., a nutritionist in New York City, “this fullness keeps us from mindless snacking, and that can help boost weight loss.”
Aside from the possibility of weight loss, eating enough of it—something the vast majority of us do not—is simply healthy. According to a significant study published in the journal Lancet, people who consume the most fibre have a 15–30% lower risk of dying from a variety of illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and colorectal cancer, than people who consume the least.
Although that does have the potential to be miraculous, whether it will actually work for you depends greatly on your personal circumstances. What you need to know about the F-Factor and how to decide if it should be your forever diet are provided below.
- The F-Factor Diet is based on the idea that taking in more fiber will slim you down and keep you lean.
- The F-Factor asks you to eat even more than the recommended amount of fiber for women—35 grams—mostly in the form of all the healthy, fiber-rich foods.
- Experts say the F-Factor diet can help you lose weight, but that if you don’t want to have to depend on processed high fiber bars or powders, this isn’t the right plan for you.
what is fiber in the first place?
Simply put, soluble fibre slows digestion by attracting water and forming a gooey gel. You can find it in some fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts, oat bran, lentils, peas, and barley. It’s also in psyllium husk powder, which is probably what grandma uses to flavour her orange juice.
Insoluble fiber, which is present in vegetables, fruits, and wheat bran, gives your poop bulk and helps it collect waste as it passes through your GI tract.
They aren’t, so that explains it. Only 5% of us meet the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ recommended daily dietary allowance for women (men need 38 grams), in part because of the abundance of processed foods and refined carbohydrates consumed in America.
What is the F-Factor Diet?
The F-Factor requires you to consume even more fibre than the 35 grammes that are suggested for women, mostly in the form of all the wholesome, high-fiber foods listed above. Lean proteins are also included, and (after the initial phase-in period) it discourages the deprivation that crushes the hopes of so many dieters. Our method doesn’t deceive your body or shock it into going into semi-starvation. Giving your body what it needs to function as it should is really what routine maintenance is all about, according to the website.
The F-Factor is divided into three stages:
Step 1: The first step is to consume less than 35 grammes of net carbohydrates per day for two weeks. (The term “net carbs” refers to the amount of carbohydrates you consume less the amount of fibre you consume.) According to the book, this will help you lose weight faster, become more conscious of your eating patterns, and gradually increase your intake of fiber. You avoid starchy carbohydrates during this phase, limit fruit intake, stay away from dairy products, and make sure your protein is extremely lean.
Step 2: You eat 75 net carbs per day during this phase, which gives you more latitude. You may even drink a little alcohol.
Step 3: You are allowed to consume about 125 grammes of net carbs during the maintenance phase.
The book offers recipes, tips, and instructions on how to calculate net carbs, choose healthier foods, stay on track, and make the diet work for you until you reach your objectives.
Also Read ABout What Are the Side Effects of Intermittent Fasting?
But the F-Factor Diet is it healthy?
Yes, provided you do it properly. “I believe that eating more fibre is a good foundation for the F-Factor diet. It’s great because, as Zeitlin points out, eating more vegetables, whole grains, fruits, and legumes will help you lose weight, reduce your risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, or inflammation, and maintain a healthy gastrointestinal tract.
However, there are some potential problems, according to Lauren Slayton, R.D. M.S., co-founder of the New York City nutrition practise Foodtrainers. She argues that the diet should not include supplemental fibre products like high fibre crackers and cereals. “Fiber goods don’t. To move fibre through your intestines, you need water. Before coming to us, some of our clients had complained of bowel obstructions and impaction due to excessive use of supplemental fibre products. Fiber from whole foods is fantastic; however, fibre from products isn’t that great.
And if you start out with low fibre intake, increase it as Step 1 of the F-Factor programme suggests. According to Jaclyn London, M.S., R.D., author of Dressing on the Side, “can be, um, unpleasant for your colleagues, friends, and family, not to mention you.” Of course, she is referring to bloating, gas, and having to spend most of the day in the restroom. The fundamentals of the plan, according to London, are excellent, but she advises that some people should gradually increase their daily fibre intake so that “F” doesn’t stand for flatulent.
Are the F-Factor Diet’s claims exaggerated?
According to the F-Factor website, fibre adds bulk to foods, slows digestion, and satisfies hunger, all of which make weight loss easier.
However, according to Zeitlin, it also makes a few claims that could be deceptive. One example is that it claims fibre “absorbs calories.”
Has it? Yes and no, is the answer. Vegetables are extremely high in fibre and very low in calories, so if you eat more of them for fiber, you will inadvertently “absorb” fewer calories because of the lower calorie content of the food itself, according to Zeitlin.
However, she asserts that there are no magic food combinations that will eliminate calories. “You are still absorbing all the calories from the ice cream if you are pairing that fibre with ice cream—say, topping your ice cream off with some berries,” she claims. It doesn’t magically reduce the overall number of calories you consume from a meal.
Fiber “boosts metabolism,” it also states. It claims that although the human body is unable to digest fiber, it makes an effort and burns calories in the process.
Has it? however, notes that any calories your body uses up while processing food is a negligible portion of your overall metabolic rate, and depending on the caloric content of the high-fiber foods you consume, you may be able to counteract that boost.
The conclusion is that fibre is definitely a good thing, and most of us could use a lot more of it, but it won’t significantly speed up your metabolism. Working out or remaining physically active, eating regularly throughout the day (such as every 3 to 4 hours), drinking water, getting enough sleep, and gaining muscle mass are all factors that help boost your metabolism, according to Zeitlin. According to her, fibrous foods frequently contain vitamin B, which can support a healthy metabolism. But the B vitamins are the ones that actually work.
Also Read ABout What Are the Side Effects of Intermittent Fasting?
How to Win on the F-Factor Diet?
You want to try it, then! Have fun while keeping the following in mind:
Drink a ton of water.
According to Zeitlin, consuming more fibre without drinking water can make you feel constipated, which is the complete opposite of what you want. Therefore, increase your water intake by twofold to avoid becoming bloated and uncomfortable.
Be aware of y our body.
Because everyone is unique, it’s important to pay attention to which high-fiber foods make you feel good and which don’t. Bloating and gas are indicators that something is wrong; either you are not getting enough water or those Brussels sprouts are not right for you, according to Zeitlin.
Keep a journal.
In addition to assisting you in keeping track of your intake of fibre and net carbohydrates, doing so has been linked to weight loss in other studies.
In conclusion
F-Factor can undoubtedly aid in weight loss. Any other diet that you enjoy enough to follow for a long time can also do this. Do you think this is a long-term, viable choice for you? If it is and you feel fantastic, that’s fantastic! You do you,” Zeitlin exclaims. But this isn’t the right plan for you if you don’t want to be forced to rely on processed, high-fiber bars or powders. You can keep the elements you like about it and modify it to reflect what feels more long-term realistic for you. You can achieve your goals if you concentrate on increasing your vegetable intake at each meal.
Also Read ABout What Are the Side Effects of Intermittent Fasting?