Last week we talked about a particular type of fiber called prebiotic fiber that helps feed the good bacteria in the GI tract. (Prebiotics are often confused with probiotics, make sure you read week 1 and week 2 of this mini series before this post! ) Most of that fiber is known as soluble fiber due to its fermentability by said bacteria. However, there is another classification of fiber known as insoluble fiber, which in general, is not fermentable. In fact, it passes through our systems largely in tact. Weird right?
Benefits of Insoluble Fiber
- Helps to keep you full, decreasing hunger and promoting satiety
- Provides bulk to the stool promoting regular bowel movement and preventing constipation
- Acts like a broom picking up and sweeping the GI tract clean of hazards toxins, chemicals, etc. that need to be eliminated
- Keeping an optimal pH in intestines to prevent microbes from producing cancerous substances
Food Sources of Insoluble Fiber
- Vegetables – greens such as spinach, lettuce, kale, masculine, collards, arugula, watercress, etc
- Mixing up greens on salads is a great way to get nutrient variety and prevent salad boredom!
- Spinach and Tomato Goat Cheese Quiche
- Healthy Breakfast Quesadilla
- Dairy Free Arugula Pesto
- Collard Green Wraps
- Carne Asada Flank Steak Salad
- Berry Bacon Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette
- Whole peas, snow peas, snap peas, pea pods
- My favorite ingredients in the Adult Lunchable!
- Green Beans
- Roasted Green Beans with Bacon
- Sheet Pan Hummus Chicken and Green Beans
- Eggplant
- Celery
- Cruciferous Vegetables – cabbage, bok choy, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli
- Fruit Skins and Root Vegetable Skins
- Eat the apple skin and the sweet potato/regular potato skin (after washing) for the optimal nutrient intake!
- Instant Pot Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Maple Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Sheet Pan Roasted Vegetables & Brats
- Whole Wheat products (especially wheat bran )
- Always, always go for the Whole Grain option! We’ve been enjoying a ton of delicious tasting Whole Grain Bread sent to me by friends at Dave’s Killer Bread.
- Whole Wheat Pancakes
- One Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
- Healthy Blueberry Zucchini Muffins with Crumb Topping
- Healthy Raspberry Muffins with Greek Yogurt
- Coconut Oil Banana Muffins
- Whole Grains – Gluten Free Grains like quinoa and brown rice will provide a decent amount too!
- Corn Bran- Whole Corn Kernal or Whole Grain Cornmeal
- Gluten Free Cornbread Stuffing
- Popcorn
- Beans
- All beans are great sources of insoluble fiber but kidney beans, navy beans, and lentils are some of the highest. Those of you that regularly visit Hungry Hobby, know how I feel about beans. I have managed to find a few ways to eat them that I can stand:
- Chocolate Chunk Vegan Blondies
- Peanut Butter Swirl Breakfast Brownies
- Crockpot or Stovetop Minestrone
- The BEST homemade refried beans
- Greek Yogurt Hummus
- Sriracha Hummus
- Flaxseed
- I’ve always found flaxseed to be a great regulator! Add a tablespoon to oatmeal, smoothies, or yogurt and watch how much more “regular” you become!
- Paleo Hemp & Flaxseed Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins
- Cranberry Date Quinoa Bars
- Vegetable Chip & Flax Crusted Chicken
- Gluten Free Mini Corn Dog Bites
- Vegan Pear Breakfast Bars
Other Factors To Consider For Regularity and Optimal Digestion:
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- Drink Enough Water —> 1/2 Your Body Weight Daily is Ideal!
- Exercise Daily at least 30 minutes helps move food along the colon
- Supplements & Medications can cause constipation (like excess iron/calcium or painkillers), review these with a Doctor and/or Dietitian
- Medical Conditions such as hypothyroid can decrease regularity (you can combat it though!)
- Nutrient Deficiencies – such as Magnesium
- Using a stool to raise your legs above 90 gets you into a more ideal position. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, watch this.
- Supporting intake of probiotics and prebiotics can also lower risk of decreased regularity. (Read week 1 and week 2)
52 HEALTHY HABITS IN 52 WEEKS SERIES:
The 52 Healthy Habits Series is about ditching the diet mindset and making small changes to improve health overall naturally leading to a healthy body composition, increased energy and improved health. Please follow along and check out the past weeks!
- Week 52: Healthy Habits Wrap Up
- Week 51: Nightly Reflection
- Week 50: Limit Harmful Chemicals
- Week 49: Find Your Tribe
- Week 48: Cultivating Positivity
- Week 47: Healthy Thanksgiving Tips
- Week 46: Check In
- Week 45: Mobility – Foam Rolling
- Week 44: HIIT Training
- Week 43: LISS or Steady State Cardio
- Week 42: Limit Alcohol
- Week 41: Eat White, Wait What?
- Week 40: Eat Blue & Purple
- Week 39: Eat Green
- Week 38: Eat Yellow/Orange
- Week 37: Eat Red
- Week 36: Learn Which Foods to Purchase Organic
- Week 35: Read the Ingredient List!
- Week 34: Focus.
- Week 33: Chew Your Food!
- Week 32: Meditation
- Week 31: Gratitude Journaling
- Week 30: Plan & Revamp Dessert- 20 Healthy Ideas
- Week 29: Two fistfuls of veggies per meal
- Week 28: Get In Veggies At Breakfast
- Week 27: Healthy Veggie Snacks
- Week 26: Nourishing Fats for the Gut (Healthy Digestion Part 4)
- Week 25: Keeping Regular – The Other Fiber (Healthy Digestion Part 3)
- Week 24: Feed The Probiotics With Prebiotic Fiber (Healthy Digestion Part 2)
- Week 23: Amazing Health Benefits of Probiotics (Healthy Digestion Part 1)
- Week 22: Check In
- Week 21: What You Will Learn From Recording Your Meals (Intuitive Eating Series Part 4)
- Week 20: Eat Until 80% Full (Hara Hachi Bu) (Intuitive Eating Series Part 3)
- Week 19: Limit Distractions While Eating (Intuitive Eating Series Part 2)
- Week 18: Gaging Your Hunger Cues (Intuitive Eating Series Part 1)
- Week 17: 10,000 Steps Per Day
- Week 16: Assess Your Caffeine Intake
- Week 15: Decrease Sugar Intake
- Week 14: Healthy Coffee Creamers (upgrade yours)
- Week 13: 3 Month Check In
- Week 12: Sleep Enough & Sleep Better
- Week 11: Schedule Your Workouts
- Week 10: Pack A Healthy Lunch (5 Ways to Create Endless Combinations)
- Week 9: Prioritizing Protein
- Week 8: How and What to Meal Prep
- Week 7: Create & Stick To Your Healthy Meal Plan
- Week 6: Get Enough Omega-3’s (Fight Inflammation)
- Week 5: What Is A Healthy Fat & How To Get Enough (Include Healthy Fats)
- Week 4: How to Spot A Healthy Carbohydrate (Upgrade Your Carbs)
- Week 3: Tips to Increase Veggie Intake (Eat Veggies)
- Week 2: 15 Healthy On the Go Breakfast Ideas (Eat BF Challenge)
- Week 1: Tips to Drink More Water
I never knew about the stool trick. Getting enough fiber is definitely tough for me. I feel like even if I ate salad three times a day, I would always still have issues. I’m going to try your trick!