Hi Sweet Friends,
Sometimes when folks add more veggies and fiber-filled foods to their plate, their digestive system doesn’t cooperate very well and uncomfortable physical issues crop up. These not-so-awesome bathroom trips and embarrassing gassy moments have given fiber a bad name. But fiber really is your friend — you just have to get to know it a little better and learn a few simple fiber guidelines. Today, I hope to mend any grudges you have against fiber and show you how to live in harmony with it. C’mon, give fiber a chance!
What is fiber?
Quite simply, fiber is plant roughage — the part of veggies, fruits, beans, grains, nuts and seeds that resists digestion. So why would you go out of your way to eat things that just come out anyway? For precisely that reason. Fiber helps clean out your digestive system and get rid of things (namely extra hormones, cholesterol, toxins and waste) that shouldn’t be there.
Fiber also provides a plethora of other health benefits, including proper colon health and intestinal bacterial balance. In addition, fiber-rich foods are essential for a strong immune system, faster metabolism and weight control, diabetes and cardiovascular disease prevention, beautiful skin and better overall health. Are you beginning to see why I’m so passionate about fiber?
What’s the difference between soluble & insoluble fiber?
Insoluble fiber has a laxative effect and is found in fruit and vegetable skins, wheat, wheat bran, rye and rice. It doesn’t readily dissolve in water so it adds to fecal bulk (poop mass). It’s crucial for hearty, healthy bowel movements, which should be excreted at least once or twice a day.
Soluble fiber absorbs liquid, swells and is readily digested by intestinal bacteria. It ferments and produces gases in the digestive tract. I know this doesn’t sound so sexy, but it’s very important for colon health. Soluble fiber creates a feeling of fullness and is the kind of fiber responsible for lowering LDL “lousy” cholesterol. You have to look a little harder for soluble fiber in the diet, but champions include chia seeds, flax seeds, oats, oat bran, barley, beans, lentils, psyllium and most fruits — especially berries.
How much fiber do you need to eat?
There’s a big difference between how much fiber the average person is eating and how much they should be eating for optimal health. The recommended intake for disease prevention is 14 grams of fiber for every 1000 calories consumed, which averages to at least 38 grams per day for men and 25 grams per day for women. Many health authorities, however, recommend eating even more fiber to better your chances of overall health and wellness. However, the average American fiber intake is about half of what’s recommended — 16-18 grams of a day for men and 12-14 grams per day for women.
And let’s not leave out the kiddos! Kids eat less food and should naturally have less fiber in their diet. But, fiber is still important for their overall health, and it’s important for them to have a mix of insoluble fiber-rich veggies, wheat bran, and rice as well as soluble fiber-rich beans, seeds and berries. Loose stools are often the first sign that a child may be getting too much fiber, or an improper balance of soluble and insoluble fiber.
Why does fiber cause gas and indigestion?
Too much added fiber, too fast
An increase in total fiber, especially a jump too quickly can cause gas and bloating. But, it’s really the fermentation of soluble fiber in the colon that produces these issues. Soluble fiber hits the colon undigested, and when the gut bacteria works to break it down, gas results. A-ha! This is why the childhood song pokes fun at beans as the “musical fruit” and not lettuce — beans have a great deal of soluble fiber, lettuce has mostly insoluble fiber. Keep in mind that beans or no beans, it is actually normal to pass gas 13-21 times a day. Yes, I said it’s normal. Fart-tastic!
Digestive disorders
Irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive disorders affect how much gas moves through the intestinal tract and can increase intestinal gassiness as well as bloating and painful discomfort. Like anyone new to a high-fiber diet, folks with sensitive or otherwise challenged digestive systems should increase fiber intake slowly and ensure a mix of both insoluble and soluble fiber-rich foods.
Soluble fiber like the kind found in chia seeds and flax seeds helps to soften stools and make happy bowel movements with minimal discomfort. Raw vegetables and cruciferous vegetables may provide special challenges for those with digestive disorders. If this is the case, eating smaller quantities or cooking veggies thoroughly may give some relief.
You’re not drinking enough water
To avoid constipation (which often goes along with extra gas and bloating), be sure to increase fluid intake as you increase fiber intake. If you’re dehydrated, your body pulls water from your food waste, making your poop more difficult to pass. Women need (on average) at least 2 liters of water a day and men need at least 3 liters a day. You can also calculate this by dividing your body weight in half and drinking that quantity of water in ounces (a person who weighs 200 pounds needs to drink 100 ounces water daily).
The rest of the culprits
Eating too fast, smoking, chewing gum, not chewing your food thoroughly, drinking carbonated beverages, eating lactose found in dairy products, even chowing on too much fructose (fruit sugar), and loading up on too many raffinose-heavy foods like beans, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage can increase gas production. In case you’re curious, raffinose is a hard-to-digest sugar. Kombu (a seaweed) helps break it down, therefore making it easier to digest. (I share my tip for using kombu while cooking below.)
A diet too high in fatty foods can also increase bloating and digestive discomfort. Fatty foods (even of the healthier fat variety) slow down stomach emptying and lower the transit time of foods through the digestive system. This gives the body extra time to get gassy and uncomfortable.
Awesome article! A lot of people underestimate the importance of fiber. I live abroad where people are obsessed with white breads and pastas and fiber is definitely MISSING here! Thanks for all the tips on bloating/gas relief as well! Sharing 🙂
Excellent
Really helpful post. I found that cutting out wheat and dairy made my digestion so much better. Digestion is such a fascinating topic I could read about it all day!
http://www.calmer-you.com
It is very informative & helpful. I like to know more about IBS & about exercise & yoga for relief from IBS,(irritated bowl syndrome).
Great info!
when cooking lentils, add a pinch of asofoetida. it helps manage the gas producing activity of lentils and beans.
I haven’t had much fiber in my diet since I’ve been a horrible eater in the past. However, I’m now incorporating fruits & veggies and many other wholesome goodness into my diet and love juicing. (Your book is fabulous–Crazy Sexy Juice). I find myself creating so many variations of drinks I forget to follow the recipes, yet the juices are still yummy. Thanks for all the info.
Excellent post with great information. One of the things that helped me the most when I started with the high fiber diet was to drink plenty of water. I still have to remind myself to keep drinking throughout the day because it is so easy to forget! I also never thought of the “wheel out trapped gas trick” That one seems really helpful too!
Great article. I found it informative and helpful in answering some of the “why’s.”
Is it true that eating grains and fruits together can cause excess gas? I’d read that the grains digest faster leaving the fruits to putrify. True or False?
(If I can pass along the answer to this question, my yoga class would appreciate it. There’s this one guy….)
There is no WAY I could drink 2 litres of water per day. I would be sick. Where do you get these figures from?
Thanks for this cool article. How long do you soak the kombu before cooking the beans?
You rock Miss Kris
I wish to show thanks to you just for bailing me out of this particular trouble. I am not sure the health issues that I might have gone through without the type of information revealed by you regarding that situation. I’d appreciate it.
Hey there. It is really helpful article. People always get misguided with foods to follow and they have no idea what to eat and what to avoid. Your insights on foods rich in fibre are really helpful. I would add some other foods like apple, berries and avocado are the foods rich in fibre. Can you suggest some other foods rich in fiber and are helpful in weight loss?
Well written, thank you. Many people underestimate the importance of fibers.
Fibers are components of plant cells which are not degraded in the intestines. They are partly degraded in the colon under the influence of bacteria.
Fibers are most commonly divided into soluble and insoluble. Generally, insoluble fibers have an important role in preventing digestive disorders, whereas soluble fibers are significant for regulating diabetes, decreasing cholesterol, and fighting obesity.
the information provided was helpful. My doctor has recommended for me to take in more fiber, but my issue is that I have IBS and many fruits causes me to have gas. I will read over information more of what you have suggested. Do you have any particular recipes that incorporate more fiber in them?
I seem to be pooping constantly. …i have started cutting out wheat and dairy…..cant stop wiping…..
Great article and I wished I read it a week ago. Because Two days ago I wanted more fiber in my Diet too support a healthier digestive system. So at the market I bought Karshi brand go lean cereal. It tasted great that I had two big cereal bowls for breakfast. Then the day was fine until I had chicken with brown rice with a Diet Coke for dinner around 630 pm. Around 9 pm I was in agony with pain in my lower abdomen. I bend over and told my wife something is wrong that I might need to go to the ER. Some of you readers might be thinking I am soft. But I have been electrocuted fallen through a ceiling and broke 10 ribs yes we have 24 ribs and I broke 10. Along with multiple fractures to my arm and leg. I survived it ok so far. But believe me having a sudden 10x fold increase of fiber ingested. That it brought me to my knees. That night my wife got me 2 gas relief pills and about 90 minutes later I was able to pass gas and the pain subsides. So before I read your article I never knew that fiber was rough on the stomach and etc. i mean I knew it was a little more work on the stomach. But I just was ignorant and I learned the hard way and I hope others who read my comments take this article very serious for it is no laughing matter.
My husband is Vegan. His diet is mostly made up of vegetables (juiced, raw and cooked), beans, and whole grains. He also drinks ginter tea and Kombucha and takes supplements (vit D, probiotics, and others). His gassiness is CONSTANT and often times very smelly. He has soluble and insoluble fiber in his diet, has ginger, drinks tons of water, etc. He doesn’t plan to change his super healthy and clean diet. we are looking for solutions for his gassiness as it is super unpleasant! Are you aware of any products that might reduce the gasiness or at least the odor?
Additionally, I have started eating KASHI’s go lean crunch cereals which have done wonders for my long history of constipation but are causing major, smelly gas as well. I know it’s due to the fiber but i don’t want to stop eating it because i like it and i need the fiber. Is there some kind of supplement i could take to be able to eat it without all of the gas?
Recently adopted a mostly plants diet to combat high LDL (131!) and I’m loving all of the benefits except the gas. I pass gas constantly. Looking forward to trying some in-the-air bicycle!