Fiber Facts
Bite-Size Reads for Your Health and Your Waistline
You’ve heard me say it before, if you’ve read my pieces, and I’ll say it again: Protein and fiber at every meal, make removing fat no big deal. Some of you may be asking yourself, “WTF is fiber? And how am I supposed to be getting more of it? Fiber bars? Supplements?” The short answer is no, all you need is more vegetables (and sometimes fruit) in your diet! But how do you know if you’re getting enough? What does fiber do to your body? Keep reading! In just a couple minutes you’ll have all the answers.
As many of us do, when discussing the newest diet trends, restricting our carbohydrate intake is one of the first things we jump to. If you’ve listened to my podcast or are familiar with my recent articles, I am a huge advocate for balance, especially when it comes to our nutrition. All in all, our diets should not be restricted to no-carb, or low-carb, but quality carbohydrates. This means you’re choosing nutrient dense foods. Meaning, those that have the necessary nutrients, vitamins, minerals and… fiber!
There are two types of fiber — soluble and insoluble — both are critical. I call fiber “the scrubbing bubbles of our intestines.” Fiber helps to deep clean and detoxify while also supporting a feeling of fullness because it takes time for our body to process. Soluble fiber dissolves in water, creating an almost gelatinous substance and can be found in foods such as beans, legumes, citrus fruits, peas, oats and bran. Insoluble fiber, found in cabbage, carrots, brussel sprouts, whole rye and whole wheat, do not dissolve, they pass through the digestive system largely intact. Going back to my scrubbing bubbles, think of insoluble fiber like the bristles of a brush that help scrub our intestines clean and the suds are like the soluble fiber carrying away everything the brush loosened.
Other than our inside bath time, what else makes fiber so important? Elimination. When we poop (yep, I said it), we’re eliminating toxins and waste from the body. Fiber is critical in this process. Insufficient fiber intake can result in constipation. If this is a long-term challenge other negative health outcomes often result.
Another bonus of fiber, which I mentioned briefly above, it takes time for our body to process so it helps keeps us full, slows the release of energy into the system which helps with even, long-lasting energy and improves blood sugar maintenance.
Overall, a high fiber diet is associated with lower cholesterol, improved blood sugar, and an overall longer, healthier life.
How do we get adequate intake? Focus on veggies and fruit as these are your best sources of fiber and you can certainly meet the guidelines with a bit of commitment and focus. On average, Americans eat 10–15g of fiber per day (in comparison to the 100 grams our ancestors were eating daily). I recommend, as does the World Health Organization, shooting for 25g-30g of fiber per day, which is around 12 servings of veggies. I’m generally not a fan of fiber powders or fiber bars; many can often give you too much causing a negative response in the body and eliminating some of the good stuff we want to keep! In addition, too much fiber without sufficient water can also create constipation. Let’s just stick with food and we have less to worry about! So with every meal and snack, make sure you’re tacking on an extra handful or two of your favorite greens, maybe even light a candle and pull out a good book as your body gets its very own scrubbing bubble bath!
