The Important of Fiber
Updated: Mar 3, 2022
Fiber is often overlooked because it's not really fun. But it is SO important for our overall health AND our fitness goals.
Without getting into the nitty-gritty, here are some basic deets!
Fiber is a form of carbohydrate, found mainly in vegetables, fruits, and grains
Fiber aids in digestion, maintaining balanced gut health, diminishes bloating, and increases our satiety (how full we feel), and aids in fat loss by decreasing how many carbs our body can actually use.
There are two types of fiber: SOLUBLE FIBER attracts water and makes us feel full, longer (foods such as oatmeal, beans, nuts). INSOLUBLE FIBER repels water and helps keep our digestion moving along (foods such as green veggies, fruits, whole-grains).
As a general rule, you should aim to eat around 15 grams of fiber per 1000 kcal you consume. So, for example, if your calories are 1500, you would want to get in around 22 grams of fiber. If you're closer to 2000, you want to get in 30 grams.
* You can see your daily average fiber intake right within MyFitnessPal, by going to your Daily Food Diary and selecting NUTRITION on the bottom left. It is listed right underneath Carbs.
You can also add in a fiber supplement (I use 1UP Nutrition's Fiber - I prefer Unflavored - in my shakes or by itself daily). You want to try to get the majority of your fiber from real food, and supplement just to help bridge the gap.
https://1upnutrition.com/collections/womens-products/products/fiber-plus - code SHAYLA saves 20%
Once you're comfortable with tracking, aim to incorporate some fibrous foods into your meals to make sure we are focused on not just what food can do for us externally, but our internal health as well!