The Power of Fiber

The Power of Fiber

“Fiber is a longevity hack. For every 10 gram increase in fiber, there was a 10% reduction in the risk of mortality” ­– Dr. Layne Norton

​Fiber is basically a carbohydrate that can't be broken down into glucose. So it has a unique role to keep blood sugar stable and move things in the digestive system. We need fiber to function. But it's not just a "longevity" tool.

It also plays a huge effect in the gut microbiome. In fact, Layne says that sugary foods are unhealthy because they're low in fiber. For example, compare gummy bears to an apple. Both contain a lot of sugar. Apples are good for you. Gummy bears are not. It's because of fiber quantity.

What you can do?

Eat lots of fiber. They're mostly present in fruits, vegetables, grains, cereals, and legumes.

Some suggestions:

• Medium apple (5g)

• Broccoli, one serving (5g)

• Chickpeas or beans, one serving(10g)

• Medium Avocado (10g)

You need at least 30g per day. That's the minimum.

Here's a simple strategy: Pick one of the foods above and make the effort to eat 1–2 servings for the next 3 days. Maybe see it as a challenge with yourself. Like, make a streak of eating 2 apples a day.

This will not only give you the foundation for a healthy body, it'll also decrease the negative side effects of eating too much sugar. It's just a few days and will take you less than 3-5 minutes, you can do it.

Here is the full explanation from the episode with Dr. Layne Norton.