Zuri Nolan remembers the day she finally connected the dots. She had been battling bloating, sluggish digestion, and erratic energy levels for years.
“It wasn’t anything serious,” she says, “but it was just enough to throw off my whole rhythm.” After trying a handful of elimination diets and gut cleanses, a registered dietitian finally gave her the simplest advice: “Add more fiber.”
“I used to think fiber was just something older people worried about,” Zuri admits with a laugh. “But once I understood how essential it is—not just for digestion but for energy, skin, metabolism—I started taking it seriously.”
Zuri didn’t turn her life upside down overnight. Instead, she started stocking her pantry with a few high-fiber staples and slowly built a habit of incorporating them into her meals. “The trick is to make it effortless,” she says. “If you keep the right ingredients at home, it becomes second nature.”
She found that ingredients like chia seeds, lentils, and oats could easily sneak into breakfast or lunch without needing major recipe overhauls. A spoonful of chia into her morning smoothie. A scoop of cooked lentils added to soup or even a taco filling. “It wasn’t about restriction—it was about sneaky additions that made me feel full, energized, and clear-headed.”
Within weeks, her digestion improved. “I stopped feeling heavy after meals. I was going to bed lighter and waking up with more energy,” she says. The changes extended to her skin, her focus, and even her workouts. “You wouldn’t think fiber would make you a better runner, but when your digestion’s on point, your whole body feels aligned.”
Zuri now teaches nutrition workshops focused on small pantry swaps that make a big difference. “It’s not about overhauling your life—it’s about building a foundation that supports your gut and your goals.”
Her advice? “Keep the basics on hand. If your home is stocked right, half the battle is won.”
