Buenos días,
I have a confession to make to you. I have chronic constipation. Without fiber, I don't go.
So eating less of it was never an option for me. But for a long time, eating more of it went badly. More gas, more pressure, and still nothing moving.
The worst I have ever felt wasn't from too little fiber. It was from too much of the wrong kind, too fast.
Here's what I wish someone had told me back then.
You eat the fiber. You don't digest it.
Fiber is the part of plants that resists digestion. It's in fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes, grains, nuts and seeds.
Most carbs get absorbed in your small intestine. Fiber doesn't. It keeps going until it reaches your colon, where the bacteria living down there finally get to it.
That's the whole thing. Fiber isn't a laxative you take. It's food you're delivering to your gut bacteria. They break it down and make compounds that strengthen your gut lining and help calm inflammation.
It also holds you longer after a meal. Part of that runs through GLP-1, an appetite hormone your gut already makes on its own.
The more kinds of fiber you bring them, the better they eat. Which is why a mixed plate beats any powder.
¿Me explico?
So why does it bloat you?
Because you fed them too much at once.
Going from almost no fiber to a lot of fiber, your microbes are not used to that feast. They ferment it faster than your gut can pass the gas. Your colon fills and stretches. That's the bloating, the cramping, the embarrassing gut sounds that somebody probably heard.
And it isn't only about how much you added. Some fibers ferment much faster than others. Inulin and chicory root, the stuff packed into fiber bars and gut health snacks, get devoured quickly and throw off a lot of gas. Oats, psyllium and kiwi ferment slowly, or barely at all. Same grams on the label, very different afternoon.
Some of that is just normal digestion. But when it tips into real discomfort, it's usually a pacing problem.
And pacing you can fix.
How to increase fiber safely
Slow. About 5 extra grams a week, not 25 on Monday.
Food over fiber bars. The added-fiber bars ferment fast, which is exactly why they wreck people.
Water with it. Fiber needs fluid, or it backs you up worse than before.
Soluble first. It's the gentler one.
One high-fiber food at every meal. Oats, fruit, beans, whole grains or a starchy vegetable, plus a vegetable.
Do that, and you land somewhere around 25 to 38 grams a day without counting a thing.
You know what finally worked for many of my patients and for me? Kiwis. Two of them. Green kiwi barely ferments, but it still carries both kinds of fiber, so it moves things along without the gas. If you're constipated and everything high-fiber makes you feel worse, start there.
Start by swapping something.
Start with simple:
- Regular pasta for lentil pasta.
- White rice for rice with beans.
- Sugary cereal for instant oats.
- Or add chia, flaxseeds or fruits to your yogurt
Pick one. Not four.
One thing I won't skip
If you have gastroparesis, Crohn's with narrowing, an active IBD flare, or an IBS flare, "just eat more fiber" can genuinely make you feel worse. We have to be strategic.
That blanket high-fiber advice wasn't built for your gut. Often it's just a matter of tweaking the type of fiber and easing the fermentation load. Worth asking a specialized GI Dietitian about it instead of guessing.
🍽️ One high-fiber recipe to try this week
Lentil & Feta TabboulehThis is a vibrant, Mediterranean-style grain-free salad characterized by its finely chopped fresh herbs and a colorful mix of wholesome ingredients. Click 👇 lentil-feta-tabbouleh.pdf | | |
Next week: the gut-muscle axis. What's happening in your gut has a lot more to do with what you build in the gym than anyone told you.
Con cariño,
Mayra
Gutsy Bites
P.S. If fiber has ever made you feel worse, you weren't doing it wrong. You were doing it fast. Slow down, start soluble, and tell me which swap you picked.
Free 15 min Gut Roadmap Call Tired of guessing what your gut wants? That's exactly what I help with Book a free 15-minute Gut Roadmap call here. |
