𝗪.𝐓.𝐅𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫!⁣⁣

You’ve heard of fiber but maybe you have no clue where it’s found or why it’s important. ⁣⁣

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If that’s true, you’re not alone. The average American only gets about half of their recommended fiber intake.⁣⁣

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𝘓𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵.⁣⁣

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First, you should know that there are 2 different types of fiber:⁣⁣

🥕 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫, which does not dissolve in water. It is the bulky fiber that helps to prevent constipation, and is found in whole grains, wheat cereals, and vegetables such as carrots, celery, and tomatoes.⁣⁣

🍎 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫, which does dissolve in water. It helps control blood sugar levels and reduce cholesterol. Good sources include barley, oatmeal, beans, nuts, and fruits such as apples, berries, citrus fruits, and pears.⁣⁣

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𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬:⁣⁣

👩‍🦳 𝘈𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝟸𝟻𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯⁣⁣

🧔🏽‍♂️ 𝘈𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝟹𝟾𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘯⁣⁣

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Personally, my favorite high fiber foods are lentils, chia seeds, raspberries, and blackberries. ⁣⁣

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𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐨 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡? ⁣⁣

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Fiber takes care of our gut by providing the nutrition for the healthy bacteria living in our gut (𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐦𝐞). Without fiber, that healthy bacteria starts losing the war to the bad bacteria which can lead to a whole mess of problems. ⁣⁣

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𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘵?⁣⁣

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𝟏. 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡. ⁣🍽 ⁣

Fiber keeps us regular with normal poops! Everybody poops, people… at least you should. And if you don’t, it might be time to start paying attention to your fiber intake. ⁣⁣

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Sufficient fiber also helps you minimize your risks of digestive conditions like GERD, diverticulitis, IBS, hemorrhoids, and gallstones.⁣⁣

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𝟐. 𝐀𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐬, 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐬, & 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞.⁣🫀⁣

High fiber diets help stabilize blood sugar because fiber takes longer to digest and absorb. Fiber also helps aid in the excretion of LDL cholesterol from the blood and lowers the risk for cardiovascular disease. Since fiber helps lower inflammation and improve the gut microbiome (also known as headquarters of the immune system), risk for cancers can decrease as well.⁣⁣

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𝟑. 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.⁣ 🧬⁣

Higher fiber intake leads to lower estrogen levels. This is important because higher levels of estrogen are linked to certain cancers and diseases. ⁣⁣

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𝟒. 𝗪𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.⁣ 💪⁣

In addition to aiding in digestion and preventing constipation, fiber also adds bulk to your diet, a key factor in both losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight. Adding bulk can help you feel full sooner. Since fiber stays in the stomach longer than other foods, that feeling of fullness will stay with you much longer, helping you to eat less. High-fiber foods such as fruits and vegetables tend to be low in calories, so by adding fiber to your diet, it’s easier to cut calories.⁣⁣

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I encourage you to start looking at your nutrition labels and factoring the amount of fiber you’re getting from your most common foods. ⁣⁣

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Could you do better?⁣⁣

Are you getting more than the average American?⁣⁣

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