3 WAYS TO HAVE MORE FIBER AND IMPROVE YOUR DIGESTION THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Fiber is one of the most important ingredients to have optimal digestive health, yet most of us don’t pay attention to our fiber intake.

Fiber improves digestion, reduces the risk of colon cancer, reduces inflammation, it feeds the good bacteria and it even helps with weight control. Women need about 25g and men need about 30g of fiber, and we’re getting about half. Imagine having to live with half of your paycheck. Hard? Stressful? This is what the body feels when we don’t give it enough nutrients: it does the best it can but feels a lot of stress and hardship.

There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble and we need both. Soluble fiber helps reduce cholesterol, improves glycemic response, and it makes you feel full. You can find soluble fiber in beans, veggies, oats, whole grains, cereals, rice, and seeds. Insoluble fiber nourishes the good bacteria in our gut and it’s the one that gives us that laxative effect. You can find insoluble fiber in veggies, fruits, and whole grains.

I personally use a fiber powder that I add to my drinks and smoothies, to make sure I’m getting that 25g of fiber every day.

Here are my 4 best tips when adding a fiber supplement to your diet:

1. The first thing I recommend when adding more fiber to your diet is to make sure you drink enough water. If not, instead of having a laxative effect, you’ll be constipated.

2. If you’re not used to eating enough fiber, then make sure you increase your fiber intake little by little, again, to avoid constipation. Maybe start with half or a quarter of the supplements suggested dosage.

3. A food is considered high in fiber when it has 6g of fiber for every 100 calories. This will help you when you’re looking at fiber supplements, protein shakes or bars.

4. Careful if you’re taking medication. Fiber can “trap” medication so make sure to take your medication two hours before or after taking fiber.

Since the holidays are a challenging time because we’re not so mindful of our choices, here are some tips to have more fiber during the holiday season:

Add extra fiber to your breakfast

You can add a fiber supplement to your morning smoothie, your overnight oats or even to a drink. Anything to get a bit more fiber in your system.

Have some veggies

It’s sooo easy to skip the veggies and the salad when there are so many delicious choices. But I promise if you add just a few veggies to your meal, you’ll feel the difference in your digestion.

Make something delicious and healthy

Make a holiday dish with foods that are high in fiber like fruits, veggies, beans, or rice. This way you’re sharing a high-fiber side with people you love.

Over to you: which tip will you be using to add more fiber to your diet? Let me know here.

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