Fiber: How Hard Can It Actually Be?

Hard, actually… it’s kind of hard. Rather than have a laundry list of New Year’s Resolutions, I’ve decided that I simply need to start with one goal: tracking how much fiber I’m getting each day and make it a habit to reach 25-35 grams each day. Why my focus on fiber and why now?

Diverticulitis is why. I was recently diagnosed with this condition, an unpleasant inflammation that occurs in the large intestine (seems like inflammation is the culprit of so many ailments). What this means is—if I don’t consume enough fiber then it’s just not pretty.  In fact, it takes me down. I’d come across some interesting wellness information in Sara Gottfried’s book “Brain Body Diet” this summer and here’s what she had to say:

                  “Fiber doesn’t just detoxify your gut but your whole brain body. Dietary fiber is proven to help the gut microbiome, gut barrier, gastrointestinal immune and endocrine systems, and detoxification organs in the liver and kidneys.”

Ok, so I read this long before I was diagnosed and it sounded good but it wasn’t quite enough to move the dial for me.  Having what I thought was the stomach flu regularly did. I was super relieved to have a diagnosis as to why this was happening. Now I just have to do the work to get more fiber into my diet.

Here are a few of my top picks that help do the trick without much effort:

1 cup of mixed berries: 5 g

½ cup of black beans: 8.3 g

1 c cooked broccoli: 5.2 g

1 oz of chia seeds: 10 g

They say knowledge is power, right?  (whoever “they” are)  Now that I know what I’m dealing with, I’m feeling optimistic that I can manage this “D” thing and feel a whole lot better in 2020. Comment down below your favorite ways to incorporate more fiber into your diets! 

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