All About Plants (Plus, Fiber Cheat Sheets!)

That time I stopped eating plants and needed medical intervention 🫣

I remember the summer I cut out all plants in my diet and paid for it big time.

It was around 2014, before Instagram blew up, so I was absorbing all my nutrition advice from audiobooks on my daily work commute to San Francisco, including The Plant Paradox.

The title should have been a red flag that the fear-mongering alone would be strong. This book completely convinced me that plants were toxic and trying to kill me. Remember first hearing about "leaky gut" and particles in your bloodstream? Honestly, this was the last book my nervous system needed.

Not once did it mention that plants have incredibly powerful nutrients and with proper preparation that our ancestors have been doing since the beginning of time, such as cooking and soaking, we can reduce plants' anti-nutrients significantly if not entirely.

Not to mention, ALL food carries potential negative properties. That's because all food is foreign to our body. This book was really cherry picking data about plants and not backing anything up with sound science.

Unfortunately… I went all in with what the book suggested:
I cut out carbs. I cut out plant foods. I cut out fiber.
And I was miserable.

My meals were honestly so sad… just protein, tons of fat, and wine.

Looking back, the cognitive dissonance I held was wild: I was so deep in fear that I had somehow convinced myself that plants were more toxic than wine.

That alone should tell you everything. And eventually, my body pushed back.

I ended up dealing with an extremely uncomfortable condition that required a medical procedure to fix. I’ll spare you the details here, but if you’ve experienced something similar… you’re not alone.

My body made it very clear that something wasn’t working, and I had the courage to listen. So, plants eventually made its way back into my life, and I've never had the condition flare up since.

And that’s something I see play out over and over again now: nutrition fads and trends often just swing from one extreme to the other.

At The Green Door Life, we're committed to teaching you about nutrition rooted in science, not fear. 

Mark my words, after 10 years of protein being the darling of the nutrition world, fiber is next. So let's dive in... here's everything you need to know about fiber:

Fiber is one of the most powerful and overlooked tools for:

• Blood sugar stability, fewer crashes and fewer cravings

• Digestion and regularity, less bloating, better elimination for natural detox

• Gut health: feeding beneficial bacteria and supporting the gut-brain axis

• Hormone balance, especially insulin and estrogen regulation

• Satiety (feel full and satisfied in between meals)

Not all fiber is the same

There are two main types of fiber derived from plants, and your body benefits from both:

• Soluble Fiber forms a gel-like substance in the stomach to slow things down, stabilize blood sugar, and support gut bacteria. Sources: oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley

• Insoluble Fiber does not dissolve in water; it remains intact, adding bulk to stool to keep things moving and support regular digestion. This prevents constipation and improves regularity. Sources: whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts, beans, cauliflower, green beans, and potatoes

Most plants contain a mix of both soluble and insoluble fiber, so there's no need to really overthink this: including a variety of seasonal whole food plant sources and staying consistent will help you meet both types of fiber. 

NOTE: if you increase fiber, please make sure you are fully hydrated and drinking enough mineral-rich natural water, especially spring water. 

How much fiber do you actually need?

The general recommendations you’ll see most often come from the USDA and related dietary guidelines:

• Women: 25 grams per day (ages 19–50); 21 grams per day (age 50+)

• Men: 38 grams per day (ages 19–50); 30 grams per day (age 50+)

• Kids ages 1–3: about 19g per day

• Kids ages 4–8: about 25g per day

But here’s what most people don’t realize: these are population-based guidelines.

They don’t take into account your height, your body size, how much you’re currently eating, your gut health, or your activity level.

And this matters.

If you’re on the smaller side, eating less overall, or coming from a history of extreme diets that cut out fiber in the past…

Jumping straight to higher fiber can feel worse, not better: 
more bloating, discomfort and frustration.

On the other hand, if you’re eating more, moving more, and have more overall intake, you may feel great with higher fiber.

Instead of chasing a number:

• Increase fiber gradually

• Focus on variety, not just volume

• Pay attention to how your body responds

Because just like everything we teach, we're not looking to hit a perfect target. We want to start slow with all dietary changes and track how the body responds over time.

How to add fiber to meals:

Think about what fiber can you add to a meal instead of just increasing protein:

• Chicken and rice becomes → chicken, rice, and riced cauliflower

• Eggs become → egg whites with avocado, spinach, and sprouted wheat bread

• Greek yogurt becomes → Greek yogurt with raspberries and chia seeds

Same amount of protein. Completely different response in your body.

If you haven’t been eating much fiber, read this:

This is especially important if you’ve come from a more restrictive approach, low-carb, keto, carnivore, or just a long stretch of under-eating or avoiding plant foods.

Because I’ve seen this a lot: removing fiber can actually feel better… at first.

Less bloating, less digestive discomfort, less “noise” in the system.
And in some cases, that can be a helpful temporary reset.

But it’s not something most people feel great on long-term.
Because over time, low fiber intake can lead to:

• slower digestion

• reduced gut diversity

• less stable blood sugar

• more sensitivity when reintroducing foods

Where people get stuck is that they remove fiber, feel better, and assume fiber is the problem. When in reality, it was often:

• too much, too fast

• not enough variety

• poor overall structure

• not experimenting with proper soaking, cooking, and preparation methods of the plants

The solution with fiber:

• eat well-cooked vegetables

• choose simple fruits

• start with small portions

• focus on consistency over intensity

And most importantly, give your body time to adapt. This is key.

Your gut is adaptable. But it responds best to consistency, not extremes.

So if fiber has felt like the enemy in the past, there’s a good chance it just wasn’t introduced in a way your body could tolerate. 

Last call for Awaken Foundations

This is exactly the kind of simple structure we walk through inside Awaken Foundations, our 4-week reset for women who are stuck in information overload.

Not more rules or extremes, but rather visually learning how to create balanced, nourishing meals without tracking.

And then how to actually implement in real life, consistently.

We start the week of May 4th, and you can join us through May 18th for $222 off:

👉 [Click here to join Awaken Foundations for just $333]

And if you’re ready for deeper, more personalized support, Awaken Your Nutrition will be opening again soon!

Are you focused on fiber, too? Let me know what your experience has been.

💚 Lisa

  | Co-Founder of The Green Door Life

NAMS Certified Nutrition Consultant | Quantum Biology, Hormones, and Mindset Certified Specialist