Your Body Needs Help – Word-Diamonds

The National Institutes of Health estimates that 95% of Americans don’t eat enough fiber.

The National Institutes of Health estimates that 95% of Americans don’t get enough fiber from their diets.

95%…that’s huge… that means pretty much everybody!

But if 95% of Americans can go without fiber without dropping dead then what’s the point? Do we really need fiber?

Before we answer that question, we have to face the truth: we live in a country that normalizes having serious health problems.

Nearly half of all US citizens are obese. Everyone knows someone that has heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and/or an autoimmune disease. And most of us know people that have so many prescriptions that they can’t fit neatly onto shelves of the medicine cabinet in the bathroom.

Thanks to modern medicine you can live a long uncomfortable life in a sick body. But just because that’s normal doesn’t mean it has to be that way. That just means there’s something seriously wrong with our “normal.”

So, yes we need fiber.

Why we need fiber

Fiber is essential for maintaining a healthy body. Eating enough fiber serves 2 main functions: regulating blood sugar and effortless pooping.

Regulating your blood sugar helps you to:

· Maintain a healthy weight

· Control blood pressure

· Balance cholesterol

· Aid digestion

· Avoid diabetes

· Avoid heart disease and stroke

· Avoid cancer

Regularly pooping eliminates waste in your body and keeps things running smoothly so the rest of your bodily functions can perform optimally.

If you’re not pooping 1–3 times daily you run the risk of hemorrhoids and fecal impaction. And if you’re not pooping at least 3 times a week you may develop digestive issues which lead to a host of problems like:

· Migraines

· Mental issues — Brain fog, ADHD, Anxiety, Depression

· Immune system issues — allergies, inflammation, autoimmune disorders

· Skin conditions — acne, rashes

· Weight problems

· Kidney problems

· Sleep disorders

· Heart disease

· Neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s)

· Developing FOS (Full of Stool)

That last medical condition, FOS, is real and I knew somebody that had it. She was so backed up and full of sh** that it came out of her mouth — ewww gross is right! She wasn’t an old person either- just in her 20s living off candy, chips, pizza, sodas, and whatever else gas station cuisine offered. If that sounds like your diet, it’s time to get some fiber fast!

What is fiber?

The simple answer: fiber is the part of plants we eat but do not digest.

While we receive valuable nutrients from the digestible parts of the plants we eat, the undigested parts (fiber) are important too.

There are 2 types of fiber: soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Most fiber-rich foods (fruits, veggies, beans, legumes, seeds, nuts, and whole grains) contain both types of fiber in varying degrees. Which is great because we need both types of fiber.

So, which is better… soluble fiber or insoluble fiber? And how much?

Soluble fiber dissolves in water and consists mainly of pectins and gums. These pectins and gums absorb moisture in our bodies and form a gel which slows the digestion process. This allows us to absorb more nutrients from our food and helps prevent insulin spikes.

Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and consists mainly of cellulose. The cellulose provides moisture and bulk for our stools which makes pooping easier and more regular. This equates to less strain on our bodies allowing for all systems to operate more efficiently.

Most people need between 21–38 grams of fiber per day. If you’re a woman 21–26 grams/day ought to be enough; if you’re a man 30–38 grams/day should do it.

Everyone needs both insoluble fiber and soluble fiber.

The best way to get a variety of essential nutrients and all the fiber you need is to eat a mixture of:

· Beans and legumes (these top the list because most of them contain 7+ grams of fiber/100 gram serving)

· Whole grains (For you oatmeal lovers, oats top the list of whole grains at 10 grams of fiber/100 gram serving)

· Seeds and Nuts (just adding 1 ounce/28 grams of almost any seed or nut will add 3+ grams of fiber to your meal)

· Fruits (avocado — 6.7 grams of fiber/100 gram serving and raspberries — 6.5 grams fiber/100 gram serving topping the list)

· Leafy greens

· Cruciferous veggies (like cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale, radishes, etc.)

· Root vegetables (parsnips topping the list at 4.9 grams of fiber/100 gram serving)

Caution Introducing fiber into your diet

If your idea of meal planning is stopping by the taco truck and frequenting drive-thrus, pubs, and/or gas stations…

Diving into a high fiber diet may cause some discomfort like painful gas and bloating. To avoid discomfort and create long term healthy eating habits try introducing fiber rich foods into your existing diet slowly and also drink plenty of water.

For example, if you normally have a burger for lunch, try adding some avocado and include a side-salad along with your fries. If your favorite pizza restaurant has a salad bar, eat some salad first (go light on the dressing) instead of the cheesy breadsticks. In other words, begin to include more fiber-rich foods as part of every meal. Do this for a week or two.

Next, try replacing one whole meal with a bowl of healthy filling bean and veggie chili, oatmeal with fruit and nuts, salads with seeds and avocado, soups or stews with loads of mixed veggies. Do this for another week or two.

Then try replacing all your dumpster meals with good nutrient dense fiber-rich foods.

Remember to drink plenty of water because this helps your body process fiber more easily.

Also, read the nutritional contents of packaged foods and make sure that you get at least 3 grams of fiber per serving. There are lots of claims about whole grains in the bread and cereal aisles of grocery stores but often these are just empty marketing words. Verify these claims before purchasing by reading the nutritional contents.

It’s important to note that making a healthy change in diet doesn’t mean you can never have your trashy food again. I love eating healthy. I’m rarely sick (even when I’m surrounded by sick people) and I feel great most of the time. But I also love an occasional burger or pizza. And because I eat healthy most of the time an occasional burger or pizza won’t impact my health negatively. The same will be true for you too.

Tips on making fiber-rich meals daily

The trick is having plenty of quick options on hand. Fortunately, we live in an era of convenience. Most grocery stores sell a variety of prepared fruits and veggies, containers of seeds and nuts, cooked canned beans and lentils (just watch out for high sodium per serving content), and packages of precooked whole grains (remember to read the fiber content), making quick healthy meals easy to achieve with minimal prep work and little clean up afterward.

A trick I use to eat healthy (the lazy way) is when I do have time to cook, I’ll make extra servings of things like quinoa or beans and rice so that I can repurpose them into another meal later. I’ll chop up extra veggies and store them in the fridge minimizing future prep work. And when I make spaghetti sauce, chili, soups, or stews, I load them with veggies and make enough that I can stick extra portions in the freezer for a quick meal after a busy work day.

Fruits, nuts, avocado toast, a bowl of oatmeal or whole grain cereal, a few squares of dark chocolate (70% cocoa or more) are all great fiber rich healthy snacks. If you’re starving after work, have a healthy snack so you can take the time you need to make yourself a healthy dinner.

Eating healthy fiber rich foods doesn’t have to be boring. Make sure to have a variety of spices in your cupboard and some fresh herbs, lemons, and limes in your refrigerator.

Learn how to make healthy sauces and dressings. Add these items to your pantry:

· Low sodium broths (chicken, beef, vegetable, bone)

· healthy oils (avocado, coconut, extra virgin olive, etc.)

· vinegars (red, rice wine, apple cider)

· cooking wines (dry white, red, cream sherry)

· hot sauces (salsa, tabasco, chipotle, siracha)

· curry pastes (Thai red and green, Indian yellow)

· Asian sauces (low sodium soy sauce and fish sauce)

· low sodium canned tomatoes

· coconut milk

· honey

· garlic and onions