Our Favorite New Wellness Staple Might Surprise You (It Did Us)

On any given day, our team receives a few boxes of superfood powders, lipgloss, eye cream or fitnesswear from brands hoping to get their products mentioned or reviewed on The Chalkboard. It's not the hardest part of the job, to be sure.

That's what may make it even more notable to you that we've been chattering and experimenting constantly about Bellway fiber powder. For a constipation-fighting powdered supplement we once only associated with our grandmothers' medicine cabinets, the fact that this brand has captured our attention (and even been the center of a few editor tug-o-wars) says something significant.

3 Reasons We're Obsessed with Fiber Supplements Now

+ Weight management. It's helped at least one editor drop three pounds during quarantine. Enough said.

+ The Raspberry lemon flavor. Fiber powder doesn't sound delicious and we're pretty sure most of them are not. Bellway comes in 3 flavors and we'd drink the Raspberry Lemon whether it had benefits or not!

+ It's never given us digestive troubles of any kind. Drinking a glass of liquid designed to, ahem, clear you out, gave all of us some hesitation at first. Would it give us the runs? No one can report any digestive issues!

+ The weird texture. The gel-like texture once mixed with water is kind of like chia gel and is majorly addicting. It's our new food group.

That's our take. But, naturally, we thought we'd get a more professional perspective on why fiber is such a powerful tool for our health by talking with holistic nutritionist, Alexandra Catalano and top personal trainer, Tyrone McDonald, NASM CPT, CES.

First, Alexandra reminded us that poor digestion can do more than cause an upset stomach or give you the kind of gas that makes you skip a yoga class. "Poor digestion can actually interfere with your body’s ability to absorb and properly utilize nutrients from the food you are eating." Negative effects can include:
+ fatigue
+ a compromised immune system
+ dry and brittle hair
+ pale, flaky skin

Tyrone added, "One effect of poor digestion also includes an unusual spike and drop in energy levels." Not ideal for staying true to a fitness routine, honestly. "Consuming sugary foods will increase your blood sugar levels and lead to a hyper feeling, then a crashing feeling a few hours later. Consistent fiber intake can help with that."

When we asked Alexandra about the weight management results (where they imagined or real?) and she shared, "I highly recommend consuming fiber on a daily basis to help with healthy weight management. Fiber will bolster gut health over time, if taken on a consistent basis."

Added Tyrone, "From an aesthetic standpoint, fiber is the fountain of youth. It removes toxins that need digesting and reduce chances of bloating. The presence of fiber during digestion increases Vitamin C absorption that promotes beautiful, glowing skin. The protein collagen absorption that occurs in a high fiber diet, maintains the elasticity in skin. Fiber supplements like Bellway provide an easy way to start introducing fiber into the diet to see all those benefits."

On a less vain level, speaking to fiber's overall health benefits, the two pros shared that the ideal daily fiber intake recommended by the American Heart Association is 21-25 grams for women, and 30-38 grams for men.

"Soluble fiber is a unique carbohydrate that cannot be broken down by the human body and aids in overall bowel health and decreased constipation," Tyrone reminded us. "It controls cholesterol levels and regulates blood sugar levels. And studies have shown that having a high fiber diet promotes a healthy heart, reduces cholesterol and inflammation.Fiber also slows the absorption of sugar into the blood and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes."

Adding to that, Alexandra shared, "The Journal of Gerontology actually followed 1600 adults for over 10 years who consumed the recommended daily amount of fiber (29g). Over those 10 years, the adults aged gracefully and decreased diabetes, cholesterol, and intact cognitive abilities."

Just the Facts, Ma'am

Fiber + WEIGHT LOSS REGULATION | A 2015 study by Yunsheng Ma et al. in the Annals of Internal Medicine consisted of 240 overweight people in two groups over the course of 6 months. One group followed the American Heart Association’s diet for preventing heart disease with specifics that included eating more high-fiber foods and reducing salt, sugar, alcohol and fat. The other group was not given any specifics to diet other than to increase their fiber intake.

Both groups averaged an intake of 19 grams of fiber per day. And both groups lost weight at an average of 5 pounds and maintained this weight loss for at least a year. This study showed that a higher fiber diet is the simplest most healthy way to help you lose weight and feel better about your body.

The ways that fiber helps you achieve a healthier weight are:
+ One, because of its bulk, you may not eat as much as you feel fuller for longer.
+ Two, high-fiber fruits and vegetables are nutritious yet lower in calories than other foods, especially processed foods and meats. Three, fiber feeds and balances the gut’s microbiome allowing for good bacteria to thrive, digestion to be improved, and bloating reduced.

Powder vs. Plants | You need to eat on average about 10 salads a day to get to your daily recommended fiber of 30g.

Psyllium husk 101 |  Psyllium is the only pre-biotic that does not ferment, meaning you don’t bloat and have to run to the bathroom immediately. All other fibers ferment in your gut which is what can causes unpleasant experiences, cramping and pain. 

Preventative Benefits | Studies show if you don’t get enough fiber you have a higher risk of colon cancer and heart diseases. Many doctors' top recommendation to lower cholesterol is more fiber.

feed those Probiotics Protbiotics are trending, but that good gut bacteria needs 'food' to flourish. That food is fiber. Fiber is a prebiotic required to digest and breakdown foods. 

Gang, the science coupled with our experience is clear: adding a daily fiber powder like Bellway to your routine has an overwhelming number of benefits. We chose to partner with Bellway after our initial experience specifically because they are vegan, organic and gluten-free. They are also sugar, aspartame and phenylalanine free and are keto and paleo approved. 

Bellway is also delicious -- and an enjoyable addition to our at-home routine, instead of a weird wellness routine. The large countertop containers (our preference -- less waste) and single serve stick packs come in Raspberry Lemon, Mixed Berry and Lemon-Lime. They're all good, but Raspberry Lemon is a TCM fave! 

This story is brought to you in partnership with Bellway From time to time, TCM editors choose to partner with brands we believe in to bring our readers special offers. The Chalkboard Mag and its materials are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. All material on The Chalkboard Mag is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health-related programs.

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