Fiber is an essential thing to think about when sorting out a diet, and even more vital when bulking. Its the main factor that leads to smooth sailings and healthy intestines. It may be something that you can put to the back of your mind, but by the end of this article I hope to give you a few things to take away and think about, including: what exactly it is, why you need enough, what the consequences are of having too little, and a list of foods that are high in fiber.

What is fiber?

Fiber is a plant-derived carbohydrate that your body cant absorb and digest. It keeps your digestive lining healthy by taking out excess cholesterol, hormones, toxins and fat. By doing that, fiber prevents a lot of unwanted nasties, such as, high blood pressure, colon cancer, cardiovascular disease diverticulitis and constipation.

To properly understand this carb, you need to know the different types. Fiber comes in two forms, soluble (dissolves in water) and insoluble (doesn’t dissolve in water). When combined together, they play a massive role for overall health and wellbeing. Soluble fiber, when combined with food and water in your stomach, creates a gel like substance which lubricates the insides, making it easier to excrete the food, while insoluble fiber adds bulk to the stool which gives you the urge to go to the toilet, resulting in a healthy and efficient digestive system.

Getting enough while bulking

As you can probably tell, you need much more fiber when you’re on a bulk as you’re eating far more calories. With the added food, you need more lubrication and bulk to get the same outcome as on a normal diet with a normal level of fiber. When a lot of people on a bulk increase their calories, they choose foods which are dense in calories and usually healthy, but not necessarily high in fiber, so they’ll be consuming roughly the same amount, creating imbalances.

You already have your hands full with your workouts, meals and sleeping, so that last thing you want is to have another thing to worry about while you’re confined to the toilet, pushing as hard as you can (sorry for the imagery).

What are some foods high in fiber?

– Bran (corn, wheat, oats, brown rice)

– Dried herbs, spices and peppers

– Cocoa powder

– Dark Chocolate

– Seeds (flax, sesame and sunflower)

– Soybeans

– Nuts

– Fruits (passion fruit, apples, pears, bananas etc.)

– Metamucil (fiber supplement)

Yeah, I know.. topics such as fiber isn’t all that exciting to think about, but it’s important nonetheless, and can have amazing benefits if you get enough.

A quick tip to leave you with: You generally want to be going number 2 1-2 times a day. If that lowers when you’re on your bulk, it’s a sure sign that you need to up your fiber intake, so look at the list above and get eating. If it doesn’t help, try a fiber supplement. If that doesn’t help, contact your local GP as something else may being going on.