What’s the connection between your fiber intake and your pelvic floor?
With the recent uptick in attention to protein consumption, there’s another important nutrient you should be focusing on: fiber! Most people don’t get enough fiber in their diet, and it impacts the body in more ways than you may realize.
What Is Fiber?
Fiber is a type of plant based carbohydrate that the body can’t digest or absorb. It moves through your digestive tract fully intact without being broken down. There are two different types of fiber, and each has a different role in the digestive system.
Fiber can be soluble or insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water, forming a gel-like substance, and helps to slow down digestion. In addition to slowing digestion, it can help with lowering cholesterol, and stabilizing blood sugar. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water, and contributes to the bulk of fecal matter. It helps move food through the digestive system, softens waste so it passes easily, and helps prevent constipation.
What Does Fiber Do?
Fiber has many important applications in your body. Primarily, fiber is a digestion aid. Both insoluble and soluble fiber help to move food through the digestive system. It keeps stool soft and prevents constipation, as well as lowering the risk of gut diseases.
Fiber also helps with heart health and metabolic health. Soluble fiber can help remove bad cholesterol from the body, and slow the absorption of sugar in the bloodstream preventing spikes. Regularly getting fiber in your diet can also help to lower the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and insulin resistance.
Lastly, fiber can help with weight management and your gut microbiome. Consuming foods high in fiber fiber often takes longer, and makes you feel fuller than consuming low fiber foods. As a result, you feel fuller longer and eat less. Some fiber also acts as food to the “good” bacteria in your gut. This is called fermented fiber, and it is believed to play a part in lowering the risk of diseases in the colon.
Where Can I Get Fiber From?
You can get fiber from a variety of different sources! The best way to meet your fiber intake is to prioritize whole foods. Think fruits instead of fruit juices, whole grains instead of refined grains, and vegetables instead of juices or purees. Whole foods are more nutritious and have a higher fiber content than their processed counterparts. An easy way to do this is by increasing your fruit and vegetable intake.
Another great source of fiber is legumes. Things like lentils, chickpeas, and beans have high soluble and insoluble fiber content. They can be easily added to meals like soups, salads, and stews.
The last way to get fiber is by snacking on nuts and seeds. Things like almonds, chia seeds, and flax seeds are not only high in fiber, but also are packed with healthy fats and proteins. You can eat them alone, or add them to things like smoothies and yogurt.
How Do I Add Fiber Safely?
The amount of fiber you should be eating is determined by your age and gender. Generally, it is recommended that adults should get 25-30 grams of fiber daily. Most people in the United States only eat 15-16 grams of fiber daily, which is only half of the recommended amount.
It is important to add fiber slowly to your diet. If you add too much fiber too quickly, it can shock your digestive system and lead to uncomfortable side effects like cramping, gas, and extreme changes in bowel movements.
The best way to add fiber to your diet is to gradually increase your consumption over the course of a few weeks. Try to add a few grams to your daily total every few days, and space out the fiber across all of your daily meals. This gives your gut microbiome a chance to acclimate. It’s also important to stay hydrated, as fiber absorbs water to keep your digestive system moving smoothly.
How Does This Impact Your Pelvic Floor?
You may be wondering, what does my fiber intake have to do with my pelvic floor? Fiber helps to prevent constipation, which has a direct link to your pelvic floor. When you experience constipation, you may strain to have bowel movements, which puts increased pressure on your pelvic floor.
With increased pressure on your pelvic floor over time, it can lead to long term issues. Straining repeatedly places heavy pressure on the pelvic floor muscles, which gradually stretches and weakens them. Weak pelvic floor muscles can cause bladder incontinence, fecal incontinence, and even pelvic organ prolapse. At V Strong, we treat constipation, prolapse, incontinence and so much more.
Read more about V Strong Physical Therapy, and learn how pelvic floor physical therapy can benefit you. Book a consult call with our team to get started on your pelvic health journey today!
Works Cited
“Dietary Fiber: Essential for a Healthy Diet.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 24 Dec. 2024, http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fiber/art-20043983.
Wooster, Becky. “Why Is My Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist so Concerned with Fiber?” Bud & Bloom Physical Therapy, 13 Sept. 2023, http://www.budandbloomptaustin.com/new-blog/2023/9/13/why-is-my-pelvic-floor-physical-therapist-so-concerned-with-fiber.