Written by: Jen Cox - AdvDip NAT + WHM. @keeperandkin

Of all the foods your body will love, fibre is one of the favourites.

While we *personally* don’t absorb and use the fibre in our diet for energy - the probiotics in our guts will. They’re nuts for fibre. Total greedy guts for it... which is a very symbiotic approach, considering we don't actually absorb it for use ourselves.

It’s also why we should eat more fibre.

By now we know the importance of nourishing a diverse microbiome. (If you haven't heard about these reasons yet, head over to our health hub for about 1000 of them.)  It’s safe to say that keeping a diverse and healthy gang in your gut is crucial to most aspects of human wellness. From immunity to mental health, these busy bodies have a hand in most of the things that go right in our lives and we really ought to take care of them.

So, in case chucking a dinner party for your closest (several) billion mates each day sounds tough, we’ve got your back.

Here are some ways to increase the fibre your gut loves, daily:

• Go wholegrain or go home. According to Harvard Health, processed carbs have the fibre and B vitamins stripped right on out of them, meaning they are nowhere near as fabulous for gut health as their grain-iac mates. Choose unprocessed wholegrains like barley, spelt, brown rice, quinoa, bulgur and oats instead of stuff in a packet.
• Up the fruits and vegetables. Almost all of us - a whopping 4 out of 5 according to the CSIRO - do not meet the minimum requirement for fruit and vegetable intake per day. This means we have plenty of room to move! Fruits and veggies have loads of fibre for the gut, not to mention antioxidants, vitamins and minerals your digestive system will love.
• Accept that you’re nuts. Nuts and seeds are awesome fibre sources for a healthy body. They’re also loaded with good fats that reduce inflammation and quality protein for healing and repair. Nuts are so good for you, one study published in the journal BMC Medicine found consuming a daily dose can reduce your risk of infection disease by up to 75% (amongst other fabulous things.)
• Embrace the diversity. The more plant variety you eat - the more diverse your gut microbiome can become. According to a study published in Gut Microbes we should keep things interesting and try new fruits, vegetables and nuts when the whim takes us, aiming for around 30 different plant types per week.
• When in doubt, supplement. From Psyllium to Slippery Elm, there are always options when it comes to topping up fibre intake. Keep a jar of Nourishing Reds on hand and add to smoothies, sprinkle on oats or even just take with some water to ensure you lay out the red carpet for your tribe on the inside. This product is a berrylicious prebiotic mix that the whole family will love and your microbiome’s ideal wingman. Grab yours, here.