We’ve got a nutritional upgrade for you today that will:
- Keep you feeling full for hours
- Shift your body from fat-storing to fat-burning mode,
- Can be mixed with other foods in tasty recipes, and
- Make your body healthier!
Sounds pretty amazing, especially for a nutrient that doesn’t get the respect it deserves.
It’s FIBER!
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that doesn’t get broken down into sugar when it travels through your digestive system. However, it does a lot work on its journey through your intestinal tract!
There are 2 types of fiber: Soluble and Insoluble
Soluble fiber is beneficial for balancing blood sugar levels and lowering cholesterol.
Insoluble fiber speeds up the passage of food through the digestive system, helping maintain regularity, adds bulk to stools and prevents constipation.
It’s kind of weird to think that a nutrient that moves through our system basically untouched can make such a difference…but it does!
Good Gut Health
Being consistent with your fiber intake can be a huge gift for your digestive tract.
Your gut – aka your digestive system – is filled with microbiota (tiny organisms) that affect your body in pretty much every way possible, from your mood to your bathroom habits and even aches and pains in various body parts.
Some of these organisms are better for you than others. Some boost your health and vitality…while others cause a breakdown inside your system.
When the not-so-healthy microorganisms take over, you can run into trouble.
Here’s a quick example:
==> A recent study found that when your microbes don’t get enough fiber, they can start to eat away at your gut’s protective mucus lining. Scientists believe this could lead to inflammation and disease.
Basically, adding fiber appears to help stop that process.
Here’s a good article you can check out that explains it all.
Hunger Cues
On top of contributing to good gut health, fiber can help with your weight because it keeps you feeling full for hours after you eat and doesn’t get broken down into sugar (which could be stored as fat, if not needed for energy).
How Much Fiber?
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests that women aim for 25 grams of fiber per day, while men should get 38 grams.
What foods contain lots of good fiber?
Fiber is found mostly in unprocessed foods: Fruit, Vegetables, Whole Grains and Nuts & Seeds.
A great way to start getting more fiber in your diet is to add it to your breakfast.
Here are some ideas!
- Chia seeds
1 tablespoon = 6 grams of fiber. (HERE’S a little more about chia seeds, including some items we put them in) - Rolled oats
½ cup = 4 grams of fiber. Cook in 1 cup of almond milk and toss in some berries. - Raspberries
1 cup = 8 grams of fiber. (The same amount of blueberries = 4 grams fiber, strawberries = 3 grams fiber) - Black beans
¼ cup = 5 grams fiber. Add to your eggs or breakfast wrap. - Squash or pumpkin seeds
1 oz = 5 grams of fiber. Add these to a smoothie or your oatmeal.
These are just some ideas to get you started! You might not feel the effect immediately, but over time your body will definitely thank you.
Hope the BULK of your day is great! 😉
Jess + Team Valeo
P.S. If you eat a low-fiber diet now, be sure to SLOWLY ramp up your fiber intake over the course of a few weeks.
Also make sure you drink a little extra water when you bump up your fiber because it can soak up water in your system. You want to keep that fiber pushing through your digestive tract!
LINKED REFERENCE:
www.scientificamerican.com/article/fiber-famished-gut-microbes-linked-to-poor-health1