By Julie Murphree, Arizona Farm Bureau Director of Strategic Communications

A good night’s sleep is often elusive in our fast-paced world, but new research suggests that the secret to better rest might be sitting on your plate.

A recent study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research explored the link between diet and sleep quality, revealing that what you eat could play a significant role in how well—and how long—you sleep. Conducted with nearly 5,000 participants, the study found that diets rich in protein and fiber are associated with longer sleep duration, while those high in fat and sodium tend to cut sleep short.

Fiber: The Sleep-Boosting Superstar

One of the standout findings from the study is the connection between fiber intake and improved sleep quality. Participants who consumed more fiber not only slept longer but also fell asleep faster and experienced fewer nighttime awakenings. This suggests that fiber—a nutrient abundant in foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes—might be a natural ally in the quest for restorative sleep.

Why might fiber have this effect? Researchers speculate that it could be tied to its impact on digestion and blood sugar stability. High-fiber foods tend to digest more slowly, providing a steady release of energy that prevents the spikes and crashes in blood sugar that can disrupt sleep. Additionally, fiber supports a healthy gut microbiome, which emerging science increasingly links to sleep regulation through the gut-brain axis.

Protein: A Partner in Sleep Duration

Alongside fiber, protein emerged as another key player in promoting longer sleep. Found in foods like lean meats, eggs, dairy, beans, and nuts, protein is essential for muscle repair and overall health—but its role in sleep is less widely recognized. The study suggests that adequate protein intake may help sustain sleep, possibly by supporting the production of sleep-regulating neurotransmitters like serotonin and melatonin, which are derived from amino acids such as tryptophan.

Unlike quick-energy foods high in refined carbs, protein-rich meals provide sustained nourishment that could help maintain stable energy levels through the night, reducing the likelihood of waking up hungry or restless.

The Sleep Saboteurs: Fat and Sodium

On the flip side, the study highlighted two dietary culprits linked to shorter sleep: high fat and sodium intake. Diets heavy in fatty foods—think fried items, processed snacks, or rich desserts—were associated with reduced sleep duration. This may be due to the digestive burden these foods place on the body, potentially causing discomfort or acid reflux that interrupts sleep.

Similarly, excessive sodium—common in salty snacks, fast food, and processed meals—correlated with shorter sleep times. High sodium intake can disrupt fluid balance and increase blood pressure, potentially triggering nighttime awakenings or restlessness. These findings underscore the importance of moderation when it comes to these nutrients, especially close to bedtime.

Putting It Into Practice

So, how can you harness these findings to improve your own sleep? The study’s results point to a balanced diet as a practical starting point. Loading up on fiber-rich foods like oatmeal, berries, or lentils, and pairing them with protein sources such as grilled chicken, Greek yogurt, or tofu, could set the stage for a more restful night. Meanwhile, cutting back on greasy takeout or salty chips—especially in the evening—might help you avoid the sleep disruptions tied to fat and sodium.

Of course, diet is just one piece of the sleep puzzle. Factors like stress, screen time, and exercise also play critical roles. But the beauty of this research lies in its simplicity: small, intentional changes to your meals could yield measurable benefits in your sleep quality.

This study adds to a growing body of evidence linking diet and sleep, offering a compelling case for viewing food as more than just fuel. As researchers continue to explore these connections, the message is clear—prioritizing fiber and protein while dialing back on fat and sodium could be a recipe for not just better health, but better sleep too. So, next time you’re planning dinner, consider reaching for that extra serving of broccoli or a handful of almonds. Your sleep schedule might just thank you.

Need more fiber in your diet? Eat Arizona Pistachios or Pecans! A one-ounce serving provides 10% of the Daily Recommended Intake for fiber. Arizona farm families grow these healthy, tasty tree nuts for our health.

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Fiber has long been known to be a nutrient that is very important for gut health and maintaining regularity. But, fiber actually does a whole lot more than just keeping our guts healthy!

According to registered dietician Caroline Susie, fiber also helps to regulate blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and weight management, all of which are risk factors for more serious heart conditions or strokes. Specifically, the American Heart Association says that a person’s first-time stroke risk drops by 7% with every 7 grams of fiber they consume in their diets.

Unfortunately, however, only about 5% of Americans are getting enough fiber in their daily diets. The Mayo Clinic advises that men under the age of 50 aim to get about 38 grams of fiber per day, and women under 50 should aim for about 25 grams per day.

Getting more fiber in your diet doesn’t mean that you’ll just be munching on dry bran muffins or eating bowl upon bowl of oatmeal. While those are good sources of fiber, there are plenty of other delicious foods that are high in fiber content! Consider the following:

• Beans
• Lentils
• Fresh fruits
• Fresh vegetables
• Corn
• Avocados
• Oatmeal
• Barley
• Peas
• Chia seeds

Many of the foods listed are ones that farmers produce right here in Arizona! Check them out next time that you’re grocery shopping!

For more health-related articles or for some delicious recipes that use many of these fiber-filled foods, check out the Fill Your Plate website!

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Did you know that only 7% of adults in the United States get enough fiber? That means that the remaining 93% of us are significantly lacking in our intake of this important nutrient.

According to registered dietician Novella Lui, fiber is a type of carbohydrate that can’t be digested or absorbed. There are two kinds of fiber, soluble, which forms a gel when combined with water, and insoluble, which doesn’t dissolve in water. Both kinds of fiber can provide a whole bunch of health benefits such as preventing constipation, stabilizing blood sugar, improving gut health, helping to maintain a healthy weight, and lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes and some cancers.

Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes are full of fiber, but the following are some foods that have an exceptional amount of fiber in them!

• Artichokes
• Brussels Sprouts
• Kale
• Sweet Potatoes
• Collard Greens
• Beets
• Beet Greens
• Turnip Greens
• Mustard Greens

Arizona agriculture grows lots of fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and legumes! Next time that you’re out grocery shopping, choose locally grown products so that you support Arizona farmers while getting high-quality fiber while you’re at it!

For more articles about fiber, or for more information about finding locally grown produce, check out the Fill Your Plate website!

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

We’ve written a lot about the importance of getting plenty of fiber in your diet here on the Fill Your Plate, and rightfully so! This important nutrient does a lot for our bodies and unfortunately, many people aren’t getting enough into their diets. So, to make it easier to learn about the importance of fiber, what it does for our bodies, and some yummy ways to add it to our diets, here is a collection of all of the articles Fill Your Plate has written about fiber!

• Fiber is your friend – Fill Your Plate Blog
• Give Your Gut what it Needs: Fiber – Fill Your Plate Blog
• Everything You Ever wanted to know about Fiber – Fill Your Plate Blog
• Study: Increased Fiber Intake During Childhood Reduces Allergies – Fill Your Plate Blog
• Fiber-rich Foods Help You Feel Full – Fill Your Plate Blog
• Non-Starchy Veggies Offer Healthful Fiber, Nutrients – Fill Your Plate Blog
• Need More Fiber? Add Nuts to Your Diet – Fill Your Plate Blog
• 4 Easy Ways to Get More Fiber – Fill Your Plate Blog
• Convince Your Kiddos to Eat More Fiber – Fill Your Plate Blog
• Arizona Pecans will Put More Fiber in Your Diet – Fill Your Plate Blog

Whole grains, leafy greens, fruits, and nuts are great sources of fiber! Arizona agriculture produces many high-fiber foods! Look for locally grown food products next time that you’re at the store or farmers market and not only meet your fiber needs, but also support local farmers!

For even more food and health articles, or for more information on Arizona products and where to find them, check out the Fill Your Plate website!

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

We all know the importance of getting enough fiber in our diets. This little nutrient packs a major punch for our bodies when it comes to overall health. Whether it be improving our digestion, feeding our gut microbiome, promoting regularity, reducing cholesterol levels, or making you feel fuller longer, fiber does it all! Unfortunately, however, most people don’t get enough fiber in their diets. In fact, it is a whopping 95% of Americans that aren’t consuming enough fiber! 

According to registered dietician Jessica Ball, snacks are a great way to sneak a little more fiber into your diet. She also says that it is best to pair fiber-rich foods with other foods that are high in protein and healthy fats. The following are some of her suggested snack ideas!

• Whole grains paired with fruit
• Oat, nut, and seed energy balls
• Whole grain crackers and veggie-based dips
• Popcorn
• Smoothies
• Nuts
• Chia pudding

Next time that you’re feeling snacky, try out a snack that is high in fiber! Not only will it be delicious, but you’ll also be doing your body a favor by giving it a boost of a powerful nutrient it needs to properly function!

Interested in reading more about fiber? Check out these related articles from Fill Your Plate!

Fiber is your friend – Fill Your Plate Blog

Give Your Gut what it Needs: Fiber – Fill Your Plate Blog

Everything You Ever wanted to know about Fiber – Fill Your Plate Blog

Study: Increased Fiber Intake During Childhood Reduces Allergies – Fill Your Plate Blog

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Spring is around the corner, meaning our Arizona desert will begin to turn (slightly) green, and plants and trees begin blooming again. But it also means that one more thing will be blooming. Allergies. With all the pollen and dirt in the air, some of us begin to get stuffy or runny noses, frequent sneezes, and itchy throats, which is no fun at all. Did you know that eating diets high in fiber as a child has been shown to reduce the risk of allergies, both food and environment related?

A study published in Clinical and Translational Allergy found that there was an inverse relationship between fiber intake as a child, and allergy symptoms as an adult. In other words, the more fiber children consumed while they were young, the fewer allergies they possessed in adulthood.

So, with that being said, when making meals for your kiddos, try to incorporate a healthy serving of fiber into their diet. You’ll be helping them have a lesser risk of developing allergies later in life, and they’ll still reap all of the other health benefits of fiber, like satiety and digestive health! Some good sources of fiber include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and even nuts.

Want to know more about fiber? Check out these related articles from Fill Your Plate!

• Fiber is your friend – Fill Your Plate Blog
• 4 Easy Ways to Get More Fiber – Fill Your Plate Blog
• Non-Starchy Veggies Offer Healthful Fiber, Nutrients – Fill Your Plate Blog
•  Give Your Gut what it Needs: Fiber – Fill Your Plate Blog
• Convince Your Kiddos to Eat More Fiber – Fill Your Plate Blog

You’ve heard it before, but I’m going to say it again: Yuma, Arizona is the lettuce bowl capital of the nation from November to late March every year thanks to our mild winters and Yuma’s amazing soil. It’s here you’ll discover a variety of non-starchy vegetables.

Non-starchy vegetables think kale and spinach, can add nutrients and fiber to a diet with fewer carbohydrates than found in starchy vegetables, such as corn and peas, according to registered dietitian nutritionists. Most nutritionists suggest eating low-carb vegetables daily as part of a balanced diet and adding extra fiber.

So daily, think about what vegetables, leafy greens to be specific, you’ll eat that fit in this mix:

• Kale
• Microgreens
• Collard Greens
• Spinach
• Cabbage
• Beet Green
• Watercress
• Romaine Lettuce
• Swiss Chard
• Arugula and Endive
• Bok Choy
• Turnip Greens

Bottom line, they should be considered a daily part of your diet since they are packed with nutrients and are tasty.

Arizona Farm Bureau’s Fill Your Plate blog features all sorts of information on leafy greens, vegetables and eating healthy foods.

By Julie Murphree, Arizona Farm Bureau Outreach Director

Recent Arizona State University nutrition student Kat Brown defines fiber as forming the support structure of leaves, stems, and plants. “It is the part of foods that are hard to digest, or that the body cannot digest at all. This is because humans do not have the proper enzymes to break down the bonds that form fiber. Important

properties of fiber include solubility in water, water holding capacity, binding ability, and fermentability. Fiber is usually classified as either soluble or insoluble.”

Brown also points out that “fiber is our friend.” And there are a variety of fiber sources.

Soluble fiber is associated with keeping cholesterol and blood glucose levels consistent, while insoluble fiber is linked to digestive health. Registered dietitian nutritionist Brookell White in the publication Mashed says dietary fiber adds “viscosity or bulk in the intestines,” which can promote satiety.

Arizona Farm Bureau’s Fill Your Plate blog has several articles on fiber.

Need more fiber in your diet? Eat Arizona Pistachios or Pecans! A one-ounce serving provides 10% of the Daily Recommended Intake for fiber. Arizona farm families grow these healthy, tasty tree nuts.

By Angela Bates a Recent ASU Nutrition Student

Fiber is a very important carbohydrate. Normally, carbohydrates are broken down by the body to be used as energy in the form of glucose, but fiber does not get broken down by the body, helping the body with many functions. According to EatRight.org, women should try to get at least 25 grams of fiber per day, while men should try for 38 grams. Harvard School of Public health says that the average American only eats about 15 grams of fiber per day, well below the recommended amounts. With intake of fiber lacking so much, it is important to look at the reasons fiber is important for the body.

Although it sounds too good to be true, fiber can lower the risk of certain forms of cancer, regulate digestion and prevent colon issues, improve cholesterol levels, reduce heart disease risk and lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, and help you feel full longer so you may consume less calories. That’s quite a list for a plant material already in many foods we love!

There are two types of dietary fiber, which can be important depending on what you need fiber to do for you. The first type is soluble fiber, which is in fruit flesh, oats, beans, peas, some vegetables, psyllium, and barley. During digestion, soluble fiber attracts water and forms a gel, which can help bulk and dry waste for easier digestion. Soluble fiber is the form that can help lower glucose and cholesterol levels. Insoluble fiber is the second type of fiber, which come from fruits and vegetables (especially skins), beans, and whole grains. This type of fiber helps prevent constipation because it does not dissolve in water but instead adds bulk and helps keep things moving.

A couple of things to keep in mind when increasing your fiber are what you want to help your body do, increasing water intake, and knowing issues that may arise if you have bowel disorders. If you know you want to lower your cholesterol or keep your glucose in check, soluble fiber is your friend. If you have trouble with constipation or infrequent bowel movements, try to get a bit more insoluble fiber. Whatever form of fiber you take in, water is needed to help it work or you may risk pain and other gastrointestinal issues.

If you have IBS or another bowel disease, be sure to go slowly when adding fiber and seeing how your body reacts, advises Dr. Melissa Majumdar of Brigham and Women’s Center for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. As a general rule, if you have diarrhea or similar symptoms, soluble fiber can help absorb extra water and slow down your digestion for some relief. If your issue is IBS-C, constipation, you may want to add more insoluble fiber to ensure things are moving well. Regardless, when adding fiber, it is normal to experience some gas and bloating, but be sure to drink your water and the fiber will do its part!

So how should you get more fiber in your diet? Here are a few ways that you can make small changes to up your intake today.

1. Start Your Day Right

Why not start your day with a heaping helping of fiber? Eating cereal, hot or cold, every day can increase your fiber quite a bit. Topping your cereal right can help too. A bran flake cereal can provide around 5 grams of fiber to start your day off strong. Oatmeal is a great source of soluble and insoluble fiber, giving you 4 grams per cooked cup. You can add chia or flaxseeds for a bigger boost. Topping your cereal with some fruit slices or berries can add quite a few grams to your breakfast. Raspberries have about 8 grams per cup, while raisins provide 1 to 2 grams per serving, along with potassium.

Adding a pear, with the skin, to your meal adds over 5 grams of fiber, along with other important nutrients. Rather than drinking orange juice, which has less than a gram of fiber, have a whole orange. A medium orange can provide 4 grams of fiber and around 80 percent of your vitamin C. The morning is also the best time to rehydrate, as you tend to dehydrate overnight. Drinking a full glass of water when you wake up can help the fiber you eat for breakfast work well.

2. Eat the Whole Fruit or Vegetable

Smoothies and juicing have been very strong trends in recent years. Although taking in extra vitamins and minerals is rarely a bad thing, you will miss out on a lot of fiber. Without the peel, an apple only has 2 grams of fiber. With the peel, you double that fiber to 4 grams. The same goes for potatoes, cucumbers, grapes, and berries with seeds. Juices may taste great and provide a lot of fast energy from carbohydrates and vitamins, but you may find yourself very hungry after, since there is little to no fiber in them. Smoothies from popular smoothie cafes may not utilize whole fruits and vegetables, so you may not get the fiber benefits.

If you love smoothies, make your own at home with whole fruits and vegetables. Frozen fruits can make a cold smoothie in just a few minutes. If you’re a green juice fan, try a green smoothie to get the fiber and the vitamins. Whole apple with peel is a great natural sweetener for your smoothie, so you can cut out some sugars and get more fiber.

3. Swap Out Your Carbs

Pasta, bread, crackers, and rice are all great and comforting foods, but are they really helping you? With the new wave of gluten free pastas, you could go from 1 to 2 grams of fiber in your spaghetti to 13 grams of fiber with garbanzo bean pasta and your celiac friend could join you for dinner. If garbanzo bean pasta isn’t your favorite, just swapping from traditional pasta to whole grain can give you 7 grams of fiber.

Crackers and cheese are an old favorite snack, but your Ritz or saltines are not providing even one gram of fiber. Don’t be fooled by the Ritz “Baked with Whole Wheat,” which only provide 1 gram of fiber. One look at the ingredients shows they are made with normal what flour, not whole grain. Instead, even Wheat Thins, Mary’s Gone Crackers, or Triscuits offer 3 grams of fiber and can be found at most grocery stores. When purchasing bread, use the same rule as crackers. If the first ingredient is not a whole grain, it’s probably full of refined carbohydrates.

White rice is delicious, but it is a refined grain, not a whole grain. In processing, white rice has the bran and germ, which have fiber and nutrients, removed from the grain. According to University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, many companies fortify their white rice, as you can see on the package, to replace nutrients removed during milling. While brown rice has more calories (by just a bit), it also packs more protein and a lot more fiber than white rice. It is also a good source of selenium, which is important for immunity and thyroid function. Brown rice has a lower glycemic index and rather than not even one gram of fiber, like white rice, it has 2 to 3 grams per serving.

4. Try Some Fibrous Snacks & Lunches

When you want to reach for potato chips, try some salted air-popped popcorn instead. While potato chips have approximately 1 to 2 grams of fiber, popcorn has over 3 grams per serving. According to the Popcorn Board, one serving of popcorn can provide 70 percent of your daily whole grain intake, which can help you reach fiber goals. If something other than popcorn sounds better, try broccoli and ranch or a trail mix, but check labels to make sure the serving size is what you eat, and the sugar is low. Berries also make a great snack you can take with you.

Don’t stop at the sub shop and get a sandwich full of processed foods and low fiber. Pick a bread with whole grains—seeds are a bonus if you like them! After adding some leftover meats from dinner last night or low-sodium deli meat, topping with tomato and lettuce adds about 2 or more grams of fiber to your lunch. For even more fiber, swap your ketchup or mayo with avocado or hummus. This can another gram of fiber. Take a whole fruit for a side as well.

If salad is your lunch of choice, try adding bulgur wheat, barley, quinoa, and beans, all of which have high amounts of fiber and provide other important nutrients. Orange sections, sliced almonds, and rice are other fun add-ins with fiber. If you bake your own cookies, muffins, or breads, consider swapping your flour for whole grain and adding some flaxseeds for fiber!

For more articles with tips and tricks of healthy eating check out our Fill Your Plate Blog. For recipes that the whole family will enjoy check out our recipe section.

By Kat Brown, Recent ASU Nutrition Student

What is Fiber?

Fiber forms the support structure of leaves, stems, and plants. It is the part of foods that are hard to digest, or that the body cannot digest at all. This is because humans do not have the proper enzymes to break down the bonds that form fiber. Important properties of fiber include solubility in water, water holding capacity, binding ability, and fermentability. Fiber is usually classified in as either soluble or insoluble.

• Soluble fiber dissolves in hot water. Oatmeal is a great example of soluble fiber. When you add hot water to oatmeal it expands. This makes you feel fuller longer and provides increased bulk in your intestines. That increased bulk helps to trap toxins in the intestines and remove them instead of your body absorbing them. Since soluble fiber absorbs water this is what helps prevent constipation and irregular bowel movements.

• Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in hot water. An example of insoluble fiber is celery. When you add water to celery nothing happens, but when you bite into celery you often see the stringy fibers that make up the stalk. Insoluble fiber is often part of the skin of fruits and vegetables.

Why is it good for you?

When fiber moves through the body it slows down digestion. This can help slow glucose from entering the body quickly. This results in lower and more stable blood sugar levels which can help with weight management. Studies show that when people try to adhere to a low carb diet it can cause rapid changes in blood sugar. This has been linked to increased hunger and food consumption.

Fiber also helps to lower cholesterol. When fiber enters the gastrointestinal tract it binds things like fatty acids and cholesterol. By binding to the cholesterol it prevents it from being absorbed and instead the cholesterol is excreted.

Clinical trials of foods high in fiber have found that high fiber foods reduce the risk of certain cancers and heart disease.

Where do I get my Fiber from?

Foods high in fiber include fruits, vegetables, and grains. The daily recommendation for fiber is 21-25g for women and 30-38g for men.

For more informative articles, check out the Fill Your Plate blog. New articles are posted every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

By Nathan Chambers,  Recent ASU Communication Nutrition Student

We all know that we should eat more fiber because it aids in digestion. But you may not have known the other important functions of dietary fiber… and they are much more influential than just helping you go. A high fiber diet promotes healthy gut bacteria, too!

Inside the human intestine, there are hundreds of different bacterial species with billions of individual bacteria. In a healthy gut, there are more bacterial cells than there are human cells in the entire body!

Functions of gut bacteria

• Immunity
  Beneficial bacteria are integral to intestinal mucosa, which provides for intestinal immunity. One of the most common intestinal infections results in ischemic colitis– an infection which, left untreated, results in necrosis of the intestine and possibly death. Gut bacteria, by keeping the intestinal walls and mucus intact and by providing a direct infection-fighting response, keep invasive bacteria from latching onto the intestinal walls and causing infection.
• Nutrition
  Intestinal bacteria aid in the absorption of key nutrients (Vitamin K) and the production of some B vitamins. When Vitamin B production within the gut slows, immunity is hampered and inflammation can result.
• Inflammation
  Leaky gut is a condition in which the interior wall of the intestine is damaged and/or inflamed. This allows substances to ‘leak’ into the bloodstream. Leaky gut may have a negative influence on diabetes and, of course, on inflammatory bowel disease, as well as other disorders. Keeping your gut bacteria happy and healthy is vital in preventing leaky gut: when gut bacteria digest fiber, they produce fatty acids which are important to the structure and function of the intestinal wall, keeping inflammation down and the wall sealed.

Feeding your gut microbiome

It is obviously of extreme importance to keep your gut bacteria healthy– and the food you feed your gut should be rich in fiber. Bacteria are living organisms, and without their preferred food, they will resort to eating other things to stay alive. Some studies have shown that, in the absence of fiber, your gut bacteria can resort to eating the mucosal layer of the intestine, thereby eliminating their benefit and actually causing harm. Which means that if you do not feed your gut, your gut will eat you!

Get more fiber into your diet

• Black beans 12 grams of fiber per cup
• Peas 8 grams of fiber per cup
• Blackberries 7 grams of fiber per cup
• Whole almonds 5 grams of fiber per ounce

Cooking/baking with whole grains is also a great way to get more fiber into your diet without changing the way you eat. Just buy/make bread with whole grain.

Other great places to get fiber from are raspberries, flax seeds, broccoli, avocados, pears, oatmeal, figs, artichokes, Brussel sprouts, chickpeas, and quinoa, among many other foods.

Here is a tasty recipe by Fill Your Plate that can add a little more fiber to your diet:

• 2 fennel bulbs
• 4 small golden beets
• 1 avocado
• 1 shallot
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 4 oz goat cheese
• 1 broccoli sprouts
• 1 olive oil
• 1 salt and pepper

Roast beets in an oven (leaves removed) for an hour at 400 degrees — until tender throughout. Finely dice the shallot and soak in lemon juice and vinegar for about 30 minutes. This will help the shallots mellow. Thinly shave fennel and then add to the shallot and liquids. Thinly slice avocado and sprinkle with lemon juice to keep from browning. Once beets are tender, let cool down and then slice thin. To plate, make a small base of golden beets on each dish, pile fennel on top of the beets, then crumble goat cheese on top of the fennel, arrange the avocado and garnish with broccoli sprouts, and add salt and pepper to taste. Finally, drizzle with a little olive oil.

If you liked this article:

– Convince your Kiddos to Eat More Fiber 

– Everything you Ever Wanted to Know about Fiber 

References

Weisenberger, J. (2012). Feed your “good” bacteria: Eat a high-fiber, plant-based diet and include fermented foods to boost levels of “good” bacteria in your gut. Environmental Nutrition, 35(6), 3.

Kamada, N., Sakamoto, K., Seo, S., Zeng, M., Kim, Y., Cascalho, M., . . . Núñez, G. (2015). Humoral immunity in the gut selectively targets phenotypically virulent attaching-and-effacing bacteria for intraluminal elimination. Cell Host & Microbe, 17(5), 617-627. doi:10.1016/j.chom.2015.04.001

Quigley, E. M. M. (2013). Gut bacteria in health and disease. Gastroenterology & Hepatology,9(9), 560.

Gominak, S. C. (2016). Vitamin D deficiency changes the intestinal microbiome reducing B vitamin production in the gut. the resulting lack of pantothenic acid adversely affects the immune system, producing a “pro-inflammatory” state associated with atherosclerosis and autoimmunity. Medical Hypotheses, 94, 103-107. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2016.07.007