Fibremaxxing: What is it and can it help you?

Trends with food often come and go, from fad diets that are poor for your health, to beneficial ones which focus on key nutrients that support your health. For example, in recent years, protein has had a spotlight on its role in overall health and weight loss, which we’re delighted about! But a different nutrient is having its time to shine in the latest trend known as fibremaxxing.

What is fibremaxxing?

Fibremaxxing is a new social media-based trend that involves intentionally maximising your daily fibre intake by consuming 30-40g of fibre, or more, each day.

While increasing your fibre can be beneficial to many aspects of your overall health, you may run into some unwanted side effects if you go too far the other way, so it’s important to get the balance right.

Continue reading to find out about why fibre is important, and to discover the sweet spot in how much you should be getting in your diet each day.

What is fibre?

Fibre is a form of indigestible carbohydrate that is an essential part of any diet. It is most commonly found in the cell walls of fruits, vegetables and wholegrains, and it feeds the ‘good’ bacteria in the gut. This bacteria in turn play crucial roles in our overall health.

Fibre-rich foods include:

• Chickpeas
• Lentils
• Raspberries
• Chia seeds
• Broccoli
• Avocado
• Carrots
• Almonds

Why is fibre important?

Increasing your fibre intake optimises digestion, supports gut health, boosts your immune system and mood, and promotes weight loss.

Studies show it protects your body against the risks of type 2 diabetes and digestive disorders like ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel disease and Crohn’s disease.^{1 2 3} Plus, it’s been recognised to reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease, positively impact menopause symptoms and generally improve overall longevity.^{4 5}

So, it’s no surprise that the importance of fibre has been picked up on. But how much should we actually be consuming each day, and is fibremaxxing the way to go?

How much fibre should we be eating each day?

We recommend consuming around 30g of fibre everyday to support good overall health and avoid any undesirable effects from not consuming enough. This is why we prioritise fibre in The Fast 800 Programme recipes, like these ones, and why we’ve created a range of products designed to boost your daily fibre intake.

However, when it comes to the fibremaxxing trend, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. The Fast 800 Lead Nutritionist, Gabi, shares her thoughts:

“You can absolutely have too much fibre, but 30-40g is perfectly fine for most people. When people push it to 70g, you’re likely to run into issues. Too much fibre can lead to gastrointestinal distress, sometimes nutrient malabsorption from excess phytates/oxalates, and in extreme cases intestinal blockage.”

That said, Gabi reassures that “for most, if you’re consuming around, or just over, 30g of fibre daily you’re actually doing a wonderful thing for your body.”

Tips to eat more fibre

If you want to increase your fibre intake or try fibremaxxing for yourself, try these three top tips:

1. Plan your meals: Having a meal plan is a great way to track where there may be gaps in your daily nutrition. Plan out your meals in advance to see where you may need to add in more fibre to hit that 30g daily target. The Fast 800 Programme provides helpful meal plans and handy shopping lists to make it easy to hit nutrition targets with delicious, easy recipes.
2. Make a mixed seed sprinkle: Throwing together a sprinkle of mixed seeds to toss over salads, soups, porridge or yogurts is an easy way to add flavour, texture and fibre to any meal. Try seeds like chia seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds and sunflower seeds, and keep in a portable container ready to use on-the-go.
3. Try a supplement: If you find that you’re still struggling to reach 30g of fibre each day, or you want to try fibremaxxing, a supplement might be a good way to go. Our range of Shakes and Fibre Sleep Blends are high in fibre and convenient.

Sign up for your 7-day free trial of The Fast 800 Programme to discover tasty recipes and simple meal plans, and try our range of delicious high-fibre products all designed to help you achieve daily fibre recommendations.