I have to admit that when I was growing up I had no idea what the heck all the metamucil commercials were about. It was just a maylay of 50+ gray hairs stirring up some odd concoction to make their shits a bit more pleasurable. As I have grown older and more educated about fiber in the Gut, I find the 'stir in' fiber treatment just as perplexing as before. But as I look at the modern american diet; more and more people NEED this shit just to survive.. WOW.. What a world we live in. Let's explore.
Roughage, one of the accepted terms for Fiber is probably the closest thing we have in our diet that could actually be called a 4th macronutrient. Just as protein synthesis is vital for musculo-skeletal health, fiber is vital to the GI tract. The colon, the stomach, the intestines all maintain their structure and absorbtion levels because of fiber.
Broken down into soluable (water soluble.. oatmeal, nuts, blueberries) and insoluble (fruit skins, whole wheat bread, and brown rice); These nutritional powerhouses can keep your heart healthy, stomach lining intact, assist in preventing diabetes, and of course... keeping the bowel movements running smoothly.
So what is the big deal about supplementation? Well we live in a modern food age where EVERYTHING is processed. Fiber is one of the first things to go as things are milled, smashed, heated, and otherwise altered to make the it easily palatable and consumed by people mindlessly stuffing their face. But you buy whole grain bread... But you get the smoothie with the kale... SORRY to tell you this but that has already been processed and you are not getting any fiber from it :( Bummer right.
Here is a fun fact. Our paleolithic ancestors consumed about 100grams of fiber per day in their plant and meat based diets. They had the lowest cancer rates (though they only lived to be 30 usually) and obesity was never heard of. Today, even the most conscious 'healthy' eater is only getting .... 12 grams of fiber per day... DAMN!! No wonder old granny hasn't taken a shit for a week.. There is nothing there to push that meatloaf through!
Fiber works as a filtering agent in the GI tract. Not only does it filter sugar through the gut so it cant be processed, but it actively protects the lining of your gut from pathogens that can lead to inflammation and disease. Insoluble fiber is usually packed with healthy bacteria which help the gut flourish and keep the mind running smoothly (just like the old pooper).
Today the FDA has such low standards on what is acceptable to be labeled as "full of fiber" that honestly anyone can get away with saying it. As I researched this topic, Cereals that are processed and "sugarfied" beyond anyhting that we can considered 'whole grain' are still able to make the 'high fiber' claim simply because they label it as the first ingredient on the box! SO you don;t actually have to have any fiber in the product but rather just say you do and now you have anew marketing stream. Thanks FDA!
Now my last knock on this 'high fiber' claim is that of the juice and smoothie chains. Not only are the sugar levels in these beverages eclipsing even the sweetest sodas (seriously like 30-40g per serving) but they are leading you astray when it comes to the healthy fiber claim. As I stated before when you process a vegetable or fruit to make juice you grind, and clop the fiber out of commission! As this juice and smoothie product enters the gut, there is nothing to stop sugar absorbtion and nutrients are not slowly digested but rather passed through quickly without much uptake. So you are better off with the salad than you are drinking your veggies.
Or you can always ask for the pulp bin at your local juice bar and have a munch on some of that wholesome goodness. Good luck with that. I've tried it and it tastes like shit! Just eat the salad! So give granny some advise about fiber, tell her that the prunes are better than anything to keep her rockin on the shuffleboard court. She'll thank you for it.
Baseline:
200m Run
10 Banded Good Mornings
10 Standing Toe Touch
20 Box Step Ups
10 GHD Sit Ups
10 Hip Extentions
200m Run
10 Iron Cross
10 Hollow Rocks
Skill/ Prep:
Deficit Deadlift
In 4-5 Sets of 5, Build to 90% of your 3RM from last week.
THEN... 5X 2 across all sets.
WOD:
21-15-9
Deadlift 315/225
Box Jump 30/24
