Fiber.
Arguably the most important macro/micro/whatever it is. Maybe even higher up on the scale than protein 😮
That’s right - I said it.
Not only can fiber keep you fuller, longer and burn more calories from eating the food itself (thanks, TEF), but fiber also helps to keep your blood sugar levels more stable throughout the day and higher fiber foods are frequently PACKED with all kinds of healthy goodies like vitamins, minerals, aspartame, etc.
So how much should you eat each day? Well (and here’s what NO ONE ever tells you) it all depends on your total carbohydrate intake.
Sure, we could just lay out a fiber goal irrespective of carbs, like the popular doctors on the internet do, with 20g a day or 30g a day or whatever. But that doesn’t take into account that very important, very contextual total carb number.
Because trust me - you ain’t getting 30g of fiber in on a 90g low carb day. Not now. Not ever. And I don’t care how much you like brussels sprouts.
A much better approach is to target a given percentage of carbs from fiber, with somewhere between 12-15% being a great range for most people. This way, you’re not crushing bowls of blueberries at night in your bed to hit your fiber goals on those super low days, but on your normal intake days, you’re easily getting 20, 30, or 40+ grams of deliciously healthy fiber.
Just be careful if you happen to be one of the lucky ones who’s housing 250, 350, 450, or 950 carbs a day, either in a Shred Season or an Off Season. Most people can handle up to 50g of fiber a day without too many, uh, issues. But once the dial gets past 60 or so, any more broccoli, and you, your small intestine, and your toilet might all find yourselves in a world of pain, just trying to make it through.
Naturally, this is where some junkier carbs can come up clutch. Not only are they deeeee-licious, but they’ll also help keep the fiber fire at bay.
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