8 Reasons to Add More Fiber to Your Diet

two women cooking
Photo by Mikhail Nilov

Let’s talk fiber! No, not the kind that makes your Wi-Fi faster, but the stuff that makes your body run like a well-oiled machine. Fiber is like that friend who always has your back—even when you don’t realize you need it. If your fiber intake has taken a back seat in your nutrition, here are 8 reasons why you should load up on this powerhouse nutrient and make it a regular guest on your plate:


Keeps things moving (and grooving) in your gut

happy woman

Photo by Ibraim Leonardo

Okay, let's get real for a moment. We all know that feeling when things aren’t moving as they should in the digestive department—hello, uncomfortable bloating! Fiber is like the unsung hero here. It bulks up your stool and makes it easier to, well, go. Whether you're dealing with constipation or the opposite, fiber keeps your digestive system on track. It’s like a smooth highway with no traffic jams, making your trips to the bathroom a lot less stressful.

A secret weapon against colon cancer

colon cancer cellsPhoto by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Think of fiber as the bodyguard for your colon. The quicker your body can get rid of waste, the less time harmful substances have to hang around and cause trouble. By moving things along faster, fiber helps lower your risk of colon cancer. Plus, some types of fiber even feed the good bacteria in your gut, which can help prevent inflammation and other nasty stuff that could lead to cancer down the road.

You’ll feel fuller for longer (say bye to snack attacks!)

chocolate snacks

Photo by Ludovic Delot

Ever find yourself raiding the fridge or your snack drawer an hour after lunch? We’ve all been there. But here's where fiber can work its magic. Foods rich in fiber take longer to digest, which means you stay fuller for longer. So, whether you're trying to manage your weight or just avoid that mid-afternoon snack frenzy, fiber's got your back. It’s like having a snack that keeps you satisfied all day long—no sugar crash included.

Fiber is your gut’s best friend

stack of breadPhoto by Louis Hansel on Unsplash

Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria (yes, trillions!), and fiber is their favorite food. When you eat more fiber, you're feeding the good bacteria in your gut, helping them thrive. A healthy gut can do wonders for your overall health, from boosting your immune system to even influencing your mood. So, think of fiber as the ultimate BFF for your gut—keeping it happy, healthy, and balanced.

Bye-bye, blood sugar spikes

blood sugar spike

Photo by Mike Mozart on Flickr

If you have a bit of a sweet tooth, you know the rollercoaster that comes with sugar highs and crashes. But guess what? Fiber can help smooth out that ride. It slows down the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream, which means no more crazy spikes and drops. This is especially awesome if you're trying to keep your blood sugar levels steady or if you're looking to prevent type 2 diabetes. It’s like having a steady, reliable co-pilot on your health journey.

More fiber, more life (literally)

veggies on blue surfacePhoto by Ella Olsson on Unsplash

Want to live longer? Fiber might just be your ticket. Studies suggest that people who eat more fiber tend to live longer—no joke! Whether it’s reducing your risk of heart disease, cancer, or other chronic conditions, fiber helps protect you from some of the big baddies out there. So, next time you’re loading up your plate, remember that those fiber-packed foods could be adding years to your life.

Fiber is the ultimate natural detox

woman holding teapotPhoto by Louis Hansel on Unsplash

Forget those juice cleanses—fiber is the OG detox tool. It helps scrub your insides clean, soaking up potentially harmful compounds and ushering them out of your body before they can do any damage. Plus, because fiber speeds up your digestion, it limits the time toxins can hang around in your system. It’s like having a personal cleaning crew for your insides—working 24/7 to keep things sparkling clean.

It’s easier than you think to get more fiber

green vegetable on bowlPhoto by Callum Shaw on Unsplash

Okay, we know what you're thinking: “But isn’t it hard to get enough fiber?” Not really! There are so many easy ways to sneak more fiber into your diet. Swap out your regular pasta for whole-grain or legume-based varieties, toss some chia seeds into your smoothie, or snack on some crunchy veggies. It’s all about making those small, simple swaps that can add up to big benefits. Trust me, your body (and your taste buds) will thank you.

So, go ahead, load up on those fiber-rich foods, and feel the difference. Your body will love you for it!

This Viral Video Game Is Changing the Face of Voter Outreach

In 2024, voting campaigns have evolved greatly, to say the least. Creativity is now the name of the game and tongue-in-cheek humor is expertly leveraged to drive action. One example of that is Bop the Bigot, a revival of a viral game created in 2016 by Bazta Arpaio, an Arizona activist group, as part of a campaign to unseat Maricopa County’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio lost his re-election to Paul Penzone that year.

The game has now been updated for the current election cycle and relaunched by On Point Studios, with new features added to enable players to find out what’s on their ballot, confirm voter status, and register to vote.

Much like its former 2016 version, the game allows users to take out their political frustrations by virtually “bopping” GOP candidates in the head. It’s very similar to whack-a-mole, except the mole is replaced by former President Donald Trump, Ohio’s Senator J. D. Vance, and Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation, which is spearheading Project 2025.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

B. Loewe, Director of On Point Studios, came up with the concept for this game when working as the Communications Director at Bazta Arpaio in 2016, and is the executive producer of this revamped version. In the first version of the game, Bop the Bigot players used a chancla (flip flop) to “bop” the characters, tapping into Latino culture by leaning on the childhood experience of being set right by a flying chancla from a fed-up mother or grandmother.

This year, the chancla is replaced by a more current element, a green coconut, referencing Kamala Harris’ coconut tree meme. There are also side characters like “the couch,” cat ladies, and more coconuts. All references to jokes about Vice-Presidential candidate Vance, or insults Vance has made about women on the campaign trail.

Another new addition is that Harris’ laugh is immortalized as the game-over sound effect, an unexpected detail that adds even more humor and levity to the game.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump, Kevin Roberts, and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

Bop the Bigot, which is playable on desktop and mobile, is intended not just as a way to vent political frustrations, but also as a tool for activism and securing voter engagement.

For example, the game supports the work of Mexican Neidi Dominguez Zamorano, Founding Executive Director of the non-profit organization Organized Power in Numbers by using the “game over” screen to prompt players to donate to it and support their efforts.

Organized Power in Numbers is focused on empowering workers in the South and Southwest of the U.S. through collective action and comprehensive campaigns. Their mission is to create a large-scale movement that challenges the status quo and advocates for workers' rights, and racial and economic justice.

Currently, Dominguez Zamorano is leading worker outreach to 2 million working-class voters in the South and Southwest through doorknocking, texting, and calls with the help of local groups in North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, and more.

“We have been blown away by the enthusiastic reception for the video game. We knew we wanted to be part of its creative approach because our movement needs more fun and laughter. We need more ways to connect with nuestra gente so we can feel joy among all the absurdity we witness every day,” Dominguez Zamorano shared with Luz Media via email.

“Our people are gente trabajadora and we deserve to feel uplifted even in our toughest moments. We are deeply involved in the South and Southwest so we know what’s at stake in this election and we’re happy this can be a resource to mobilize, raise spirits, and get out the vote," she concluded.

Dominguez Zamorano is a committed activist for immigrants and workers' rights, known for her strategist skills and expertise. She played a key role in the campaign to win DACA and has also held roles in major campaigns, including as Deputy National States Director for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. In addition to her work with Organized Power in Numbers, Dominguez Zamorano is serving as a Senior Advisor to Mijente’s Fuera Trump Initiative.

Grassroots efforts like these have taken on new life in 2024, with Bop the Bigot adding to the larger, ongoing fight against political apathy and disinformation. Just as it did during the 2016 race, the video game uses humor to soften the serious task at hand—getting people to the polls.

"We want the game to be a fun and comical outlet for anyone who’s been insulted, frustrated, or harmed by Trump in the past and everyone who is ready to move forward as a country after election day," explained Loewe in a press release. "The proposals in Project 2025 and the beliefs of Trump and Vance aren’t just weird, they’re truly harmful. We wanted to give people a humorous and peaceful way to smack down their racism and sexism. We hope it makes people laugh and also feel empowered and motivated to get to the polls on or before election day."

With a mix of satire, sharp political critique, and nostalgia, the game is a call to action. The upcoming election, which is getting closer by the minute, has sparked fierce activism and creative yet grounded initiatives like these aim to ensure voters are engaged, especially young Latinos and disenfranchised groups.

hands holding up yellow protest signs that say Hands Off Our Bodies
Photo Credit: Gayatri Malhotra via Unsplash

Originally published in Common Dreams. Reprinted with permission.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

In November, abortion rights measures will appear on ballots across ten states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and New York, where Latinos make up a significant portion of the electorate. For decades, pundits and politicians have recycled long-held misconceptions about Latino voters and abortion access, citing our conservative and religious beliefs.

Anti-abortion extremists have long fueled these misconceptions through misinformation and disinformation campaigns targeting Latino communities with egregious lies and inflammatory rhetoric about abortion. Yet, polling, focus groups, and direct interactions with Latino communities have debunked these outdated tropes.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

For Latinos, the freedom to decide, a pillar of our American democracy, is critical. Meanwhile, Latinos are being hit directly with anti-abortion efforts that take away that freedom such as the six-week abortion ban put into effect by the Florida Supreme Court and the 1864 abortion ban upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, people of color and Latinas have felt the impact of a lack of abortion access, an element of basic healthcare.

A 2023 report by the National Partnership for Women and Families estimated that nearly 6.5 million Latinas, or 42% of all Latinas of reproductive age in the country, live in a state that either had or was likely to ban abortion. Ironically, it will be abortion access and anti-choice efforts to restrict freedom of choice that will mobilize Latino voters this election.

In a poll conducted by three national reproductive justice organizations, 87% of Latinas named abortion and women’s rights as one of their top priorities as they head to the polls. Another battleground poll conducted by Somos PAC and BSP Research found that 61% of Latino registered voters expressed a more positive/favorable view of Kamala Harris after hearing that she will protect abortion rights, versus only 19% of Latinos who said they had a more negative view of Harris after hearing that.

In key states to secure the White House and both chambers, Latinos make up large chunks of the electorate: Arizona (25%), Colorado (15%), Florida (20%), Nevada (20%), and New York (12%). In the face of unprecedented attacks on basic healthcare access and targeted attempts by extremists to mislead and divide our community on this issue, this November Latinos will be key deciders on abortion access across the country.

Mari Urbina, Managing Director of Indivisible, Battleground Arizona Lead and former Harry Reid advisor.

Héctor Sánchez Barba is president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota (MFV).