JJ Virgin explains how viscous soluble fiber triggers GLP-1 and other satiety hormones, slowing digestion and steadying blood sugar. Most Americans get only 25-30% of the fiber they need. Psyllium husk, oats, barley, and shirataki noodles are practical sources that form a gel in your gut.
But let's talk about fiber because I think it's one of the things that you should track, just like protein, and because the average American is getting like 25 to 30% of what they need each day, and it is a game changer for satiety, for blood sugar balance, and for a healthier gut. Let's talk satiety first and soluble fibers because viscous soluble fibers can slow stomach emptying and raise satiety signals like GLP-1. And PYY. Viscous fibers can also help blunt post-meal glucose and insulin spikes. So they kind of do a slower blood sugar release. So what's viscous soluble fiber? It's the kind of soluble fiber that gels up in water and gets thick in your gut, and that slows digestion, blunts those blood sugar spikes, traps bile, which helps lower LDL, and boosts fullness, which is a huge win for both metabolic health and gut health. Examples of this are psyllium husk, oats and barley, glucomannan, those shirataki noodles, those miracle noodles, but obviously apples and shirataki noodles, which I'm making tonight, can be an easy thing to add into your diet.
