If you want to maximize your healthspan, fibre is your friend. In fact, new research shows that eating more fibre improves gut health and overall health, while increasing the number of disease free years you have as you age, roughly the equivalent of 9 extra healthy years!
Social media has adopted the fibermaxxing trend, meaning eating at least the recommended amount of fibre per day, or more. As always, food is the best source, not supplements.
The Canadian recommendations for fibre intake are 25 grams for women and 38 grams per day for men, although most people don’t consume half that amount. You can also use the USDA calculator which recommended that I eat 33 grams a day, which I do eat daily.
Jennifer Lee is a scientist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University recommends eating twice as much insoluble fibre as soluble fibre each day. For example, if your daily goal is 30 grams of fibre, about 20 grams should come from insoluble fibre and 10 grams from soluble fibre.
Soluble fibre will dissolve in water and is found in most fruits and vegetables, including apples, avocados, bananas, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. Soluble fibre is also found in legumes, beans, and oatmeal.
Jennifer Lee says,
“Soluble fiber attracts water into your gut and forms a gel-like substance. It keeps you full, helps you feel satiated, and once it makes it into the colon, can provide or serve as a substrate for microbiota, meaning your microbiota can metabolize the food that you digest as well. So, this type of fiber serves as a beneficial food source for the microbes.
Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, cannot be dissolved and will not contribute to the calories you consume. The body can’t take up energy from insoluble fiber, but it is critical to consume because it’s the bulk of substrate that helps you have a bowel movement. Because insoluble fiber bulks up your stool, it helps to prevent constipation.
Insoluble fibre is found in wheat bran, whole grains, nuts, vegetables and fruit (this link gives you some easy tips on how to include more fibre in your diet.)
Eating more whole, plant-based foods is an easy way to meet your daily fibre needs and improve your health long term. High fibre diets are known to improve metabolic health, cardiovascular health, reduce the risk of diabetes and many types of cancer.
This is one social media trend that will improve your health and longevity.
Change your mind, change your health,
Shayla
Eat better, live better and feel better.
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