Disclaimer: This Inside South Florida segment is sponsored by Metamucil. All opinions and views are of the advertiser and does not reflect the same of WSFL-TV.
The wellness world has a new buzzword: fiber maxing. The trend, which has taken over social media, centers on meeting daily fiber intake goals, something 90% of Americans are currently falling short of.
Registered dietitian Amy Shapiro said the concept is not entirely new.
"As a dietitian, I've been talking about fiber my entire career. But what fiber maxing is, it's really just focusing on meeting your fiber goals and making it sound a little bit glossy and trendy," Shapiro said.
The daily fiber target is 28 to 34 grams. Shapiro said fiber plays a critical role in gut health, digestion, cholesterol levels, blood glucose support and sustained energy.
Shapiro recommends adding more plants to your diet, fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains, as a primary way to increase fiber intake. For those who struggle to meet their goals through food alone, she also recommends adding a psyllium fiber supplement like Metamucil to a daily routine. Psyllium fiber creates a gel-like substance in the digestive tract that helps remove excess cholesterol.
"The most important thing about fiber is consistency and getting it over the course of the day. So however you need to add it or add to it, it's really key here," Shapiro said.
Shapiro also noted that increasing fiber intake should be paired with drinking enough water.
Shapiro recently participated in the Metamucil Mic Grab series, sitting down with 90s icons Lance Bass and Danielle Fishel to discuss digestive health and fiber maxing.
"We talked about how it's okay to talk about digestion and digestive health," Shapiro said.
More information is available at Metamucil.com or on Metamucil's Instagram channels.
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