Why fiber forward?
Three days a week, I head to the gym and with it being the new year, the conversation turned to the topic of eating healthy and what that meant for folks. One friend said that she was working to consume 25 grams of fiber per day. Does that number sound daunting to you? It certainly is for my friend who is working to consume 25 grams per day.
We hear that fiber is important to our bodies but do you know the why?
The following information was found on Dr. Gregor’s website “nutritionfacts.org.” Dr. Gregor is the author of “How Not to Die”, “How Not to Diet”, “How Not to Die Cookbook” and his most recent book, “How Not to Age.” Dr. Gregor has also been part of several documentaries with the latest being, “You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment,” which can be found on Netflix.
Dr. Gregor states that “fiber is well-known for its effects on bowel health, high fiber intake appears to reduce the risk of cancers of the colon and breast, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and premature death in general. A number of studies now show that high intake may also help ward off stroke. How does it protect the brain? It helps control your cholesterol and blood sugar levels, which can help reduce the amount of artery-clogging plaque in your brain’s blood vessels. High-fiber diets may also lower blood pressure, which reduces the risk of brain bleeds”.
Fiber is a prebiotic, which means it nourishes the health-promoting microbes in your digestive tract, creating a healthy environment where microbes can thrive. By strengthening the good microbes in your body, fiber helps prevent harmful microbes from taking over and disrupting your body’s natural systems.
Fiber helps you lose weight because it displaces other less satisfying calories such as crackers or chips. More fiber-rich foods mean lower insulin levels and slow, easy digestion. When fiber reaches the halfway point inside your gut, between the small and large intestines, it slows down the digestive process and sends your body a signal that it’s full. Some of the best sources of fiber-rich foods are berries, beans, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables with their skin on.
About 97% of Americans eat fiber-deficient diets as they are consuming foods associated with the “standard American diet,” which is one derived from animal products and processed foods.
One of my favorite messages from Dr. Gregor: animals have bones to hold them up, but plants—and only plants—have fiber.
New Beginnings
When we begin something new, we often go at it with an all or nothing mindset which can lead us down a path of feeling less than successful and therefore we give up.
Here are a few tips:
Start slow: begin by consuming 1 cup of your favorite vegetables per meal.
Create a blend of chia and flax seeds and sprinkle them on your breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Think outside of the box.
Breakfast can be made once and consumed all week when you create overnight oats. Stumped for a quick lunch? Avocado toast topped with hummus and sprinkled with chia/flax mix, served with a side of steamed broccoli.
Gas or bloating? Vinegar to the rescue!
Don’t wrinkle your nose, it works. Place 1 tablespoon of Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar in a glass and add enough water for you to consume. The vinegar should be Bragg’s as the natural ingredients have not been processed, it is unrefined.
Make at least one meal per day meatless.
Not sure how much fiber is in the foods that you consume? Check out this quick yet not extensive guide of foods that we’ve compiled.
This week, set a manageable goal for yourself. Have questions? Reach out to us!