The Ins and Outs of Dietary Fiber

What exactly is fiber, and how can it help us?

Dietary fiber is the rough part of plant foods that our body cannot digest or absorb. It helps our body with digestion and motility in our GI tract. Fiber is generally categorized into two types: soluble and insoluble. 

Soluble fiber can absorb water, which then slows down how quickly food can move through our GI tract. Increasing soluble fiber can help to relieve any signs of diarrhea. Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, cannot absorb water. In fact, it moves through digestion completely unchanged! By doing so, this adds bulk to our stool and speeds up motility, which can help relieve any symptoms of constipation.

Sources of Each Type of Fiber

Soluble Fiber Foods:
Oats
Beans
Barley
Citrus Fruits
Apples

Insoluble Fiber Foods:
Whole grain starches (i.e. whole grain bread)
Nuts
Seeds
Vegetables
Beans (notice that beans have both soluble and insoluble fibers!)

4 Tips to Increase Your Fiber Intake

1. Leave the skins on fruits and veggies like apples and cucumbers (make sure you wash produce before prepping!)

2. Switch from a white bread to a whole grain bread once in a while.

3. Add beans to your favorite soup recipe – perfect for cozy winter dinners!

4. Opt for a smoothie or whole fruit over juice sometimes – fiber stays more intact this way.

Is there such a thing as too much fiber?

Although fiber is really important to maintaining how our bodies digest food, there is such a thing as too much. Adding too much fiber or adding too much too quickly may cause abdominal pain and bloating. It is important to prioritize a variety of foods, meaning eating only foods high in fiber can sometimes cause more harm than good to our GI tract. Reflect on the types of foods you typically consume – if many are high fiber foods, it can be helpful to add in more lower fiber foods. If many of the foods you eat are typically lower in fiber, increasing higher fiber foods SLOWLY can help alleviate potential GI distress. With any GI distress, it is typically a good idea to increase your fluid consumption – especially if it is typically low. This can help to replenish any fluids lost with symptoms of diarrhea or help to speed up our GI tract motility to reduce symptoms of constipation.

How We Love to Increase Fiber at Eat Well with Gina

Brittany loves to add more fiber to her meals with her favorite soup during the wintertime – Turkey, White Bean, and Spinach Soup! White beans, spinach, celery, and onions add extra boosts of fiber in this yummy dish! Gina loves to add more fiber by adding chia seeds and ground flaxseeds to her smoothies, oatmeal and salads.