Most people have heard the advice to eat more fiber. Maybe your doc has said that to you or you’ve read about it on an Instagram post. It was probably followed up with, “Drink Metamucil every day.”

That info, although probably well-intentioned, is seriously outdated. No one wants to drink that orange gooey stuff or count grams of fiber. 

I can tell you, as a gut health coach, it’s pretty safe to assume you could benefit from eating more fiber! 

But fiber does so much more than help keep your grandma regular!

In fact, fiber is the secret weapon in my Protein-First system. Most high-protein diets (and recipes) are seriously lacking fiber intake. Sorry, but you cannot get out of needing to eat fiber. That’s why following those super high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets doesn’t work long-term. 

Fiber is only found in carbohydrates (think plants like veggies, fruit, and whole grains!). In this article, I share with you my story of battling digestive issues for most of my life, what I did to turn it around, and how you can combine fiber with protein for your own super-powered weight loss strategy. You can read more about the importance of protein right here. 

Let’s start with a little story…

Many moons ago (ok, like 15 years ago but it feels like a lifetime…), I began having really bad digestive issues. 

Every food I ate made me blow up like a balloon (even the really healthy plant foods). Buttoning my jeans was often an impossible task. I had both diarrhea and constipation, usually at the same time (yep, it’s a thing and really common). My energy levels were about a 3 on a good day. I found myself curled up in the fetal position every day around 4:00 pm because I was in so much pain. And my hair was falling out. 

The cherry on top was that I was working a very stressful job, often consisting of 16-hour days, 7 days a week, with virtually no time off. 

I was a walking time bomb.

It’s no wonder I felt like every day was a never-ending quest for just one second of relief!

Eventually, one day after being so tired I needed to pull over on the side of the freeway in downtown Milwaukee, I reluctantly made an appointment with my doctor. 

She told me I was “perfectly healthy” on paper and to go home, get some sleep, and drink more water. Thanks, doc. Like I hadn’t thought of that! [insert massive eye roll here!]

So I went on a crusade to DIY my own health. I took all the online courses, tried all the supplements, and did everything the “experts” said to do. 

Nothing worked.

I ended up in grad school as a last-ditch effort to solve my health problems. Yep, quite the overreaction, but like I said, I tried everything. 

Somewhere along the way, I decided other people needed to know the information I was learning. You could call this the “silver lining” of my years of suffering. I decided to become a health coach so others could learn from my mistakes and finally get the support they desperately need.

I graduated with a Master's Degree in Holistic Nutrition, top of my class. But guess what? Even after all the accolades and advanced trainings, I still felt awful.

I was missing something. 

And then it hit me like a ton of bricks!

Maybe, just maybe, all that stress and the other unhealthy habits I picked up to deal with the stress (hello wine, I’m looking at you!), had messed up my gut. 

So I jumped down the deep dark rabbit hole of gut health. You can read more about that rabbit hole here.

But let me tell you something, that rabbit hole isn’t dark and scary. It’s actually bright and shiny, warm and fuzzy. And it’s filled with delicious food around every corner! It’s exactly what not only turned around my health but has done the same for the hundreds of women I’ve since coached. 

Here’s why gut health matters: if you’re not digesting your food, you’re starving your body. 

Digestion is one of the most basic functions of the body and if it’s not working right, you’re gonna have a heck of a time doing anything else well – losing weight, balancing your hormones, preventing chronic disease, managing your blood sugar, and on and on. 

Gut health has been directly linked to things like heart disease, many autoimmune conditions, diabetes, fertility, ADHD, autism, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, depression, anxiety, frequent infections, and so much more.

With the gut and the brain in constant communication, it’s difficult to find a body part or health condition that isn’t in some way impacted by the health of your gut microbiome. Except maybe that teeny-tiny baby toe….what’s that guy’s deal, anyway?

How did I clean up my gut? Simple. I focused on feeding more of the good gut bugs and less of the bad guys. 

Your gut is made up of over 39 trillion microbes, mostly bacteria and ideally, mostly good guys. When the good guys are in charge, they keep the bad guys at bay. The more good guys you have, the better health you will experience. Unfortunately, our society is not set up for the good guys to win.

The Standard American Diet mainly consists of overly processed “Franken-Foods” which contain way too much sugar, salt, fat, grease, chemicals, and preservatives. It’s not real food! And guess who loves and thrives on this food? The bad gut bugs. 

When we eat that way, and then add on things like inconsistent activity or over-exercising and spending most of our days indoors alone, we create an internal environment where bad gut bugs thrive and produce inflammation, toxins, and other garbage. 

This leads to damage of the gut lining which is only one cell thick. When the gut lining is damaged, toxins, food particles, and other gunk seep out and float around your body. BOOM. You now have a disease.

In order to keep these bad gut bugs in check, we need to feed our good gut bugs. When they thrive, they do the heavy lifting for us. We just get to sit back and enjoy the side effects including sustained energy, beautiful skin, strong muscles and bones, graceful aging, and glorious experiences in the bathroom!

Feeding your superstar gut bugs is simple. They eat one thing and one thing only: plants.

If you want to be politically correct, they eat fiber. But no one wants to be told to eat more fiber as we discussed at the beginning of this article, so I reframe it - eat more plants.

Every plant, from black beans to rice, seaweed to broccoli contains various strands of fiber. Basically, if it doesn’t come from an animal, it’s a plant (with the exception of alcohol, there’s no fiber or protein in alcohol).

Fiber is the skeletal system of the plant. They don’t have bones, they have fiber to help them stand up. And within that fiber are the nutrients our bodies need. You can’t get to the nutrients if you can’t get through the fiber.

But we as humans are unable to digest most of this fiber. We still need the nutrients in those plants, but how do we get the nutrients if we can’t digest them? Easy. Your gut bugs. They digest the fiber for you so you can then use the nutrients. 

Things like beans, berries, dark leafy greens, oats, and ginger should make an appearance on your plate and in your mouth at least once a day. But follow the K.I.S.S. rule…

Keep It Simple Sweetheart 🤍 

I encourage my clients to start by adding a small salad or handful of veggies to each of their meals. Start small and add on when you can. Eventually, you want to focus on eating high-protein, high-fiber meals and snacks every day. 

You’re more likely to stick with the changes if they are easy enough to become part of your daily routine. When your tummy is growling at 2:00 pm, reach for something with fiber and protein. You’ll not only curb your hunger but also feed your gut microbes, all 39 trillion of them!

Ready to Make Fiber Your Ally?

If you’re ready to explore how a high-protein, high-fiber approach can make a difference in your weight loss goals, stay tuned! My new ebook, 30 High-Protein, High-Fiber Recipes, is packed with easy, balanced meals that deliver over 30 grams of protein per serving in under 30 minutes. It’s designed to help you achieve lasting results, without spending hours in the kitchen or following restrictive diets. Plus, no “Franken-Foods” in sight! 

Want to be the first to know when this recipe ebook drops? Subscribe to my newsletter, Dirty Little (Health) Secrets, by clicking the button below.

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