Get fierce with fiber.
When attempting to eat healthfully, it’s simple to become preoccupied with tracking calories and grams of added sugars, fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. However, dietary fiber is one nutrient that is much too frequently overlooked.
Scientists have long known that eating fiber is good for health.
American adults are only eating an average of 15 grams of fiber on any given day, despite the daily recommendations from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics being:
- 25 grams for women or 21 grams if over 50 years old
- 38 grams for men, or 30 grams if over 50
Recently, however, fiber has popped up in the headlines. And more importantly, new research has shed more light on how fiber helps our bodies. This nutrient has been linked to fending off disease and reducing the risk of various conditions, including type 2 diabetes, food allergies, and knee arthritis.
Despite the celebrity-studded endorsements, the key is to eat more fiber rather than following a “high-fiber” diet. Fiber does more than just help with weight loss and disease prevention.
Losing those grams of fiber per day could substantially impact how your stomach works. Even whether or not you lose weight and live a longer life could depend on whether you lose weight.
What we know about fiber today
Numerous studies have shown a clear correlation between high-fiber diets and longer, healthier lives. People who had high-fiber vegetable diets avoided many of the common ailments that affect Europeans and Americans. Additionally, studies conducted in the late 1980s discovered that long-living rural Japanese inhabitants consumed more fiber than
But only recently have we gained a deeper understanding of why fiber is vital to our well-being.
A 2017 study found that the importance of fiber is intimately tied to the extent of our gut microbes. A proper fiber diet feeds and makes these bacteria thrive. In turn, they increase in number and kind. The more microbes we have in our intestines, the thicker the mucus wall and the better the barrier between our body and our busy bacteria population. While the mucus barrier lowers inflammation throughout the body, the bacteria aid in digestion, creating a dual benefit.
The Hazda, a Tanzanian tribe that is one of the last hunter-gatherer societies left in the world, is a simple, breathing illustration of the significant relationship between fiber, gut bacteria, and health. They consume an impressive 100 grams of fiber daily from seasonal dietary sources. As a result, their gut biome is teeming with various bacterial species that fluctuate with the seasons and nutritional variations.
Your biome might alter depending on the day of the week, the season, or even the food. Your gut health will show if you consume a wide variety of fresh fruits, cereals, and vegetables. It can be detrimental to your intestinal biome and the health of your protective mucus wall to consume low-fiber foods or a limited variety of fiber, such as the same fiber supplement every day.
However, consuming too much fiber can result in intestinal obstructions, bloating, and gastrointestinal irritation. The good news is that fiber can rarely be consumed in excess, especially given how little most individuals consume. Increasing your fiber intake gradually can help you avoid some of the abovementioned issues. You can prevent the rest by not overdoing it.
How to eat fiber like they do in Yuzurihara and Tanzania
So how can we stop being constipated and start eating in a way that supports how our bodies have developed to work with our gut biomes? High-fiber specialists are passionate about soluble and insoluble fiber, even though there are only two forms of fiber. Each variety has distinct purposes and advantages. Consuming both is the secret to getting the most out of this nutrient.
Here are some quick tips for building a thriving and diverse gut biome and reaping the long-term benefits of a fiber-friendly diet:
1. Fruits and vegetables are always your friends
All fruits and vegetables contain naturally occurring fiber. You can’t go wrong by including these things in your everyday routine. An apple before every meal has considerable health benefits, according to one study.
2. Eat what’s in season
The Hadza eat seasonally, which contributes to their unique gut. Always look for fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables at your local grocery store. They are healthier, frequently taste better, and cost less than out-of-season foods.
3. Processed foods usually mean less fiber
Additionally, the fiber content of refined foods that don’t contain whole grains or whole wheat is reduced. White bread and regular pasta are examples of this. Since juicing eliminates the insoluble fiber from your food, it can be viewed as another form of processing. As a result, fiber’s advantages are lost, particularly its crucial role in controlling digestion and preventing blood sugar spikes.
4. Be thoughtful at restaurants
Due to their high cost, fast food restaurants, in particular, frequently omit fruits and vegetables from their menus. Pick an item from the menu high in fruit, vegetables, beans, or other legumes to help you reach your daily fiber objectives.
5. Toss a high-fiber component into your meal
The next time you have pizza, don’t forget to eat some snap peas on the side, or if you’re having soup for lunch, some multigrain crackers. A high-fiber snack before a meal can help you consume fewer calories overall since it makes you feel more satisfied.
6. Don’t forget beans, peas, and lentils
While we frequently remember to consume our fruits and vegetables, another fantastic and delectable source of fiber is found in beans. Try a recipe highlighting legumes, such as a lentil salad or a three-bean vegetarian chili.
7. Make sure fiber starts at breakfast
Eggs and bacon are among the staple breakfast fare that lacks fiber. Eat oatmeal or whole-grain cereal to incorporate fiber as your first meal of the day. Simply adding a piece of fruit to your usual meal is another option. Do you consume yogurt at breakfast? Include nuts and fruit slices.
8. Explore the world of whole grains
Pick up some amaranth, bulgur, pearl barley, or wheat berries the next time you’re at the grocery store and begin experimenting. Quinoa, a seed, and whole-wheat couscous are excellent high-fiber options (pasta).
9. Skip the fiber supplements
Although fiber pills can provide a slight boost, getting your daily recommended amount of fiber from whole meals has far higher advantages. Additionally, those who use fiber supplements may not be consuming them, along with foods that are high in nutrients. This worsens health problems rather than resolving them.
9. Too much of a good thing
Fiber isn’t excellent in really high numbers, just like most things. Concentrating excessively on just one area of your nutrient intake is neither healthy nor sustainable. To determine if you are getting enough fiber, try keeping track of your information for a few weeks. Then, experiment with your information to see if eating more makes you feel better.
Fiber is fabulous without the fad.
A robust variety of minimally processed fruits and vegetables and other plant-based foods is a great way to stay healthy and control your weight. The fiber in these foods is likely a critical factor in why they’re so good for our bodies. At this point, there is enough science to suggest something you’ve probably heard before strongly.
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