Every few years, there’s a new diet trend telling us what to eat or what to avoid. “Protein” was the buzzword recently — now it’s “fiber.”
The produce section at grocery stores is packed with nutrient-dense foods. Certain fruits and vegetables, in particular, are packed with fiber, and a new diet trend has people “maxxing” out on it.
The recommended daily intake of fiber is 21 to 25 grams for adult women and 30 to 38 grams for adult men. But health experts say, on average, most Americans only consume about 15 grams.
“When I’m meeting with clients, oftentimes they’re starting at 5, 10, maybe 15 grams of fiber per day,” said Keri Anderson, a nutrition coach with Lifetime. “One of the biggest things is [fiber] helps with satiation. So, it’s going to help you stay full for longer after, between, your meals. But also, it helps with digestion, regularity. It helps with blood sugar control, which we all need.”
We know why it’s important for the body and how much we need daily, but some people are consuming more than the recommended amount. What is “fibermaxxing”?
“It’s going fully all-in on fiber,” said Anderson.
While she supports people raising their fiber intake, especially those only consuming around 15 grams a day, there are concerns with suddenly maxing out on the nutrient.
“A lot of people have a lot of distress when they’re doing those extreme, going from nothing to all-in [diets]. And so, we really want to make sure we’re slowly increasing because you can end up with a lot of bloat, a lot of discomfort,” Anderson said.
Since most Americans need to consume more of it, what’s a healthy and easy way to increase our fiber intake? Start by figuring out how much fiber you’re currently eating daily, then slowly increase the amount.
“And then, finding little places in each meal on how to add them in, whether that be an extra cup of berries, chia seeds, maybe a little added beans,” Anderson said.
If you’re looking for high fiber foods on your next grocery trip, put these on your list.
Fruits: raspberries, pears and apples.Vegetables: green peas, broccoli and turnips.Grains: spaghetti, quinoa and oatmeal.Legumes and seeds: split peas, lentils and black beans.
But as long as your cart is loaded with whole foods, your diet will be rich in fiber in no time.
Fibermaxxing isn’t for everyone. Those with digestive issues like IBS, Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis should prioritize low-fiber diets.
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