Why Fiber is important for gut health and your pelvic floor!
Hello again, it’s been a while. I want to spend some time discussing fiber. It seems that my clients know they need to eat more fiber but they don’t know WHY. Not all fiber is created equal!
In general the recommendation is to have 25-38g of fiber each day, if you track your meals you will notice most of us do not meet that requirement. An easy way to increase your intake is to take a fiber supplement BUT like I mentioned before not all fiber is the same. And fiber supplements do not have all the other nutrients from getting your fiber from real food. Fiber comes from plants (it is a carbohydrate) so think grains, fruits, and vegetables. There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Fiber is not absorbed by the body, you poop it out. My advice is if you are going to use a fiber supplement, read the label and make sure you know what kind you are ingesting, there is a rabbit hole you can go down here.
Soluble fiber softens your stool, so those who struggle with constipation may benefit from increasing their soluble fiber. This is also the fiber that helps stabilize blood glucose levels.
Insoluble fiber on the other hand bulks up your stool, so if you struggle with diarrhea then increasing your insoluble fiber may help. This fiber does not dissolve in water so it helps clear out the colon.
The purpose of your colon is to absorb water from your stool, this means the longer it sits there the firmer it will get and the harder it will be to pass. This is why regular bowel movements are important. “Normal” is different for everyone but in general once a day to every 3 days is considered normal. Physical activity promotes GI function so get moving!
Increasing your fiber intake will make you gassier and potentially increase bloating so make sure your are getting enough water (you probably aren’t) especially if its Summer, your are very active, or you are pregnant/breastfeeding. Distributing your fiber intake throughout the day (each meal rather than all at once) can also help.
If the consistency of your stool is normal (type 4 on the Bristol Stool Chart) then perhaps you need to look at your toileting behaviors to address whats called outlet dysfunction constipation. This is where working with a pelvic floor PT can be helpful to make sure things like breathing mechanics, pelvic floor control, and down-training techniques reduce straining during defecation. If you struggle with hemorrhoids you either need to improve the consistency of your stool through diet and fluid intake or change your toileting habits.
During pregnancy, there are a couple factors which increase your risk for constipation and hemmrhoids. First of all the levels of progesterone increase, theres also an increased water demand usually paired with decreased water intake, there is also increased iron intake, and finally a decrease in activity level. The good news is, addressing these factors in addition to the things mentioned above can help!
Questions? Message me at jmcnallydpt@gmail.com
Happy pooping!
Sources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fiber/art-20043983#:~:text=Fiber%20includes%20the%20parts%20of,these%20nutrients%20and%20absorbs%20them.
https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/carbohydrates/fiber/