Let’s Build Stronger Guts: The Sexy Truth About Fiber & Microbiome Health

Episode #208: Let's Build Stronger Guts: The Sexy Truth About Fiber & Microbiome Health

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In this episode I take a dive into a topic that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves but thankfully it’s starting to -  is absolutely crucial to your health—fiber. Yes, fiber.

You may have heard it’s essential, but do you really know why? Let’s dig in and talk about the amazing, transformative power of fiber and its relationship with your gut and overall well-being.

But first  . . . I feel like in the holistic health space, it seems like everyone's been searching for solutions to their problems, and for over a decade, the main advice has been: "Just eliminate it."

But short-term relief doesn't equal true healing or recovery. Categorical eliminations galore—cutting out dairy because it’s "bad," going gluten-free because wheat is "bad," actually wait we should avoid all grains, oh and also let’s avoid legumes too  or avoiding a myriad of other plants due to supposed issues (hey there low FODMAPS diet )—this just leads to a growing list of foods that are off-limits.

Suddenly, you're left wondering, what’s left to eat? And what have you really solved?

The approach of eliminating symptoms by removing whole, quality-sourced foods is not working. After years of hearing experts demonize gluten, grains, phytates, lectins, carbs, dairy, and more, how many people are missing the simple joy of enjoying a meal

I don’t know about you, but I want to enjoy the foods I love in abundance, free from externally imposed restrictions. No one wants to be constantly dodging food 'monsters.'

Elimination diets might offer short-term relief, but they often lead to long-term struggles. 

We can't overlook the downsides of our obsession with quick fixes—whether it's relying on pills, medications, or supplements. Ignoring the root causes means we never truly solve our problems. We just keep sweeping them under the rug . . .

Remember, symptoms are often part of a web of interconnected issues that need deeper exploration.

Our love for the quick fix has actually lengthened the journey and exacerbated our problems collectively.

I’m here to break this pattern and address the roots right up front, slow and steady, no more bandaid approaches, no real foods are off the table, correcting nutrient deficiencies, poor digestion and gut repair are at the forefront with an honest assessment about the lifestyles we are living.

How does this land for you? Are you fed up with it yet?

Now let’s talk about eating more plants aka fiber aka fermentable fibers aka prebiotics . . . 

Fiber and Your Gut

So, here’s something that needs to be said: if you can’t eat fiber without big reactions, that’s a signal that your gut flora have atrophied. Fiber is food for your microbes, and those microbes are essential to every process in your body. In fact, YOU are more microbes than human cells! So much of what matters for human health relies on a healthy microbiome.

When the probiotics, or good microbes, in your gut consume prebiotics (which are fibers), they create postbiotics—things like nutrients, enzymes, and short-chain fatty acids. These postbiotics are what help your body function optimally. For example, did you know that you can make a fair bit of your vitamin K2 needs in your gut from your microbes? 

So, when you eat fiber, you're not just eating it for yourself—you’re supporting the growth and diversity of your microbial community. And in return, these microbes help out big time, even with mineral metabolism. It’s a beautiful symbiotic relationship.

Microbes, Fiber, and Detoxification

Now, if you can’t tolerate fiber without discomfort, it’s because your gut flora have weakened. But this doesn’t mean you should avoid fiber—it means you need to restore and feed your microbial friends. Why? Because they protect you! Microbes can detoxify things like radioactive isotopes, glyphosate, and even lead. They are intelligent beings that recognize toxins and help manage them in your body. 

The more diverse your gut microbiome, the more capable your system becomes at digesting and eliminating excess substances. But here’s the thing—our modern world has waged a war on our microbes, much like the soil has been stripped of minerals. This microbial devastation has affected both the soil and our internal "soil," which is our gut biome.

Our Fiber-Deprived Modern Diet

Most of us grew up eating the Standard American Diet (SAD), which is low in fiber and minerals, thanks to processed foods and industrial agriculture. But the truth is, we’re designed to eat way more fiber than we do. Our ancestors likely consumed over 100 grams of fiber (think PLANTS) per day without even trying. Compare that to today, where most people only get 10-20 grams, and the RDA recommends a mere 25-38 grams—far too low, in my opinion!

We collectively stopped eating fiber when we started eating a processed refined foods diet -this took a toll on our gut flora and was  compounded by all the myriad of other factors that are an insult to our gut bugs. 

This is why I can’t support the idea of high animal protein or carnivorous diets. We NEED fiber. Fiber is crucial for so many reasons, including helping bile bind and carry out toxins like cholesterol and pollutants. Without enough fiber, most of this toxic bile gets reabsorbed, wreaking havoc in our system. 

I am not here to advocate we eliminate animal foods entirely in case anyone misinterprets my sharing that study as a positioning for plant based only - I believe humans are omnivores we have the physiology to demonstrate this -however every microbiome educator I have sat with the past 5 years has seen the research based on the different species of bacteria that diminish or the problematic ones that overgrow due to too much saturated fat and animal protein - this IS a problem for our microbiome. Dr Jason Hawrelak, my favorite microbiome educator, talks about how both increase bile production and too much bile production feeds certain things that can overgrow (that we don't want) - then without the fibers to feed the microbes or to carry out what is in the bile we can swing into imbalances.

We really do love our fat and protein in America and sure do like to defend its consumption but when we are honest and look at history we can see we lost a lot of plant diversity and we don’t even have context personally for how big of a problem this is because we are too busy emphatically promoting how important protein is to our own detriment. 

Functional Fibers vs. Ferments

Now, let’s clear up a big misconception. When I talk about fiber, I’m not talking about processed fiber supplements like Metamucil or psyllium husk or even just adding a ton of bran to baked goods or drinking a high fiber drink concoction of some sort. I’m talking about functional, fermentable fibers—the kind that feed your microbes. We could also classify most of them as prebiotics.

From the NIH: "Fermentable fibers may provide a number of health benefits by altering the composition of the intestinal flora. Prebiotics are non-digestible substances that provide a beneficial physiological effect to the host by selectively stimulating the favorable growth or activity of a limited number of indigenous bacteria."

These fibers prevent pathogens from sticking around in your gut and causing discomfort.

Contrary to what some diets suggest, avoiding fiber due to discomfort is NOT the solution. If your gut is out of balance, it needs functional fibers to feed the key microbial species that should be there. It’s a delicate dance, but avoiding fiber will only worsen the issue in the long run. The people who need fiber the most are the ones who will also struggle the most to eat it. You have to fix the gut to reap the reward of better health overall and to fix the gut you need prebiotic fermentable fibers and lots of diversity of plants.

I do not believe that gas and bloating brought on by plant foods means they are inflammatory foods - ultimately they are going to be anti-inflammatory in the long run
If you take your time adding in more plant foods you will reach the long term benefits for short term discomfort instead of the other way around. 

Rebuilding Your Microbiome, One Bite at a Time

You’ve heard me say this before—our health is not just about weight or balance. It’s about what’s happening on the inside, with our microbes. And 95% of Americans aren’t getting enough fiber. Fiber is sexy, my friends! When we eat more fiber, amazing things happen: we lose weight, reduce our risk of stroke or heart attack, improve blood pressure, cholesterol, and more.

I’ve seen people say a high-fiber diet is bad for gut health, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. If your gut is reacting to fiber, it’s because your microbial population is depleted. Avoidance isn’t the answer—repair and repletion are. 

Think of it like this: your gut is a muscle. The more you expose it to diverse, fiber-rich foods, the stronger it becomes. Just like you wouldn’t lift heavy weights without building strength first, you need to start slowly with fiber, increasing gradually. Over time, your gut will be able to handle a wide variety of foods, and eventually, you’ll be able to enjoy more without restrictions. The truth is most of our guts are so weak and don’t know what to do with the prebiotics/fibers we eat - if we give ourselves too much too fast in this weakened state it will likely be uncomfortable just like trying to lift heavy day 1 at the gym after leading a sedentary lifestyle. We go slow -we work our way up and over time we grow stronger for it then we just have to maintain it’s no longer a challenge it’s a lifestyle we sustain. 

Practical Steps to Increase Fiber

So, how do you start rebuilding your gut’s strength? Start by eating more plants. For example, if you’re not eating many plants right now, like my 21-year-old son (yes, I see you!), start with 3-5 new plants each week. As the seasons change, add even more diversity.

Your goal should be to eat at least 30 different plant types per week (be sure to vary those types over the seasons throughout the year)—this includes vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds, herbs, and even wild plants. The more diverse your diet, the more diverse your microbiome becomes, and that diversity is key to optimizing your health. 

Remember, our ancestors gathered hundreds of different species of plants throughout the year, and this plant diversity nourished their microbes, which in turn nourished them. We can do the same by reconnecting with nature and eating seasonally.

The benefit of focusing on eating more plants is that you can also work with where your gut/digestion is currently. Some people may not tolerate all grains particularly the over consumed modern ones -so try grains you did not eat in excess your whole life -try something new -if you only ate wheat -try spelt or rye. If you only ever at white rice try smaller portions of different color rice. If you are not a veggie eater, start slowly, pick a few and see how it goes and learn how to work with them. Herbs are nice because most people tolerate culinary herbs well and they are easy to grow a dozen varieties of to choose throughout the season. I personally have a small herb garden with a nice variety and can add generous handfuls of herbs to each meal of the day -that is a very easy and delicious option to start with. Growing your own herbs is also like the gateway into growing more of your own food - next thing you know you’ll want to start a small kitchen garden your herb garden will bring you so much joy and flavor

You get the picture here. . . I hope. 

Final Thoughts 

Friends, our gut is like a muscle—it can be retrained. By avoiding fiber, we’re doing ourselves and our microbes a disservice. The key is to slowly and steadily increase your fiber intake, giving your gut the workout it needs to rebuild and thrive. 

So start small, but keep going. Eat more plants, diversify your diet, and let your microbes do the heavy lifting. This will empower your entire system, help you remineralize, and ultimately lead to lasting health and resilience.

Come hang out with me on Instagram if you care to see this in action - I share a lot of my food insights there.

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Now I want to tell you about the resource I created for you : it’s my magic of magnesium starter kit - year’s ago I created a magnesium guide that I decided it was high time to update after observing some trends/patterns and issues with how it’s been recommended over the past decade - I wanted to share my holistic approach to working with this essential mineral, focusing on how to truly nourish your body in alignment with nature.

I want to help you Learn how to balance magnesium in a way that supports your overall mineral health—no quick fixes, no one-size-fits-all advice, and no trendy supplements pushed by marketing gimmicks. Just practical, real-world solutions for getting your minerals the way nature intended as much as possible with the long term in mind - it’s a food forward approach whole-picture, balanced approach—no isolating magnesium or popping pills to chase symptoms.

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→ A recorded audio from a live magnesium workshop
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→ access to my rewilded wellness newsletter.

Grab it HERE! 

 

AND finally . . .  If you’re ready to dig deeper and transform your health from the inside out AND move beyond band-aid solutions to create lasting wellness : you can learn more about how you and I can work together : learn more HERE. 

Until next time, stay well and keep nourishing yourself—body, mind, and soul!