Fiber
FIBER IS THE 4TH MACRONUTRIENT!
It’s not actually, but it is in the JRAPPFIT wellness space. Fiber is a superpower. It’s hard to measure but important to consume.
Here are some tips that can help you make the transition to a higher-fiber diet.
Eat a minimum of three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit every day. This makes up the five-a-day recommended by the USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In general, one serving is a single piece of fruit or a half-cup of raw fruits or vegetables, or a cup of leafy greens.
Include fruits, vegetables, or both with every meal. For instance, include fruit with breakfast and as a snack, and vegetables with lunch and dinner.
Eat plant seeds (the seeds of plants in the legume family), such as beans, lentils, and peas, at least three times a week. You can include them either as a plant-based protein in meatless dishes, or as the starch side in place of grains. For example, you could have fish on a bed of lentils rather than rice.
Rely on nuts, seeds, and fruit for snacks. Or add them to other items like yogurt, oatmeal, salads, and stir-fries.
Replace refined grains like white rice with whole grains like brown rice, wild rice, or bulgur. For pasta, look for versions made from quinoa or pulses like chickpeas and lentils.
Check nutrition fact labels for the amount of dietary fiber. Aim for at least 5 grams of fiber per serving.
Be careful about eating a lot of fiber at once.
If you are eating fiber with all the other macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats) then you should feel pretty good. However, if you have bloating, or irregular discomfort, add gradually to your day to day meals in small doses. These problems go away after a while as your digestive system gets used to the higher fiber levels.
For example, try to add just one more serving of high-fiber food to one meal a day for a week, then see how your body feels. Give yourself another week, if needed. If everything is okay, add another daily serving for a week. Continue this pattern until you reach your daily quota of fiber.
Also, make sure to drink plenty of fluids each day—about 16 ounces of water, four times a day.
Increasing the water you drink can help fiber pass through your digestive system and avoid stomach distress.
Recipe of the week:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CKwV8VHloWD/?igsh=YWt5dW81azBqMnBm
Yours in Health,
Jenny
