What is “Fibremaxxing”—And Should You Be Doing It?

Fibre has been having a moment online as a wave of health influencers rediscover the nutrient’s health benefits and pitch it as something people should be eating more of—or rather should be “maxxing” out in their daily diet. Think: videos that talk up cramming all your fibre needs into one mega lunch or breakfast. From overnight oats that include chia and fruit and nuts to lentil-bean-veggie salads, the idea is to go hard on fibre—and in some cases, even exceed daily recommendations in one meal.

Fibre’s health benefits aren’t in dispute. Diets that are high in fibre—think fruit, vegetables, legumes and oats—are linked to a reduced risk of heart attack and stroke, diabetes and some cancers. It’s also a nutrient that can support immunity and help reduce inflammation in the body.

You’re likely not getting enough fibre in your diet

Despite its clear benefits to our health, Canadian women aren’t getting enough in their diets. According to Health Canada, women need at least 25 grams of fibre a day—but only a fraction of people manage to hit that level consistently.

And don’t sleep on fibre’s support during periods of transition. While it isn’t a cure-all, increasing daily fibre intake can help support women going through perimenopause and menopause, says Olynyk.  

“It does have a positive effect on inflammation and gut health,” says Olynyk. It also helps stabilize your blood sugar. More than that, it is linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease which is a concern to women in this cohort. “When women go through menopause, they kind of catch up to men when it comes to cardiovascular risk because they don't have estrogen protecting them.”

Better to be a fibre-conscious eater than a fibre-maximalist

But is an ethos of all fibre, all the time actually good for you? Registered dietitian Andrea Olynyk is a big fan of the trend—with some caveats.

For one, she’d prefer people adopted the “fibre-conscious” approach rather than think of “maxxing” out on the carbohydrate. That’s because, while fibre is necessary, you can eat too much of it and too quickly.

She’s seen some influencers online advocate for eating as much as 70 grams a day. That concerns her.

"If an adult woman starts eating 50 grams of fibre all of a sudden when she’s only been getting about 14 grams a day, then she’s going to blow past the capacity for her gut bacteria to process it," she says. The result: gas, cramps, bloating and even constipation.

Olynyk, who is the in-house consultant for Heart to Home Meals, a meal-delivery service for seniors, is also concerned when her younger clients read about fibre and start blasting their older parents with the nutrient. (Seniors need to be careful smart about fibre-loading, she says, paying attention to how it may or may not affect medications and making sure to increase their water intake, too.)

Don’t maxx out your fibre, incorporate it in stages

The trick to upping your fibre is to go slowly and drink lots of water. “Fibre is like a sponge; it needs water,” explains Olynyk.

Start by adding one serving of a fibre-rich food to your meals per day, she says. For example, a cup of raspberries has about 8 grams of fibre. Olynyk says many people choose to go overboard with fibre at breakfast. They make overnight oats, for example, and then layer it with chia and fruit and seeds. Instead, it’s better to stagger these items throughout the day rather than blast your gut with all of them at once.

It also helps to be prepared. Keeping fibre-rich snack foods at the ready—apples or pears washed and in the fridge or pre-sliced strawberries to throw on a bowl of cereal—is an easy way to increase your daily intake.