Should you be fibremaxxing? How to safely increase your fibre intake as a neurodivergent individual.

Fibremaxxing is the newest trend on social media. It focuses on adding large amounts of fibre to every meal, to ensure you hit your “fibre goal” of the day. But what is fibre? Is fibremaxxing beneficial or harmful? And how do you increase your fibre intake in a sustainable way as a neurodivergent individual?

What is fibre?

Dietary fibre is a type of carbohydrate that is found in plant-based foods. Your body can’t fully digest fibre, which means that instead of being broken down fully, it travels through your digestive system and helps things move through while supporting your gut health.

There are two main types of fibre:

• Soluble fibre: dissolves in water to form a gel-like substance in the digestive tract.

  • Can be found in oats, apples, beans and lentils.

    
    

• Insoluble fibre: adds bulk to stool and helps it pass more easily. Insoluble fibre supports regular bowel movement and prevents constipation.

  • Can be found in carrots, wholegrain bread and courgettes with skin.

    
    

Most plant-based foods have a mix of both types of fibre.

Benefits of fibre

Including fibre in your diet has several important benefits for your health. It is suggested that fibre [1]:

• Improves digestive function.

• Improved your gut microbiota.

• Is linked to health benefits such as

  • a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes

  • improved heart health, including lower blood pressure and total cholesterol.

Fibre helps with blood sugar control, helping prevent spikes and crashes [1]:

• Blood sugar stability can help support executive function, which, for neurodivergent people, may support mood swings, brain fog, and improve focus.

Fibre is important for the gut-brain axis:

• Fibre feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut, which produce chemical messengers that constantly communicate to your brain. While research is still growing, there is evidence that fibre may help regulate mood, focus and inflammation [2] - all of which is particularly relevant for neurodivergent individuals who might have challenges with emotional regulation, attention and cognitive flexibility[3].

The pros and cons of fibremaxxing

Fibremaxxing is a trend that originated on TikTok and is presumably based on improving people’s fibre intake, and increasing the many benefits of fibre described above. It can improve people’s awareness around fibre, plant-based foods and even enjoyment for cooking; however, it has potential drawbacks if not critically considered. Including:

• Increased risk of digestive issues and discomfort: A quick increase in fibre or overconsumption of fibre can cause bloating, gas and constipation.

  
  

• Increased risk of rigid thinking that can lead to disordered eating/eating disorders: this might harm mental well-being and increase harmful behaviours.

  
  

• Nutrient imbalances: through leaving out other food groups and nutrients in favour for fibre-rich foods.

  
  

• Social or practical disruptions: interfering with spontaneous eating, cultural foods, and shared meals. This can reduce satisfaction and flexibility.

Fibremaxxing can be super helpful, especially when raising awareness around gut health. However, when it turns into a rigid rule, it risks doing more harm than good.

The verdict: Approach these types of trends with curiosity and be inspired by the dishes creators cook. But don’t feel pressured to follow a moral high ground around fibre.

How much fibre do we need?

As mentioned, fibre has important benefits for gut health and bodily function and is vital for a properly functioning digestive system.

The UK dietary guidelines recommend that adults over 18 consume:

• 30g of dietary fibre a day [1] *.

However, most people in the UK get closer to 20g of fibre per day [4], which might also be one of the drivers of why the fibremaxxing trend started in the first place.

*Disclaimer: I think it is important to be well informed, which is why it can be useful to know what the dietary recommendations are, however, it is important to note that dietary recommendations are based on a mixture of population-level data, public health goals and scientific research, which means they are not based on individual needs (which can be affected by certain medical conditions for example). This is why it is called a recommendation and not a rule.

• If you do not know how much fibre you’re currently eating or are not eating less than the recommended 30g, do not worry about this. In the next section, we’ll look at how to safely incorporate more fibre into your nutrition.

• If you are currently eating a balanced diet with different wholegrains, fruits, legumes, nuts and vegetables, chances are that you are already eating enough fibre, and don’t need to add more. Remember, we don’t follow rules here!

How to safely add more fibre-rich foods into your nutrition

Start slowly.

Incorporating too much fibre too quickly can lead to bloating and constipation. It is therefore crucial to gradually increase your fibre intake over a few weeks.

Drink water.

Make sure to drink water and stay hydrated whilst you’re increasing your fibre intake, as fibre tends to absorb more liquids in your gut and harden your stools.

Focus on adding elements to your meals that contain fibre.

Adding elements to your meals that contain fibre rather than only eating fibre-rich foods is the way to go. This will ensure that you also get nutrients from other food groups, such as fats, proteins and different vitamins and minerals.

• This includes legumes, wholegrains, nuts and vegetables & fruits such as broccoli and strawberries.

Focus on variety.

Eating a variety of different types of plant-based fibre-rich foods is important, as different fibre-rich foods have different effects on your gut.

Focus on consistency - Add foods you like and that feel safe.

If you want to increase your fibre intake but struggle with certain fibre-rich foods due to sensory sensitivities or other reasons, start small.

• Choose foods you already enjoy that happen to have fibre, rather than forcing yourself to eat “high fibre” foods that feel overwhelming.

• Not all fibre-rich foods have the same amount of fibre; however, eating fibre-containing foods consistently, in ways that feel safe and/or satisfying, will support your gut far more than pushing through discomfort or distress.

• Alternatively, start with one new fibre-rich food at a time and introduce it to your meal/dish in small pieces or cooked into a sauce. Variety can come later and slowly!

How do you feel?

Discomfort

Adding fibre should not feel uncomfortable. If you start feeling uncomfortable (such as bloating, gas, constipation, pain), it could be that you’re either increasing your fibre too quickly or something else is off. Please listen to your body, and don’t push through discomfort.

Bodily cues - extreme feelings of fullness

Fibre increases feelings of fullness, which might be confusing if you already struggle with your hunger/fullness cues. Neurodivergent individuals often struggle to feel bodily cues such as hunger and fullness, which may be even more affected by an increased fibre intake.

It is therefore important to remember that feeling full doesn’t always mean your body has received the nourishment that it needs.

If you constantly feel full and feel low on energy, mood, or focus, check in with yourself: Are you getting regular meals and snacks?

Eating fibre is not a rule.

Eating fibre can aid your well-being. As soon as it becomes a rule, we risk that it has other potentially harmful effects on our well-being, such as eating disorders, which can negatively affect our gut health [5].

Try to avoid all-or-nothing thinking and tracking your fibre intake, as this can increase the risk of disordered eating behaviours.

Satisfaction

Eating can be satisfying. If you are someone who finds satisfaction through eating, make sure that you are choosing fibre-rich foods that you enjoy.

Concluding thoughts

Fibre is vital for our health and wellbeing. It is suggested to have significant health benefits for the brain, heart and body, particularly in terms of the positive effects of emotional regulation, attention and cognitive flexibility that may be beneficial for neurodivergent individuals.

Fibremaxxing can be a great trend for creating awareness around fibre, and it is great that more awareness is being brought forth around it. However, it is important to be aware of the drawbacks and, therefore, approach the trend with curiosity rather than rigidity.

If you are neurodivergent and adding more fibre to your diet, you might be having a unique experience compared to your neurotypical peers. Your experience might be affected by sensory sensitivities and differences in body cue awareness. Therefore, introducing fibre-rich foods that feel safe to you and focusing on consistency with these foods while starting slowly can be a helpful starting point.

 

References

1.         (SACN), S.A.C.o.N., Carbohydrates and Health. 2015, Public Health England: London.

2.         La Torre, D., K. Verbeke, and B. Dalile, Dietary fibre and the gut–brain axis: microbiota-dependent and independent mechanisms of action. Gut Microbiome, 2021. 2: p. e3.

3.         Barkley, R.A., Executive Functions: What They Are, How They Work, and Why They Evolved. 1st ed. 2012, New York: Guilford Press.

4.         England, P.H., National Diet and Nutrition Survey: Results from Years 9 to 11 (2016 to 2017 and 2018 to 2019) – Combined Statistical Summary. 2020, Public Health England: London.

5.         Terry, S.M., J.A. Barnett, and D.L. Gibson, A critical analysis of eating disorders and the gut microbiome. Journal of Eating Disorders, 2022. 10(1): p. 154.