Eat more fiber. Here's exactly why and exactly how.
We are talking about fiber today, but before that. I have to admit something.
Something big has been happening behind the scenes in our house. Troy and I have been going back and forth on a really significant family decision for the last few weeks and gahhh, it has been A LOT. But we finally landed on something and I am so relieved. I’m not quite ready to spill yet but I will, I promise. Any guesses? Leave a comment, I genuinely want to know what you think.
What I will say is that when everything feels uncertain, I lean hard into my routine. There has been a lot of inconsistency lately and not a ton of control over how my days look, so nutrition has honestly been my anchor. Which brings me perfectly into what we’re talking about this week.
Ok now let’s get into it.
This Week: Let’s Talk About Fiber
Why Fiber Is the Most Underrated Thing on Your Plate!
We obsess over protein. And meanwhile fiber is just quietly doing more heavy lifting than almost anything else you eat, and most of us are barely giving it a second thought.
As a certified nutritional therapist this is one of my most talked about topics. So let’s actually break it down, in simple terms that will make sense.
What Fiber Actually Does For Your Body
It lowers your cholesterol (for real)
This one blew my mind when I first learned it. When you digest food, your body releases bile acids that contain cholesterol. Normally some of that cholesterol gets reabsorbed back into your body. But fiber binds to those bile acids and physically removes them before that can happen.
It stabilizes your blood sugar
Soluble fiber slows how fast sugar enters your bloodstream, which means fewer spikes, fewer crashes, less of that 3pm wall. If you were here for the CGM issue, you already know how much I care about this one.
It escorts toxins out of your body
Fiber is literally a toxin escort. Pectin (found in apples specifically) binds to toxins and carries them out through your digestive tract. Fiber also binds to about 80% of cancer-inhibiting antioxidants and walks them all the way to your colon where they actually do their job.
This is also why a smoothie and a juice are NOT the same thing. Juicing removes the fiber, and those antioxidants lose their ride out!
It keeps you full
Fiber adds bulk, absorbs water, expands in your gut, and tells your brain you’re full. It is one of the most powerful satiety tools we have and it lives inside an apple or a can of chickpeas.
Soluble vs. Insoluble: Here’s the simple version
Soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms a gel. Great for blood sugar and cholesterol. Think oats, apples, flaxseeds, avocado, sweet potato, lentils.
Insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve, it just physically moves through you and keeps things regular. Think leafy greens, zucchini, cucumber, broccoli, apple skins, whole grains.
Most whole plant foods have both. Don’t overthink the ratio, just eat more plants.
High Fiber Foods You Probably Already Have at Home
Chia seeds: 2 tbsp gives you roughly 10g of fiber. Throw them in a smoothie, make pudding, or stir them into water in the morning.
Ground flaxseeds: 1 tbsp = 2-3g of fiber plus antioxidants. Buy them ground, not whole. Whole flaxseeds just pass right through you.
Kiwi with the skin on: I know, hear me out. The skin has a really concentrated hit of insoluble fiber plus vitamin C. Just wash it and eat the whole thing. This one surprises literally everyone I tell.
Chickpeas: 1/2 cup = around 6g of fiber. They’re in two of the recipes below and I could honestly eat them every single day.
This Week’s Recipes: Fiber That Actually Tastes Good
Paleo Chia Pudding Creamy, simple, and chia seeds are quietly one of the most fiber-dense foods out there. This one earns a permanent spot in your weekly rotation.
Chickpea Tuna Salad Two fiber sources in one bowl. The chickpeas replace half the tuna and you genuinely do not miss it.
Vegetarian Chili One bowl of this could nearly get you to your daily fiber goal. Beans, tomatoes, peppers, done and done.
Flourless Chocolate Brownies BROWNIES. Made with black beans. Fudgy, rich, and your gut is literally benefiting. This one converts skeptics every single time, I stand by it.
Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies Chickpeas in cookie form and they are so good it almost feels wrong. If you haven’t made these yet, this is your sign.
One More Thing: Let’s Talk Gut Health
Fiber feeds your gut bacteria, but what’s actually living in your gut matters too. I started taking Seed’s DS-01 Daily Synbiotic when I was pregnant with our daughter because I wanted to help build a diverse microbiome for her from day one. The research on early microbiome development is so compelling and it was something I was really intentional about.
Seed is a probiotic and prebiotic combined (called a synbiotic), clinically validated, 24 strains, specifically designed to reduce bloating and gas and support whole body health. It’s the one I actually recommend because the science is legit.
Use code JAZZ25 for 25% off → seed.com
Ok that was a lot of information for one email lol. But you know I genuinely cannot help myself when it comes to this stuff.
More on the family news soon, I promise.
Jazz x
Seriously though, reply and tell me what you want to hear about next!
You want another baby?