Five Foods to Increase Your Fiber Intake
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Fiber is arguably the most overlooked aspect of a healthy diet. Many people get less than 15 to 20g of fiber per day, which is much too little for healthy gastrointestinal function. But what is it about fiber that makes it so crucial for health and well-being? Read on to learn all about how fiber works and the best foods to find it in!
WHY FIBER IS CRUCIAL FOR HEALTH
The human gut/gastrointestinal (GI) tract contains nearly three pounds of bacteria – comprised of 1000 or more different species – that help us digest and absorb nutrients from food. These microbes are collectively referred to as our gut microbiome, which is crucial for healthy endocrine function, immune support, and even body weight regulation.
Therefore, it is imperative to eat a diet that feeds good bacteria. A healthy gut microbiome will help promote satiety, prevent blood sugar swings, enhance absorption of nutrients from food, and make fat loss easier. So what foods should you eat to feed healthy bacteria in the gut? In a few words – fibrous vegetables and resistant starches. Fiber is a subclass of carbohydrates and has a very low impact on blood sugar levels due to its slow digestion.

Fiber provides bulk to waste in the intestines and promotes healthy gastrointestinal functioning. There are two classes of fibers — soluble and insoluble. Soluble fibers mesh with water to form a gel and slow the digestive process, which as aforementioned can help attenuate blood sugar levels. Soluble fibers are eventually fermented by intestinal flora to short-chain fatty acids and energy. Contrarily, insoluble fibers travel through the GI tract without dissolving and speed the passage of food waste through the gastrointestinal tract (i.e. they act as natural laxatives).
Furthermore, digestion-resistant starches are a new and innovative breakthrough in nutritional science that have pronounced health benefits, particularly as prebiotics that improve gut health and enhance absorption of vital nutrients. Prebiotics are foods/agents that help induce growth and/or activity of healthy microbes in the gut.
Research suggests that resistant starches from various vegetables and fruits, such as bananas and potatoes, promote digestive health by influencing growth of healthy bacteria in the gut and altering the structure of tissue in the GI tract.1
Furthermore, resistant starches are digested similarly to other soluble dietary fibers, with minimal impact on blood sugar. They’re fermented in the colon to short-chain fatty acids such as acetate and butyrate, which are easily oxidized for energy and feed healthy intestinal microbes. So with this in mind, let’s take a look at five awesome foods that can greatly increase your fiber intake.
HERE ARE 5 FOODS THAT INCREASE FIBER INTAKE:
CHIA SEEDS
This food comes from the South American plant salvia hispanica, and has been a dietary staple for many civilizations dating back to the time of the Aztecs. Chia seeds are low in calories and extremely nutrient-dense, making them ideal for adding to recipes.
Just one ounce of chia seeds contains 11 grams of fiber, 5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids, and more than 30% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of rare minerals such as manganese, magnesium, and phosphorus. Better yet, due to their huge amount of fiber, chia seeds have the ability to hold up to 12 times their w eight in water; thus, chia seeds help keep you fuller, longer as well as promote healthy GI function.

BEANS
Beans, especially kidney beans, chickpeas, black beans, pinto beans, and red beans contain nearly half of their total carbohydrate content in the form of fiber. Beans are also loaded with protein to help support lean body mass, making them a total nutrient powerhouse.
Moreover, beans are low in calories, packed with micronutrients, and easy to add to many recipes (or serve as a great side dish). They are rich in magnesium, iron and potassium to help keep your body operating efficiently, as well as keep you full.

ISOMALTO-OLIGOSACHARIDE (I.M.O.)
Isomalto-oligosaccharide (I.M.O.) is a food ingredient that is added to various foods as either powder or a syrup, but can be readily bought and used a s a sweetener as well. Isomalto- oligosaccharide is composed of both digestible and non-digestible sugars. The non-digested sugars that make up the majority of I.M.O. pass through the small intestine and undergo microbial fermentation in the large intestine (i.e. they feed healthy microbes in the gut).
I.M.O. has a slight sweetness to it naturally, making it a great addition to many recipes/dishes while adding a significant amount of fiber (just one teaspoon contains upwards of 4g of fiber).
FRESH BROCCOLI
Broccoli is a cruciferous green vegetable and arguably the most filling vegetable on a per gram basis. Broccoli derives nearly all of it’s calories from fiber, and contains tons of vitamin C, vitamin B-6 and vitamin A, making it extremely nutrient-dense.
Believe it or not, an entire head of broccoli only contains a little over 100 calories, which is pretty amazing considering most people would never be able t o finish the whole thing due to how filling it is.

PSYLLIUM HUSK
Psyllium is a form of fiber made from the husks of the Plantago ovata plant’s seeds. Psyllium husk is rich in insoluble fibers that act as prebiotics an d help to promote healthy GI function. Psyllium has a rather neutral taste and slightly gritty texture, and naturally adds viscosity to recipes.
You can even add a few tablespoons to green smoothies and protein shakes for an added fiber kick and thicker, creamier shake.

CONCLUSION
So there you have it, five great foods that can be easily added to your diet to boost your fiber intake. Remember to aim for at least 25 to 30g of fiber per day, minimum. Larger individuals may need a bit more fiber to keep their GI tract opera ting optimally.
When in doubt, it’s better to consume a little too much fiber as opposed t o not enough. If you’re prudent about eating some (or all) of the above food s on a daily basis, you should certainly have no issue meeting your fiber needs.