FIBER: Benefits & Danger

Fiber IS every bit as important as you’ve heard it is. However there are times that I don’t recommend it as a gut health specialist. But before getting into that, why don’t we first establish what exactly fiber is and why it’s so important.  Then I’ll share why as important as it is to health, I actually advise against it at times.

🌿Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the body doesn’t digest nor absorb. It goes through the digestive system intact providing several health benefits.

🌿It’s divided into two categories- soluble (dissolves in water) and insoluble
Soluble fiber found in foods such as oats, beans, citrus, beans, apples, lentils etc has benefits such as:
🍊slowing digestion
🫘stabilizing blood sugar
🍋lowering cholesterol

Insoluble fiber on the other hand doesn’t dissolve in water, helping food to move through your digestive tract easily by adding bulk to stool.
🌾It is found in whole grains
🌰nuts & seeds
🍏skin of fruit & veggies

🌿Most high fiber foods typically contain both soluble as well as insoluble fiber.

✨FIBER & GUT HEALTH
🌿One of the most important benefits of fiber is by serving as food for the gut microbiome. 
🦠Gut bacteria thrives especially on soluble fiber, which ferments in the colon to produce short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). These SCFAs support the gut lining, strengthening the gut barrier.

🌿Other benefits of fiber includes:

• reducing inflammation
•  regulating bowel movements which reduces bloating and gas as well as prevents toxins from lingering around in digestive tract;
• also absorbs excess water in stool,
• is satiating, helps keep you full which helps  maintain healthy weight 
• and much more. 

Okay, so at this point you’re probably like how girl! I thought you said you don’t always recommend fiber, why you singing its praises nonstop. Here’s the deal, and if you’ve heard me say this once, you’ve heard me say it plenty, health and nutrition isn’t always one sized fits all. Due to its nature, the very things that makes fiber so important to gut health and overall health, can unfortunately also be too hard on the gut for some people. While fiber is extremely important to our health, for some people it  CAN actually cause a huge ruckus especially if not introduced systematically. This is typically the case for people with compromised gut health  which is why at Wholly Nyorished Nutrition Practice we have a systematic approach to introducing fiber so that those with already overwhelmed digestive systems don’t make matters worse. For those with extremely sensitive situations even have periods where we briefly remove fiber completely to give the body a much needed break.

So here are some general tips to help you be able to tolerate fiber so you can reap all the wonderful benefits.

🌱Pay attention to your body and see how it responds to fiber-rich foods.

If you fall under any of the following categories:

• you're aware that you struggle with fiber,
• or aren't used to eating lots of fiber, or struggle with digestive disorders of some sort,

🌿It is best to start out with a very low fiber diet. There's even specific health conditions and situations which may benefit from a brief no-fiber diet to give the body a chance to ease up on the work the gut has to do a bit. As healthy as fiber is, since the body doesn't digest it can be hard on some.

🌿Make sure to start small and pace yourself, start with adding cooked vegetables to your diet, be careful with whole grains and make sure it's prepared well. Depending on your particular health condition, it may be necessary to  wait till later to introduce whole grains in your diet if you struggle with fiber,

🌿 be sure to stay very hydrated as you increase your fiber consumption.

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to work with a qualified nutrition professional, especially one that specializes in gut health when it comes to incorporating fiber into your diet especially if you struggle with any gut health issues. I would also caution you on depending on generic fiber supplements that can cause a lot more harm than good. If you struggle with your gut health, I would encourage you to check out our GUT REHAB program. Not only are we strategic and systematic in how to incorporate fiber but in healing your gut overall. You may take advantage of a complimentary 15 minutes call if you would like an opportunity for us to  discuss your symptoms and discover what the path to healing may look like for you. Book your complimentary call here