Re-thinking this Healthy Habit
You’ve swapped white bread for seeded wholegrain, started snacking on raw veg, loaded up your plate with lentils and kale, but instead of feeling energized and light, you’re bloated, sluggish, and maybe even foggy-headed by mid-afternoon.
What gives?
You may be overloading on fiber – or the wrong kind that can be incompatible with your gut.
Many women in midlife are encouraged to “eat more fiber,” and for good reason. Fiber supports digestion, blood sugar, and heart health. But what most advice misses is that your gut’s ability to handle fiber changes as your hormone profile, microbiome, and enzyme function shift, especially in your 40s and beyond.
Suddenly jumping from 10g of fiber to 30g+ per day (especially from raw vegetables, high-FODMAP legumes, or trendy powders) can overwhelm the digestive system, leading to:
- Bloating, cramping, and wind
- Fatigue from slowed digestion and nutrient malabsorption
- Post-meal brain fog from gut-brain axis stress
- And ironically… constipation
Even “healthy” habits like eating massive salads, adding bran to everything, or downing protein bars with chicory root can backfire.
🍎Focus on fiber quality, not just quantity: Go for low-FODMAP, gently cooked, soluble-rich fibers like oats, carrots, peeled courgette, chia seeds, and small amounts of berries.
🍎Watch how much raw veg you’re eating: Raw kale, broccoli, and cauliflower are hard on the gut. Steam or roast them instead.
🍎Increase fiber slowly and support it with hydration: If your fiber intake jumps overnight but your water intake doesn’t, expect trouble.
🍎Track what causes symptoms: That “healthy” sprouted grain toast might leave you exhausted at 3 p.m. and you’d never guess it was the cause until you isolate it.
🍎Consider individual tolerances: Some women thrive on lentils. Others feel wiped. It’s not failure – it’s physiology.
Key learnings:
- Loading on fiber isn’t always better for everyone, your gut has a threshold.
- After 40, your digestive resilience changes, and so should your approach.
- Raw veg, high-FODMAP pulses, and added fiber supplements may be triggering your symptoms.
- Focus on gentle, well-tolerated fibers and listen to how your body responds.
The Fundamentals of Fiber
Friend of Move Daily, Dr Catherine Rabess joined Tracy on our podcast to talk all things plants. Caff is an expert in fiber and gut health and has written an amazing book about how to incorporate more plant based foods into your every day. “The 30 Plan” is packed with knowledge and understanding on fiber, as well as amazing recipes that are delicious and nutrient rich. Caff recently partnered with Tesco, the UK’s biggest grocery store chain, to provide them with recipes focusing on fiber. If you want to add more in, but you’re unsure of how your gut will take it, this podcast and Caff’s book are excellent resources.
It’s Finally Here!
We have been hinting at it for a while now, but here it is – our very own Move Daily Fat Loss Nutrition Master Class. Everything you need to know, to lose body fat, keep it off and navigate all the hurdles and roadblocks in between. It is your ticket to hitting the goal’s you’ve always wanted. Yours to keep forever, it’s the only guide you’ll ever need.
Join Tracy and Guests on Move Daily Talks
Every Saturday Tracy is joined by a special guest on her hugely successful, and informative podcast, Move Daily Talks. Here is the latest release for you to listen to, learn from and enjoy. Or watch it on YouTube.
This Weeks Workouts!
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