If you’re like 95% of the US population, then odds are you aren’t having enough fiber.
America’s fiber intake gap seems to stem from our diet culture and food options, including the fact that mainstream American foods often lack adequate amounts of fiber. Additionally, when focusing on a healthy diet, most people tend to focus on tracking the 3 main macronutrients – protein, carbs, and fats – but often neglect fiber. As a result, they miss out on the many benefits associated with this nutrient – or macronutrient, as many people classify it as.
The benefits associated with fiber span a wide range of areas including digestion and gut health, weight management, heart health, and even blood sugar levels. However, according to national consumption surveys, only about 5% of the population meets recommendations.
In this article, we’ll dive into why having enough fiber in your diet is essential and how much you should be having, signs you're not eating enough fiber, and tips to help increase your fiber intake.
Although fiber is often overlooked, it's an essential component of a healthy and balanced diet. Recommended daily fiber intake varies by aspects such as gender and age – but on average the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends 14 grams for every 1,000 calories per day, or, about 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men each day. Meeting your daily fiber requirements provides many benefits including:
Improves Digestion & Promotes a Healthy Gut
Fiber is a critical nutrient for helping to keep your digestive system healthy and keeping your bowel movements regular. Having a healthy and regular digestive system is one of the best ways to prevent bloating and constipation.
Can Help With Weight Loss & Weight Maintenance
So, when trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, making sure you are getting enough fiber in your diet should be a top priority. Fiber helps keep you feeling full or extended periods of time because it takes longer for your body to digest and break down than other nutrients, thus promoting a feeling of fullness and reduced appetite. Therefore, it can prevent overeating and snacking while also helping to reduce hunger and cravings – in turn potentially aiding in weight loss and maintenance. In fact, some studies have found that people who eat high fiber diets tend to have lower body weight and BMI. Fiber also adds no caloric impact, and because it isn’t digested in the body, it does not count towards net carbs. The Net Carb formula is: Net Carbs = Carbohydrates minus Fiber.
Can Help Regulate Blood Sugar Levels
Fiber can help regulate blood sugar levels and prevent blood sugar spikes by slowing down the rate at which food is broken down and glucose enters the bloodstream. This makes fiber an important nutrient for diabetics.
Supports Heart Health
Fiber has been shown to support heart health by helping manage cholesterol levels. High fiber diets have actually been shown to help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. This is because fiber binds to cholesterol in the digestive tract, preventing it from being absorbed into the bloodstream.
---Now that you know the benefits of fiber, let’s go over what happens when you aren’t getting enough fiber in your diet. Fiber deficiency is linked to obesity and health conditions like heart disease and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). Here are some signs that you may not be getting enough fiber in your diet:
- Constipation or bloating
- Irregular or infrequent bowel movements
- Hunger soon after eating
- High cholesterol or blood pressure
- Blood sugar spikes
- Weight gain
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms above, evaluate your diet to keep track of how much fiber you are consuming daily!
There are many ways to help increase your fiber intake such as eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains such as broccoli, beans, and oats. Another way to increase your daily fiber intake is to add a Fit&Lean Meal Shake into your daily diet plan.
At Fit&Lean Nutrition, we couldn’t ignore the fiber gap in typical American diets when formulating our Meal Shake. That’s why we made sure to include 10-11 grams of dietary fiber per serving, including prebiotic fiber from inulin, oat fiber, and flax seed. Each Meal Shake will help provide almost 40% of the recommended daily value of fiber*, making it much easier to reach your fiber goals!
In addition to 10-11 grams of fiber, Fit&Lean Meal Shake is also packed with 20 grams of high-quality protein, 28 whole fruits and vegetables, 26 vitamins and minerals, and 500 million active probiotics – all for 150 calories or less! It also comes in 6 mouth-watering flavors including Vanilla Ice Cream, Chocolate Milkshake, Cookies & Cream, Strawberry Shortcake, Coffee Crumb Cake, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie.
SHOP FIT&LEAN MEAL SHAKE:
*Based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet.