Let’s Focus on Fiber
Not to make this blog post TMI, but something in my gut isn’t doing so well lately. I’m not sure what the culprit is. I thought at first it could be sneaky anxiety, as worried thoughts have always done a number on my tummy, so I’m trying harder to be mindful and slow down to breathe when I notice spiraling thoughts, but so far, no change; I surmised it could be one of the supplements I take every day, so I went off those for two weeks (and kept a very interesting “output journal” Note on my phone I hope no one ever finds), still no change; so for the next two weeks I’m going to focus on increasing my dietary fiber to see if that does the trick. I thought I was getting enough, but maybe not. The thing about fiber is there’s always room for growth. Don’t worry, I’ll keep the results to myself.
I suspect my own quest for increasing my dietary fiber is a common goal among my Healthy-Curious readers, eh? I’ve heard from a couple of my clients that they think they don’t do a very good job of including fiber in their diet. So let’s seek out some facts together, shall we?
First, let’s talk dietary fiber and what that means.
When I say “dietary” fiber, I mean the fiber you get from whole plant foods, as opposed to fiber supplement pills or powders, which don’t give you nearly the variety of fiber, vitamins, minerals and nutrients you get from plants. Dietary fiber is the carbohydrate in plants that your body cannot digest. Because of this, fiber literally helps “move things along.”
There are two types of dietary fiber—soluable and insoluable—and you need both.
Soluable fiber is the kind that dissolves in water to create a gel-like substance in your gut, which not only improves the quality of your poop (there I said it), but also slows down digestion and nutrient absorption from the stomach and intestine, helping you feel fuller longer, and providing you with all kinds of benefits, one of them being lowering bad cholesterol levels. Some good sources of soluable fiber are black beans, Brussels sprouts, avocados, berries and flax seeds, among many others.
Insoluable fiber conversely cannot be dissolved in water, so it acts as a scrubber for your colon, easing constipation by adding bulk to your stool, and even helps protect against serious problems like colorectal cancer. Good sources of insoluable fiber can be found in foods like dark, leafy greens such as spinach and kale, wheat bran and wheat germ, whole grains like quinoa and brown rice, and sweet potatoes.
How much fiber should we aim for?
The Institute of Medicine recommends that for those under the age of 50, men should aim for 38 grams, while women need 25 grams. And for those over 51, women need 21 grams, while men 30 need grams. However, Dr. Mark Hyman of the Cleveland Clinic doesn’t distinguish needs based on age or sex; he recommends a blanket daily intake of 30 – 50 grams. So when it comes to fiber, more is better. But like all things, don’t kick it up to 11 right out of the gate. Your system will not enjoy that. Instead, gradually add different sources of fiber to your diet and see how your body does.
OK, but what does getting more fiber even look like?
Well, here’s a quick and easy post I found that lists the top 23 high-fiber foods, though it’s not exhaustive and doesn’t distinguish between soluable and unsoluable. (Honestly, there’s so much information out there…and all a little different, it sort of boggles the mind. No wonder people are confused about nutrition!)
So let’s make this practical:
If you eat an apple every day (which is great all by itself), try replacing two of those days with a cup of raspberries.
If your family has a weekly spaghetti and marinara sauce tradition, use whole-wheat pasta instead of the regular stuff, and throw a cup of frozen peas in the sauce as you’re heating it.
Consider throwing a tablespoon of chia seeds into a glass of water once a day, let it sit for 15 minutes to plump up, then drink it down. This way, you’re drinking your water AND getting a dose of 4 grams of fiber.
Especially as we’re headed into the fall season, whip up some pumpkin bread or muffins. Canned pumpkin has a whopping 7 grams of fiber per cup! (Just be sure that the canned pumpkin you’re buying is pure pumpkin; nothing added.) Here’s a favorite recipe of mine from Paleo Running Momma.
Make this comforting breakfast of steel-cut oats with warm berry compote (it’s so much easier than it sounds) the night before so that all you have to do is assemble and heat in the morning. It’s so good. I like to sub out the oats with other high-fiber grains, such as nutty farro or even quinoa.
Just know that everyone is coming from a different place in their eating revolution. So set a goal to make just one small change to increase your dietary fiber, just like all habits we’re trying to be better about. Try choosing one of the foods I mention above and figure out a way to add it to one of your meals daily. And listen to your body to see if it feels good. Bottom line, all whole grains, nuts and seeds, beans and legumes, vegetables and fruit have myriad benefits, so that’s always a good place to start.
Oh yeah—and always drink plenty of water. Not just because that’s favorite advice of mine, but because it helps fiber do its job.
I’m on this journey with you. Let’s get more fiber in our diet to feel our very best, which is what eating healthier is all about, my friends! Please share below if you’ve been working on this dietary fiber goal and how it’s going. Let’s create a community of health!
Xoxo Julie