Nutrition Video Series: Fiber + Fiber-Fortified Foods

In today’s nutrition video, I’m talking about the health benefits of fiber, excellent sources, and why not all “fiber-rich” foods are created equal!

• Fiber is proven to help reduce your risk of coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, & obesity. It’s also beneficial for weight management & improving body composition.
• While fiber is amazing for you, it won’t be amazing to have right before a workout. Avoid eating foods rich in fiber (esp. that are also rich in fats such as flax & chia) the hour leading up to a training session to avoid GI issues mid-workout.
• Fiber is a prebiotic (food for probiotics!) that helps support growth of healthy bacteria in your gut. This in turn will help strengthen your immune system!
• So what foods are rich in fiber? Fruit such as berries, pears, & apples, veggies such as broccoli & brussel sprouts, lentils, beans, chia seeds, flaxseed, and whole grains such as oats, quinoa & brown rice.
• Not all fiber-rich foods are created equal. By that I mean, foods fortified with synthetic fibers (i.e. Quest bars, Fiber One products, and fiber-rich ice cream brands) won’t even come close to providing the same benefits as the foods I just listed. This is a company’s way of making unhealthy foods seem healthy – take a closer look at the ingredient list. Are there added sugars? Are there chemicals and/or artificial sweeteners? So…is this food really as healthy as the company is making it seem??
• These synthetic fibers are often listed as either inulin (chicory root fiber) or isomalto-oligosaccharides to name a few.
• A high-fiber brownie is still a brownie...it’s just more likely to make you feel bloated and gassy after you eat it. Don’t get me wrong-if you truly enjoy the taste of these products, I’m not saying you can’t ever eat them again. I’m just putting them in the same category as I would all junk food because truly, that’s what they are. So consume in moderation, & if you are only eating the product because you believe it to be a nutritious option, and an excellent way to boost your daily fiber content, you’re being misled!

The below video is taken from my instagram, which you can follow here!