Last time, we discussed the benefits of fiber in improving the balance of your gut flora. In the final part of our gut flora series, we want to continue discussing fiber and how increasing your five can improve your gut flora.
Increasing Fiber Gradually
The only negative to fiber intake is increasing the intake too quickly. It can cause bloating, gas, and potentially loose stools. Therefore, individuals following a lower-fiber diet must slowly increase their fiber intake.
A simple way to increase your fiber intake is to increase it by 5 grams per week until you reach a healthy level. If you understand that fiber is the only food your healthy bacteria get, you should see that the more fiber you get, the healthier your gut flora and microbiome balance will be. I believe a minimum of 30 grams of fiber daily should be a goal for everyone. However, increasing your intake slowly will minimize any adverse side effects, such as extra gas and bloating.
Where Do I Find Fiber?
The best fiber sources are avocados, low-starch vegetables, low-sugar fruits, beans, lentils, peas, nuts, and seeds. WebMD provides a great list of high-fiber superfoods. One of the items on this list is whole grains. However, they can be higher in glycemic values, which means they can raise blood sugar and insulin levels quickly (not a good thing to happen). The best sources of grains are found in the bran and germ, such as rice bran and germ.
Fiber is the only food your gut bacteria get. Fiber is filling, satiating, soothing, and cleansing. It removes bad fats, slows blood sugar absorption, provides food for our healthy gut bacteria, makes some nutrients, and reduces the risk of heart disease and some cancers.
Ultimately, a balanced gut helps maintain a balanced immune system. This can help prevent some autoimmune conditions caused by an overactive and nervous immune system. Additionally, a healthy gut can help reduce anxiety and depression in some people!
Improve your gut flora and improve your health!
Fiber supplements can help, but food sources provide the fiber and nutrients in one beneficial package and are therefore preferred. Vive Shake is the ultimate whole food, fiber, nutrient, and antioxidant food! Contact us today at info@viveshake.com or 877-878-3009 for more information.