Fibermaxxing is trending right now — here's what to know before you try it
Rather than replacing protein, fiber is being recognized as an overlooked powerhouse with benefits for gut health, digestion, skin, metabolism and even heart health.
This growing interest has sparked a trend called 'fibermaxxing,' where people are finding ways to add more fiber to their diets to improve digestion, clear up their skin and support metabolic health. But is this just a passing online fad, or is there real science behind it?
While official guidelines suggest women aim for around 25 grams of fiber per day and men for about 31 grams, most Americans fall short. According to the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, just 5% of the U.S. population meets these recommendations.
The original Nutribullet makes it easy to load up on fiber-rich fruits and veggies. With 600 watts of power and a no-fuss design, it turns whole foods into smooth, nutrient-packed drinks in seconds.
Fibermaxxing aims to close that gap by encouraging people to add more fiber-rich foods like oats, lentils, berries, beans,and leafy greens to their daily meals. It can also involve sourcing little top-ups like adding chia seeds to recipes or swapping in high-fiber snacks and supplements.
Multiple studies have shown that hitting your fiber goals isn't just good for digestion, it's linked to a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic health problems.
According to one study, higher fiber consumption is linked to a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer.
According to a study published in The Lancet, higher fiber consumption is linked to a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer. Fiber helps regulate blood sugar, promotes healthy gut bacteria, and reduces inflammation.
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However, experts caution that increasing fiber too quickly can lead to digestive discomfort, such as bloating or gas. The Mayo Clinic recommends gradually adding fiber to your diet while drinking plenty of water. This gives your digestive system time to adjust and helps you get the full benefits of fiber without the side effects.
There's no denying a fiber-rich diet comes with plenty of benefits from keeping your digestion on track to supporting heart health and managing blood sugar. The key is to increase fiber gradually and focus on whole foods like beans, berries and greens.
Don't forget to drink plenty of water to avoid any tummy troubles. Everyone's body reacts differently so if you're thinking about making big changes, it's a good idea to chat with a healthcare professional first.
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Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Six back-to-school tips to set students up for success this year
Believe it or not, school is just around the corner, and these last few weeks of summer are the perfect time for families to start helping their students prepare for the new school year. Here are six tips to set students up for success and make the transition back to school as easy as possible. Make it fun The first day of school can be daunting to students, especially when they're entering a new school. But addressing those feelings of uncertainty before the first day can assure your student that they're ready to take on the challenge. An article from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) encourages families to visit the school campus prior to the first day of school to help students learn their way around, perhaps during a back-to-school night or orientation event. The article even suggests that parents take their students to play on the school's playground a few days before school starts. Parents can also point out the fun aspects of school, like seeing friends or a favorite teacher, which can help the first day seem less scary, the article says. Create a sleep schedule Summer break often brings a more relaxed sleep schedule, but as the start of school nears, it's important to reintroduce some structure. An article from the Mayo Clinic says children aged 6-13 require nine to 11 hours of sleep each night, while ages 13-17 need between eight and 10 hours, and this is especially important during the school year. Johns Hopkins Medicine adds that insufficient sleep increases the risk of health issues like depression, diabetes, hypertension and obesity. The Sleep Foundation suggests that parents incrementally adjust kids' sleep schedules in the weeks leading up to school. Every few days, the foundation's website says, parents should have their child wake up and go to bed 15 minutes earlier until they're sleeping and waking at the desired times for school. It's also a good time to establish a good bedtime routine without electronics, the Sleep Foundation says, including things like taking a shower, brushing teeth and reading in bed. Have conversations and make a plan To help students know what the school year will look like, the AAP article says, it's important to have conversations to set expectations. The article encourages parents to sit down with their children before the school year starts to talk about how they'll get to school each day and what their routine will be once school begins. These conversations are also the perfect time to ask how the student is feeling, the article says. Are they excited about going back to school, or is it a bit scary? What are they most looking forward to once school starts? Do they have any goals for the school year? And, AAP says, it's also important to come up with a plan for dealing with conflict and bullying so that the student knows what to do if they or a classmate is bullied. 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And if they need some help organizing, AAP says, parents can work with them to come up with a system that helps them stay on task using tools like checklists and timers. The last few weeks of summer are also a good time to go through kids' backpacks to throw away any unneeded items and organize them for the year ahead, the article says. Know your resources Going back to school can be hard, the Johns Hopkins article says, and sometimes it can take a while for students to adjust. But there are resources both in and out of the student's school district if families need a little extra help. It's good to regularly check in with students about how they're feeling, Johns Hopkins says, and keeping their teachers and school administrators in the loop is also important. The Mayo Clinic article adds that if anxiety or depression may be a contributing factor to a student not adjusting well, families can connect with a social worker or counselor at the school, and outside help can be found through a family doctor. Email South Bend Tribune education reporter Rayleigh Deaton at rdeaton@ This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Tips, tricks to make back-to-school transition easier Solve the daily Crossword
Medscape
2 hours ago
- Medscape
Helping Your Patients Manage COPD in the Workplace
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Several recent studies evaluated how workplace exposures to gases, vapors, dust, and fumes raised employees' risks of developing COPD, worsened their symptoms, or increased their chances of complications from the chronic disease. To combat such outcomes, pulmonologists share ways they teach their patients about navigating their workplace environment, recognizing hazards, understanding workplace protections, and seeking help. Weighing Work Options Whether a COPD patient can keep up with the job requirements depends on the person and their worksite experience, said David Mannino, MD, a pulmonologist and chief medical officer for the COPD Foundation, and chair of the Department of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky. 'Some jobs are more physically demanding than others,' he said. 'Every patient has a unique situation and there's never a one-size-fits-all approach. It's very individualized.' Mannino said he's had patients who worked in coal mines or warehouses, and had to navigate those dusty and dirty environments, which can be difficult for patients with COPD. David Mannino, MD If they can't function reasonably well or keep up with the demands of the job, they may need to ask their employer for special accommodations such as switching to a different position or changing worksites, said Mannino, who sees patients several times. 'Some of my patients are on oxygen and that's fine if you're at a desk job. You can wear oxygen and that's not a problem.' In other settings, it might be more difficult or impossible, he said. 'If you have a patient who is a woodworker and he is self-employed and he uses respiratory protection, that he can do reasonably well. I've had some older patients who work at the university in desk jobs and so they can continue to work with no real changes in their responsibilities or schedules.' 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'The sweet spot for my COPD patients is like between 40%-70%, so if the humidity is above 70%, they might feel it more.' Maeve MacMurdo, MD On cold days, humidity < 20% might also affect patients with COPD, he said. 'But even days that it rains, snows, [they are] exposed to environmental changes such as wildfire smoke, I have patients that come in with COPD flares or exacerbations.' Patients should also check the allergen, pollen counts, and the air quality index for the day, Mankikar said. 'This is just something simple they can do before driving to work because sometimes you drive with the windows down and you might be inhaling pollen. The job site could be construction and there's exposure to dust,' he said. Potential workplace hazards are myriad, he said. From copy machines that accumulate dust to beauticians who get exposed to different chemicals and smells, it all could possibly trigger an episode. Mankikar said some of his patients wear a mask when they can. 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To qualify, the government requires medical evidence to document the severity of the respiratory disorder such as with pulmonary function tests, including spirometry, which measures ventilation of the lungs, or pulse oximetry, which measures oxygen saturation of peripheral blood hemoglobin. What Help Patients May Need In addition to portable oxygen, patients may have to request access to therapeutic options to help them perform their job functions, Mannino said. Those might include access to medications that can be used at work, such as handheld inhalers or nebulizers. If a patient becomes short of breath when they climb stairs and that's a job requirement, they may have to ask their employer to modify their duties or look for another position within the company, resign or retire, he said. It's up to the employer to decide whether the request for accommodation is reasonable, Mannino said. If you're a welder and you need to be on oxygen, that's not really safe because it can create a fire hazard, he said. 'I think employers want to typically work with their employees…and that it's possible to make the workplace better for that person who has COPD.' If the company has an occupational health specialist in their human resources department, they may be able to assess the employee's needs and offer suggestions, said Francesca Polverino, MD, PhD, a pulmonologist and medical spokesperson for the American Lung Association. For some employees, access to a wheelchair may help them navigate the distances they might have to traverse at work, especially if they are carrying oxygen, said Polverino, who is also a professor of medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine. Francesca Polverino, MD, PhD Patients with COPD also would benefit from further education of their coworkers and supervisors about the disease because there's often a stigma associated with it, Polverino said. 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How to Ask for Help Mankikar said he's written letters for patients to take to their employer asking if it's possible for them not to be exposed to certain chemicals or dust that might exacerbate their COPD. 'For example, if the patient is a teacher and has COPD and they're doing construction [nearby], then I might have them try to teach a different class that's away from the construction site, so they're not in the hallways inhaling the dust.' Patients often request a doctor's note to leave early from work for pulmonary rehabilitation, Mankikar said. 'Unfortunately, those facilities are only open Monday through Friday from 9 to 5…so that's an example of writing a letter to make that accommodation happen to strengthen their lungs.' Employers tend to be very responsive to his notes, he said. 'The moment they know that some of these dust exposures can increase their [employee's] risk of COPD they want to make accommodation for them because they don't want the employee to miss work due to the illness.' Employers know that if their employees are exposed to chemicals or allergens, there's also a financial burden they might face, Mankikar said. If the employer is willing to work with the patient, they might move them to an administrative role instead of a direct occupational one. He cited a patient who worked for a landscaping company and managed other landscapers. The exposure to allergens raised his risk for COPD flareups, so his employer agreed to move him to an area that's well-ventilated and on days when the pollen count was high, he was able to work at a different site. These resources also may help patients navigate COPD in the workplace: How to Manage COPD's Impact on Your Job Early Warning Signs of Work-Related COPD | American Lung Association Lung Health on the Job | NHLBI, NIH
The Hill
15 hours ago
- The Hill
Medicaid changes will hurt family caregivers, experts warn
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