The Beginners Guide To Fiber
The health benefits, the best high-fiber foods, and how to safely eat more of it.
The Beginners Guide To Fiber
Depending on how many Disney stories you have read, you may believe that a shiny red apple is poisonous! However, in reality, apples are loaded with delicious and nutritious fiber!
This beginners guide to fiber will share the digestive superpowers you can achieve from eating fiber, how to safely increase your fiber intake, and all the best foods that will help you do so.
So if you have previously struggled to add more fiber into your diet or are simply curious about why you should be eating more fiber in general. This guide is here to help.
What Is Fiber And Why Should You Eat It?
I find it more fun to look at fiber as a group of chimney sweepers working their way through your intestines while cleaning up the gunk and feeding the friendly bacteria along the way. Yes, they need a raise!
The “scientific” explanation would be that fiber is indigestible leftovers from the plant foods you eat. For example, when you eat a piece of fruit or a vegetable, after they pass through your small intestines during digestion. All the undigested remains that survive the journey, eventually reach the large intestines as leftovers. This is fiber!
Although we don’t digest and absorb fiber like other foods, it still provides us a wide range of benefits such as:
- makes poop soft and bulky
- speeds up the process of food and bad bacteria leaving the colon
- removes toxins from the intestine as it passes through
- helps feed good bacteria in the colon
To fully understand the health benefits of fiber, let’s first look at the two types of fiber as they each benefit us differently.
The Two Types Of Fiber And Their Benefits
Yes, that’s right, there are two types of fiber! Luckily most food sources of fiber contain both, so let’s look at each type and its unique benefits.
1. Soluble Fiber
Soluble fiber is the type of fiber that dissolves in water. As it absorbs water it forms a gel which slows down the digestive process. This helps you feel full after eating for a longer timeframe.
The Benefits Of Soluble Fiber
- absorbs toxins and unwanted cholesterol from the bloodstream
- helps regulate blood sugar levels
- soluble fiber can be soothing to the gut
2. Insoluble Fiber
Insoluble fiber is the type of fiber that is NOT dissolved in water. Meaning, that it goes through the digestive system undigested while forming a nice clump scrubbing away unwanted gunk along its journey.
The Benefits Of Insoluble Fiber
- speeds up elimination, helpful for relieving constipation
- helps move food through your digestive system faster
Special Note On Insoluble Fiber
If your gut is inflamed, insoluble fiber can cause digestive pain. If this is the case for you, try slow cooking or blending your veggies to relieve the pain.
How To Safely Increase Fiber And Troubleshoot
When it comes to increasing fiber intake safely, the best advice is to take it slow and drink plenty of water along with it! This helps prevent blockage and unnecessary digestive pains. If you do encounter pain, please practice the tips below to ensure a safe and pain-free digestive process.
3 Tips to Troubleshoot Painful Digestion Of Fiber
- before eating, pre-digest the food as much as possible by mashing, chopping, blending, slow cooking, steaming, or boiling to make digestion as easy as possible for your body
- avoid eating stems and peels from fruits or vegetables high in insoluble fiber (see list below)
- avoid eating insoluble fiber alone on an empty stomach, look to combine with foods that contain soluble fiber as well
Fiber, The Sneaky Carbohydrate
Although fiber is a carbohydrate, it doesn’t increase blood sugar levels like regular carbs as it passes through undigested!
The Best Food Sources Of Fiber
If you eat a diet high in vegetables and whole fruits instead of drinking fruit juices, you are on the right path! However, if you wish to get the most out of fiber, review the list below and add your favorites to your shopping list.
Food Sources Of Soluble Fiber
- whole vegetables and fruits
- lentils and other beans
- pectin (found in apples, carrots, and orange peels)
- psyllium husks, ground flaxseeds
- starchy tubers (yams, sweet potatoes, potatoes)
- beets, turnips, rutabagas, parsnips, squash
- plantains, yuca, taro
Food Sources Of Insoluble Fiber
- whole vegetables and fruits
- greens (spinach, lettuce, kale, collards, arugula, etc)
- onions, shallots, leeks, scallions, garlic
- cabbage, bok choy, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower
- whole peas, snow peas, snap peas, pea pods, green beans
- bell peppers, eggplant, celery
- ground flaxseed
The Risk Of Not Getting Enough Fiber
Low-fiber diets can cause anything from IBS, constipation, colon cancer, hemorrhoids and a condition called diverticulitis.
Diverticulitis is a common cause of pelvic or abdominal pain which happens when diverticula (small bumps in the intestinal wall) have become infected and inflamed. Fortunately, this condition can be improved by adding good fiber into your diet!
A Beginners Guide To Fiber - Conclusion
Now that you understand the many health benefits of fiber and the best foods to eat that contain it. I hope you are inspired to enjoy a tasty fiber-rich meal along with a side of improved digestion and elimination!
If you‘re interested to learn more about the digestive process beyond fiber, check out my article on what happens to food after you eat it to dive deeper into the digestive process.