Let’s Talk Fiber
Last year I had Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, Gastroenterologist and gut health expert on my podcast and he brought to our attention that 95% of Americans are not getting NEARLY enough fiber in their diet. So what is fiber and how can we ensure we are eating a fiber fueled diet? The answer is, make sure you’re eating plants! Fiber comes from vegetables, fruits, beans and whole grains. Dietary fiber is also known as roughage, aka the parts of the plant that you can’t digest or absorb.
Why Your Body Loves Fiber
Eating a diet high in fiber has numerous health benefits
- Regulates your bowel movements and maintains overall bowel health
- Helps control blood sugar levels
- Helps you lose weight and maintain it
- Lowers cholesterol levels
- Helps you live longer
Easy Ways to Add More Fiber To Your Day
It’s recommended that women get 25 grams of fiber a day and men get 38 grams. If you’ve been slacking in this department and need some help upping your fiber intake, start slow and give your gut time to adapt, slowly increasing the fiber intake. Here are a few things you can try:
- Load up on more fruits and vegetables in your meals (and eat them first!) or munch on them for a snack. Stay creative and add variety!
- Opt for whole grains like quinoa, millet, bulgar wheat over refined grains.
- Look for places you can add beans into your meals. Toss some garbanzo beans into your salad, make bean tacos, dip veggies in hummus, mix up a bean salad and eat with whole grain tortilla chips.
- Add 2 Tbsp of chia seeds to your water or smoothies as it packs 10 grams of fiber!
- Removing the skin of fruits and veggies like cucumbers, sweet potatoes, apples strips half of the fiber. Keep it on to maximize your fiber intake!
Get More Fiber Fueled Diet Tips with Dr. B
If you haven’t already listened to the podcast episode with Dr. B (or could use a refresher!) it’s an excellent one! In it he talks about his own health journey and how eating more plants helped him heal his gut, get off medications and increase his energy. He talks about eating fiber fueled foods versus supplements, and how to handle the gas that you may feel when you include more fiber. Be sure to grab a copy of his new book, Fiber Fueled cookbook to get some inspiration for deeply flavorful, satisfying plant-based recipes that make the Fiber Fueled lifestyle delicious and inviting.
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