Understanding Fibremaxxing: A Guide for Neurodivergent Individuals

What is Fibre?

Dietary fibre is a type of carbohydrate found in plant-based foods. Your body can’t fully digest fibre. Instead of breaking it down completely, it travels through your digestive system, helping things move along and supporting gut health.

There are two main types of fibre:

• Soluble fibre: This type dissolves in water, forming a gel-like substance in the digestive tract. You can find soluble fibre in oats, apples, beans, and lentils.

  
  

• Insoluble fibre: This type adds bulk to stool, helping it pass more easily. It supports regular bowel movements and prevents constipation. You can find insoluble fibre in carrots, wholegrain bread, and courgettes with skin.

  
  

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

Benefits of Fibre

Including fibre in your diet offers several important health benefits. Research suggests that fibre:

• Improves digestive function.

• Enhances 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 also helps with blood sugar control, preventing spikes and crashes. This stability can support executive function, which may help with mood swings, brain fog, and focus.

Fibre plays a crucial role in the gut-brain axis. It feeds beneficial bacteria in your gut, which produce chemical messengers that communicate with your brain. While research is still growing, evidence suggests that fibre may help regulate mood, focus, and inflammation. This is particularly relevant for individuals who may face challenges with emotional regulation, attention, and cognitive flexibility.

The Pros and Cons of Fibremaxxing

Fibremaxxing is a trend that originated on TikTok. It aims to improve people’s fibre intake and increase the many benefits of fibre described above. While it can raise awareness about fibre, plant-based foods, and even enhance enjoyment in cooking, it has potential drawbacks if not critically considered, including:

• Increased risk of digestive issues: A sudden increase in fibre or overconsumption can lead to bloating, gas, and constipation.

  
  

• Rigid thinking: This can lead to disordered eating or eating disorders, harming mental well-being and increasing harmful behaviours.

  
  

• Nutrient imbalances: Focusing too much on fibre-rich foods can result in neglecting other food groups and nutrients.

  
  

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

  
  

Fibremaxxing can be beneficial, especially in raising awareness about gut health. However, when it becomes a rigid rule, it risks doing more harm than good.

The verdict: Approach these trends with curiosity. 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?

Fibre is essential for gut health and bodily function. The UK dietary guidelines recommend that adults over 18 consume:

• 30g of dietary fibre a day.

  
  

However, most people in the UK consume closer to 20g of fibre per day, which might explain why the fibremaxxing trend started in the first place.

Disclaimer: It’s important to be well-informed. Dietary recommendations are based on population-level data, public health goals, and scientific research. They are not tailored to individual needs, which can vary due to specific medical conditions. This is why they are called recommendations, not rules.

If you’re unsure how much fibre you’re currently eating or if you’re eating less than the recommended 30g, don’t worry. In the next section, we’ll explore how to safely incorporate more fibre into your nutrition.

If you are already eating a balanced diet with wholegrains, fruits, legumes, nuts, and vegetables, you are likely consuming enough fibre. 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. Gradually increase your fibre intake over a few weeks.

Drink Water

Stay hydrated while increasing your fibre intake. Fibre absorbs more liquids in your gut, which can harden your stools if you don’t drink enough water.

Focus on Adding Elements to Your Meals

Instead of only eating fibre-rich foods, focus on adding fibre-rich elements to your meals. This approach ensures you also receive nutrients from other food groups, such as fats, proteins, and various vitamins and minerals.

• Include legumes, wholegrains, nuts, and vegetables & fruits like broccoli and strawberries.

  
  

Emphasise Variety

Eating a variety of different types of plant-based fibre-rich foods is essential. Different fibre-rich foods have different effects on your gut.

Consistency is Key

If you want to increase your fibre intake but struggle with certain fibre-rich foods due to sensory sensitivities, start small. Choose foods you already enjoy that happen to be high in fibre, rather than forcing yourself to eat “high fibre” foods that feel overwhelming.

• Not all fibre-rich foods contain the same amount of fibre. Consistently eating fibre-containing foods in ways that feel safe and satisfying will support your gut far more than pushing through discomfort.

  
  

• Alternatively, start with one new fibre-rich food at a time. Introduce it to your meal or dish in small pieces or cooked into a sauce. You can explore variety later!

  
  

Listen to Your Body

Adding fibre should not feel uncomfortable. If you experience discomfort, such as bloating, gas, constipation, or pain, you may be increasing your fibre too quickly or something else might be off. Please listen to your body and don’t push through discomfort.

Bodily Cues: Extreme feelings of fullness can be confusing, especially if you struggle with hunger and fullness cues. Remember that feeling full doesn’t always mean your body has received the nourishment it needs.

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

Eating Fibre is Not a Rule

Incorporating fibre can aid your well-being. However, when it becomes a rule, it risks leading to potentially harmful effects, such as eating disorders, which can negatively affect gut health.

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

Satisfaction Matters

Eating can be a satisfying experience. If you find satisfaction through eating, ensure you choose fibre-rich foods that you enjoy.

Concluding Thoughts

Fibre is vital for our health and well-being. It offers significant benefits for the brain, heart, and body, particularly regarding emotional regulation, attention, and cognitive flexibility. These benefits can be especially helpful for individuals who may face unique challenges.

Fibremaxxing can be a great trend for creating awareness around fibre. It’s wonderful that more attention is being brought to this topic. However, it’s crucial to be aware of the drawbacks and approach the trend with curiosity rather than rigidity.

If you are neurodivergent and adding more fibre to your diet, your experience may differ from others. Sensory sensitivities and differences in body cue awareness can affect how you respond. Therefore, introducing fibre-rich foods that feel safe to you and focusing on consistency 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.