Celina Moss didn’t drink coffee until she hit her thirties. That’s when the afternoon slumps began—daily episodes of yawning at her desk, mental fog, and the sense that time was dragging her through molasses.
“I thought I just needed more caffeine,” she says. “But what I actually needed was fiber.”
It took her a while to make the connection. Her breakfasts were rushed—often just toast or a sugary yogurt. Lunch was light, and snacks were usually crackers or something packaged. “I wasn’t feeding myself for energy. I was just reacting to hunger.”
After reading about the benefits of fiber—not just for digestion, but for satiety and energy—Celina did a quiet overhaul of her meals. She didn’t go extreme; she simply added in more whole grains, beans, vegetables, and nuts.
The results were subtle at first. A chia pudding here, a lentil stew there. But by week two, she stopped needing that second coffee. By week three, she realized her mid-morning headaches were gone. Her digestion also improved, and so did her focus.
“I wasn’t crashing after lunch anymore,” she says. “I didn’t feel foggy. It felt like my body was finally working with me, not against me.”
Her favorite meals became the ones that didn’t require perfection: a quick black bean wrap, oatmeal with flax and berries, roasted carrots with farro and lemon. “High-fiber meals are grounding,” she explains. “They don’t just keep you full. They keep you steady.”
Celina still treats herself, but fiber is now her foundation. She no longer feels ruled by hunger—or exhaustion. “I used to chase energy,” she laughs. “Now, I build it.”
