Maris Oakley didn’t think much about fiber—until her digestion began to suffer. “It wasn’t anything dramatic,” she explains. “Just a constant feeling of heaviness, bloating, and irregularity that started to interfere with my day.”
She tried quick fixes first: probiotics, teas, cutting dairy. But nothing worked long-term. Her doctor’s advice surprised her: more fiber. It sounded so simple—maybe even too simple—but it turned out to be exactly what her gut had been missing.
So she changed how she approached meals. Instead of building her plate around protein or carbs, she started with plants. “It became a game—how can I get the most fiber into this dish without turning it into a salad?” she laughs.
One of her first successes was a lentil stew with sweet potatoes and spinach. It was hearty, comforting, and kept her full for hours. Another go-to became overnight oats made with chia seeds, apples, and a dash of cinnamon. “It’s the kind of breakfast that just… works. You feel it in your gut, literally.”
But what made the biggest difference wasn’t a single recipe—it was the consistency. Over time, her digestion improved, her energy evened out, and she no longer dreaded mealtimes.
Maris now shares her fiber-rich meals with friends and family, often without telling them what’s in it. “I’ll serve a chickpea pasta or a black bean chili, and no one suspects it’s all part of my ‘digestion strategy,’” she grins.
And the best part? “It’s not a diet. It’s just food that makes you feel good.”
