1. Learn the “Eating Healthy Sweet 16” Foundational Principles & Fiber Recommendations
2. Understand the Importance of Fiber in Your Diet
3. Choosing delicious high-fiber, high-nutrient dense foods
This is the year to Make Yourself Healthy Again!
Nearly half of Americans are pre-diabetic, have diabetes, or metabolic syndrome. The America’s Health Rankings 2023 Annual Report found that 11.2% of adults (29.3 million) had three or more chronic conditions, including arthritis, asthma, kidney disease, COPD, cardiovascular disease, cancer, depression, and diabetes. All eight reached record highs in 2022. But there are steps we can take to move toward vitality, health, and longevity! Nutrition is key—when your body’s cells get what they need, overall well-being improves. Fiber is essential, yet only 7% of American adults meet daily recommendations. (1)(4)(6)(11)
At EHI, we encourage Eating Healthy Sweet 16, a simple way to make food your medicine. Meals should include green foods, organic and GMO-free ingredients, antioxidants, fiber, raw fruits and veggies, and naturally sweet substances (with limited refined sugars), all while being calorie-responsible. Meals should be prepared in safe cookware with clean, sustainable meats and fish and enjoyed with loved ones. Beverages should be limited to 8 oz of warm fluids, and at minimum, daily calorie intake should align with energy expenditure. For the full list, click here: Eating Healthy Sweet 16 (10)
Let’s break down why fiber is so important and how to easily add more to your diet. For Sweet 16 #9, ask yourself: “Am I getting 8–12g of fiber in my meal?”
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What exactly IS fiber? It’s generally considered a carbohydrate we can’t digest, but that isn’t always the case. There are a few ways that scientists classify fiber, but what’s most important is that you eat a diet full of variety. That’s what counts.
Fiber Recommendations (Daily Reference Intake (DRI) set by the United States Institute of Medicine (IOM)
Age | Male | Female |
1–3 years | 14 g | 14 g |
4–8 years | 19.6 g | 16.8 g |
9–13 years | 25.2 g | 22.4 g |
14–18 years | 30.8 g | 25.2 g |
19–50 years | 38 g | 25 g |
51 years and over | 30 g | 21 g |
Table 1 Most Americans consume only around 15 g of fiber per day or half of their recommended needs. The Sweet 16 recommends 8 – 12 g or more per meal; if you’re eating 2 meals per day plus healthy snacks, you should be A-OK in meeting daily needs. The Energetic Health Institute recommends that most adults only need about 1500 Calories per day, so pack your diet full of a rainbow of colors in plant-based foods to thrive in 2025 and beyond! (1)(3)(4)
Adequate fiber intake can greatly improve your health and reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, including some cancers, stroke, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Fiber helps to keep our gut and digestion healthy, helps to regulate blood sugar and cholesterol levels, supports healthy weight management, improves immune function, and keeps you regular! (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)
Supports & Maintains Gut Health
Fiber feeds your healthy gut bacteria to support your microbiome and digestion. This also helps to prevent leaky gut and improve your immune function, endocrine response, metabolism, and general detoxification. (3)(7)
Improves Bowel Health
As a bulking agent, fiber absorbs water to maintain healthy poop. It can either prevent constipation and make waste easier to pass or help prevent loose stools. It can also help prevent hemorrhoids and diverticulitis, and it decreases your risk of colorectal cancer. (3)(4)
Reduces Cholesterol & Improves Cardiovascular Health
Soluble fiber binds to cholesterol, preventing reabsorption, so excess LDL (“bad”) cholesterol is pooped out without affecting HDL or triglycerides. It also supports liver and kidney function to clean the blood and flush out waste. (4)(7)
Stabilizes Blood Sugar
Dietary fiber helps regulate blood glucose, HbA1c, and insulin demand by slowing carbohydrate digestion and preventing spikes. It also lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes, reduces complications and premature death, and improves quality of life. (3)(4)(8)
Supports Healthy Weight Management
Fiber helps us to feel satiated longer and without cravings. Overall, fiber also helps to manage metabolism, lower body fat, improve BMI, and control our waistline. (3)(4)(6)
Plant foods are going to be your best sources of fiber and, if organically-grown, GMO-free, preservative-free, are going to be high in nutrient density. They’re generally rich in antioxidants, phytochemicals, active enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids. Generally, high-fiber foods are also low in calories. Below are some top recommendations, including a few examples of the amount of grams of fiber per a 1 cup serving or 1 medium-sized average fruit: (3)(6)
Check out this example day that will load you up on over 40 g of fiber, according to the USDA: (3)
|
Meal |
Food item |
Fiber |
|
Breakfast |
25 blueberries |
1 g |
|
Lunch |
1/2 cup of cooked brown rice |
1.5 g |
|
Supper |
1 avocado |
13.5 g |
|
Snack |
1 medium pear |
5.5 g |
| Total |
41 g |
Shopping Tips:
When shopping for food, check your bread, grain, and cereal labels carefully. Look for options with 5 g or more per serving (2), but be wary of additional processing, added sugars, GMOs, glyphosates, and preservatives. Choose veggies that are dark or richly-colored—generally, the darker the color, the higher the fiber and bioflavonoids. Select fresh fruit with rich colors, too. Eat the peels whenever you can – that’s where you’ll often find the most fiber! (2) Even dark chocolate can be a good source of fiber, nutrients, and antioxidants! There are ~ 3.1 g of fiber in a 1-oz piece of 70-85% cacao – cool! You’ll find about 3 – 4 g of fiber in about 1 ounce of nuts and seeds, but be mindful of roasting, salting, and other processing. They’re also high in protein but also high in calories. For a satisfying lower-calorie option, you might consider air-popped or pan-popped popcorn: three cups of popcorn has about 4g of fiber. (3)(4).
Fiber is critical to our health and well-being, and the majority of Americans are severely deficient. If increasing (or even nearly doubling) our daily dietary intake can improve our health and reduce disease and dependence on over-the-counter and prescription medications, then let’s let our food be our medicine! Fueling our bodies with healthy plant-based nutrient-dense foods also helps curb cravings, reduce the need for snacking, keeps our energy levels stable all day, and keeps us feeling strong, fit, and lean.
I’ve added some resources that I’ve used to help review the nutritional profiles of foods. You can easily look up a food’s content for vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fatty acids, protein amino acids, sodium, fiber, calories, and more. Of course, fresh is best, and always choose organic, GMO-free plant foods and poultry, beef, fish, or dairy that is grown or sourced as free-range, pasture-raised, wild-caught, and minimally (if at all) processed. Think about what Mother Earth puts on the Earth, and let that be your guide.
For some recipes, check out Eating Well’s 15 High-Fiber Meals You Can Make in 25 Minutes or Less.
One of my favorite resources for nutrition data, information, and recipes is George Mateljan’s text World’s Healthiest Foods, 2nd Edition: The Force For Change to Health-Promoting Foods and New Nutrient-Rich Cooking (2015). You can get it on Amazon.
Remember to get 8 – 12 g in every major meal, and have a healthy, happy life!
Lisa Meller, CMP, CITP, CED is the Owner and Managing Director of Meller Performance Events Group, a professional event planning and management agency that now specializes in the health and wellness industry. She is also a student of Energetic Health Institute and is focused on becoming a board-certified holistic nutrition counselor and coach. Lisa is a certified detox and Vax Safety specialist She is also the Fall Conference Event Manager for Healing for the AGES. Lisa has a passion for helping people reach their personal bests. As an assistant coach and multi-time national and world champion in Masters Diving, she understands and lives the healthy and active performance lifestyle. Since her university (UCLA) studies in molecular biology decades ago she has been focused on health, wellness and disease prevention. She is excited about sharing the message of natural health and healing.
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