When you hear the word fiber, chances are one of the first things you think about is how Grandma and Grandpa need their fiber to stay regular. Although that might be true, the truth is we all need an adequate amount of fiber daily to stay healthy. Mark Paulsen, the Founder of Wilderness Athlete, believes many Americans aren’t getting enough fiber in their daily diets. “In many of the foods we eat today, fiber has been stripped out of it,” said Paulsen. “As a result, we aren’t eating enough fiber. Research shows that many Americans are eating about 11-15 grams of fiber a day. I believe a person should consume at least 25 grams of fiber daily.”

According to Paulsen, one of the reasons so many people in today’s society are obese is because they are eating highly processed food. When it enters the system, it causes a persons’ insulin to spike because the sugars enter the system quickly in highly processed foods. “Many people have insulin problems. Many people are also hungry all the time. When sugars enter the system quickly, people don’t feel full; they feel like they need more to eat. When eating foods high in fiber, the sugar enters the system slowly. As a result, it is a slow burn which makes a person feel full faster. Fiber is a great filling agent. Many of the health problems we see today are the result of people taking in too much highly processed food and not enough fiber,” Paulsen added.

Many people believe they are getting enough fiber by eating bread and other similar but most foods, including bread, are stripped of fiber when they are processed because fiber causes food to rot faster. The good news is finding foods that contains fiber isn’t difficult.

“For starters, the Wilderness Athlete Meal Replacement shake contains nine grams of fiber. If a person has one shake a day, they are well on their way to getting enough fiber. Other things they should consider eating is dark colored vegetables including spinach, kale, green beens, carrots and celery. Sadly, many people today don’t even eat vegetables like these and it can really harm their health,” Paulsen explained.

Not eating enough fiber also causes a person to not have bowel movements as often as they should, which is also extremely unhealthy. “A bowel movement gets rid of what the body doesn’t need. The waste is basically toxic and often if a person isn’t eating enough fiber, the waste is just sitting in their body. A bowel movement gets rid of toxic material. Eating fiber helps with the process. Fiber aids in digestion and it helps the body get rid of waste,” Paulsen added.

Fiber helps regulate blood sugar, aids in digestive health, heart health and keeps a person regular. “Fiber even helps people who have cholesterol problems. Eating lots of fiber has numerous benefits. Not eating enough fiber can create a wide variety of problems. The great thing is eating enough fiber isn’t difficult. Some studies reveal that cultures with more fiber have less heart disease than those that don’t have much fiber.” Paulsen noted.

Looking for a way to increase your overall health? Take in more fiber. The health benefits are endless.