Let's Digest Fiber

Instead of focusing on the fact that I'm about to give up Nightshades (i.e. Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Eggplant, Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, everything that makes my little Italian heart sing), I've decided that I would rather spend my time thinking about Fiber....how important it is to gut health, healing a gut disorder, and its overall goodness to bodily functions (ya know..... 💩). 

Several months ago, my Naturopath told me that I needed to increase my Fiber consumption to 30 grams per day. Now, while the Institute of Medicine recommends a daily intake of 38 grams for men and 25 grams for women, this might not seem daunting to many of you. But, for someone who doesn't eat "whole grains" and who also has an appetite that is a hormonally challenged teenager smack dab in the middle of puberty, just getting 10 grams of Fiber on some days can be a challenge for me. Now, I'm not one to succumb to a challenge, so I went to town on learning everything that I could about Fiber (which I'll get to later in this post), what foods I could eat, and how I could reach my 30 gram per day quota. 

Would you like to know what happened with all of this knowledge and drive? My stomach practically exploded. 

Let me back track a little. At this point in my healing journey, I had removed all pre and probiotics from my diet for about 9 months. At the time, I was (still am) battling a severe case of Leaky Gut. (Read: where your gut lining, which should be tight-knit, is pressed and pulled apart causing gaps which allow bad bacteria to enter your gut and good bacteria to exit. This causes your body to freak. out. because it can no longer differentiate between good and bad, which results in your body attacking both good and bad bacteria - essentially killing everything...and trying to kill you in the process.) We had decided that the addition of probiotics were causing my body more harm than good, so I had stopped implementing probiotics into my diet to aid my body in a  (hopefully) faster recovery. For those 9 months, I was just focusing on healing my gut - working to tighten my junctions again - to get the good bacteria back in there and functioning as it should. 

So, when I went back to my Naturopath, she said that it was time to see if my body was healing and that adding Fiber and Probiotics back into my daily routine would be a sign of how things were going. She told me that, in addition to all other great plant-sourced fibrous foods, I could eat 1 cup of Garbanzo beans per day (which was a huge excitement for me because I hadn't eaten a bean in....I can't tell you how long). She said I could eat Chia Seeds too but I haven't been able to find many ways that I can deal with Chia Seeds without regurgitating them almost immediately. (Any help out there?)

Y'all... I went to town on those Garbanzo beans for about a week. At the time, I was going through another appetite withdrawal episode, so I nom'd on those things practically all day. And I started to notice that my stomach was bulging and...well, to spare you the gory details, the Garbanzo bean phase was short-lived. Here's why: at the time, my gut had more than likely not been able to build up the good bacteria that should be there, so I was overfeeding the small army that was in there...which resulted in a very sluggish/lethargic digestive tract. So, I backed off for a while to reset everything and picked it up again a few months later because it was time to test the gut lining again (the things I ask my body to do for me....😌).

This time, I was a little more cautious making sure that I was filling my Fiber quota with Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Berries, Avocados, and a few Chia Seeds here and there (gag). And I also started supplementing daily(ish) with this gem:

Now, before you go off on a judgmental tangent, let me just give you my view on Fiber supplements. I know they're not the greatest and I honestly don't want to depend on a supplement long-term. Taking Fiber supplements aren't as beneficial as consuming fiber-rich foods because they lack the other nutrients found in those same foods. Plus, most Fiber supplements can be so full of insoluble Fiber, which, when consumed in high volumes, can actually scrape against the gut lining, rub and absorb the mucous that lines the digestive tract (thanks to its binding abilities), and cause intestinal inflammation and irritation. It's not something that should be done absentmindedly. But stressing over making sure that I eat enough in one day is just too much for my body to handle currently, and finding this supplement has been a literal God-send. 

But really though....what is Fiber and why is it so important?

The easiest way to define fiber is that it is a type of carbohydrate found in the cell walls of plants. (The more scientific way would be: a dietary material containing substances such as cellulose, lignin, and pectin, which are resistant to the action of digestive enzymes.) There are two (2) varieties of Fiber: soluble and insoluble. When consumed, soluble Fiber reacts with water and turns into a gel of sorts during digestion, which can slow the process. Insoluble fiber absorbs water and swells to several times its original size, which can end in speeding up the digestion process. Soluble fiber nourishes good gut bacteria (flora) resulting in both mental health and immune system support. It's the best thing to feed gut bacteria for optimal nutrition. Insoluble fiber helps add bulk to your poo, which can aid in treating constipation. We need both forms of Fiber for optimal health....just in the right amount.

For years, it has been drilled into our heads that in order to hit the daily goal of Fiber, we need to be consuming copious amounts of whole grains...but whole grains have been so genetically modified that the fibrous benefits of those grains are almost nonexistent (which stinks because ya girl loves rice). What we forget more often than not though, is that almost all fruits and vegetables contain high amounts of Fiber in addition to copious amounts of other vitamins and antioxidants. 

A lot of people would also say that eating a large amount of fruit isn't a good thing either...because fructose. But, a neat thing that I've discovered recently is that fructose in fruit is not nearly as damaging as the fructose found in artificial sweeteners, processed sugar, corn syrup, etc. because of the Fiber content. The Fiber content causes the body to be satiated quickly due to the act of chewing when gnawing on fruits and vegetables. Therefore, the amount of fructose from fruits ingested is drastically lower than those that are consumed in "empty foods" full of artificial/processed sugars. Consuming high amounts of plant-based Fiber also helps to control blood sugar spikes, which can make carbohydrate consumption safer for people with diabetes, metabolic syndrome, or other carbohydrate digestion issues. 

One last plug for Fiber, then I'm done (for now): soluble fiber, when consumed, increases the production of butyrate in the colon. What the heck is butyrate? Butyrate is a type of short-chain fatty acid (read: healthy fat) that helps your gut function at its peak. Butyrate increases insulin sensitivity and can be helpful in treatment of colon diseases such as Crohn's, IBS, or Ulcerative Colitis. (I feel another blog post in the making....)

In human terms, when soluble Fiber is consumed, butyrate is produced and helps control appetite, helps to regulate your metabolism, and has anti-inflammatory properties that can be helpful in healing gut disorders. Basically, when you're trying to fix a gut problem (i.e. Leaky Gut Syndrome), naturally occurring, plant-based soluble Fiber is important to feed the good bacteria found in your gut. Another reason for me to jump on the fiber-rich-foods bandwagon, aye? 

So, what are some Fiber-rich foods to start consuming? For your sanity (since this post has already been a teensy bit long), I'll just list a few to get you started:

• Sweet Potatoes
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Dark, Leafy Greens (Kale, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Mustard/Turnip Greens)
• Avocado
• Beets
• Carrots
• Apples
• Pears
• Artichokes
• Berries (Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, etc.)
• Nuts (Almonds, Cashews, Walnuts, Pecans, etc.)
• Pumpkin Seeds

Taking a Fiber supplement isn't sunshine and sprinkles, ladies and gents! It's actually quite scary....which is why it's much better and safer to get your daily grams from Fiber-rich foods because, heck, there are so many other beneficial nutrients in those same foods! Take blueberries, for instance. Just 1 cup has 3.6 grams of fiber and also contains high levels of Vitamin C and Vitamin K. Since our bodies don't have the ability to produce Vitamin C on their own, we have to supplement by way of food and, well, supplements. Why not kill a few birds with one stone and just eat the nutrient-dense foods? 

In a perfect world, that would be great. But I myself know that doing so can (hopefully temporarily) be an impossibility for a lot of people. So for now, I eat as much as I can throughout the day and supplement with Fiberwise to keep me on track. (Because 💩 is important.)

XOXO,

Heather

P.S. Why am I posting a cookie recipe to go along with this post? Well.....that's a good question. I don't know, but I do know that 1 ounce of almonds contains 3.5 grams of Fiber. So, really, you're welcome. 💋

Chocolate Fudge Cookies
Makes: 2 dozen cookies
Photo and Recipe Courtesy of: Clean Eating with a Dirty Mind by Vanessa Barajas

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups Dark Chocolate Chips (60% or higher - the darker the better)
• 2 Tablespoons Ghee
• 3/4 cup blanched Almond Flour, sifted (sifting can take a while, but it's worth it. Trust me.)
• 1/2 cup Coconut Sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened Cocoa Powder (100%, all. the. way.)
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt (you could use Himalayan Pink Sea Salt. It's pretty amazing.)
• 2 large Eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 
  

Directions:

Melt 1 cup of the chocolate chips and ghee in a double boiler over low heat; stirring frequently until completely melted and combined. Remove from heat and let cool for 5-7 minutes, until bowl is relatively cool to touch. (I've done this step in the microwave as well and it's just as effective.) 

While the chocolate mixture is cooling, combine almond flour, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl; stir together and set aside.

Using a rubber spatula, mix eggs and vanilla extract into the cooled chocolate mixture; pour into almond flour mixture. Using a hand mixer on low setting, beat the mixtures until well combined. Add remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips to the mixture and mix (on low) to combine. Chill dough in the freezer for 15-20 minutes (or until firm). 

While the dough is chilling, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop cookie dough and roll into 1-inch balls. Place each cookie dough ball 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet and press with your fingertips to flatten slightly. Bake for 10-12 minutes; remove from oven, let cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes; then remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

**If you have any left (that's a BIG if), you can freeze these to pull out on a rainy day. Or at 2:33 in the afternoon. Because I've never done that before. Ahem. 💗