There is no shortage of information regarding the need for fiber in our diets. There are blog posts, videos, TikToks, and other media that are telling us to eat more fiber. Fiber is in the fruits and vegetables we consume daily. How much do we need, and what does it do for your health? It’s recommended that people eat 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories, which works out to roughly 25 to 38 grams of fiber each day, depending on your gender. But only about 1 in 10 Americans achieve these goals. Consuming adequate fiber helps reduce your risk of developing obesity, reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes, and lowers your risk for certain types of cancer, especially colorectal cancer. The fiber in fruits also reduces sugar intake, unlike juicing, which breaks down the cellular walls. This is how fruits help us control sugar intake as the fiber slows the absorption of the healthy natural sugars. Eating salads and fruits increases bulk, improves stools, and adding more green leafy vegetables improves our natural intestinal flora. I grew up always having a vegetable or salad with my meals. Even breakfast can include whole fruit as a side dish. Fibermaxxing is the idea of maximizing the amount of fiber intake. It is much easier to improve healthy eating habits, including eating salads with every meal, and it’s easy. You can have the hamburger for lunch and have a side salad. Eating meat for dinner with a potato? Add Brussels sprouts or another vegetable, and add a salad before the meal. Health is not something you find out about when your doctor takes your blood. Health is a lifestyle. Increasing your fiber intake helps maintain your weight too. Want to find out more? Check out the blog post below from NPR. The ‘fibermaxxing’ trend has health benefits worth the hype