Ep. 353: Why Fiber Sometimes Backfires (and How to Fix It) with Dr. Chris Miller
PLANTSTRONG Podcast
Rip Esselstyn
4.8 • 2.4K Ratings
🗓️ 14 May 2026
⏱️ 58 minutes
🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS
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Summary
Rip sits down with lifestyle medicine physician Dr. Chris Miller to explore why some people struggle when transitioning to a high-fiber, plant-based diet—and how to fix it.
While fiber is one of the most powerful tools for preventing and reversing chronic disease, not everyone experiences immediate benefits. In fact, some people initially feel worse.
Dr. Miller breaks down the science behind this paradox, including insights from a groundbreaking Stanford study showing that up to one-third of people may experience increased inflammation when rapidly increasing fiber intake.
Together, Rip and Dr. Miller explore how gut health, microbial diversity, stress, and lifestyle all play a role in how your body responds to plant-based eating.
You’ll Learn
- How to safely increase fiber without bloating or discomfort
- Why beans, while powerful, should sometimes be introduced slowly
- The connection between autoimmune disease and gut health
- How fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and miso support microbial diversity
- Why “fiber maxing” isn’t always the answer
- The difference between normal adjustment symptoms vs. red flags
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I'm Ray Besselston, and you're listening to the Plan Strong podcast. |
| 0:05.6 | You hear us talking about the importance of fiber all the time here at Plan Strong, |
| 0:11.2 | but we also understand that this kind of change, especially around your gut microbiome, |
| 0:18.3 | can take time for some people. |
| 0:20.7 | This is why I am thrilled to welcome back Lifestyle Medicine Physician and |
| 0:25.6 | autoimmune specialist Dr. Chris Miller to discuss why some people struggle while transitioning |
| 0:34.1 | to a plant-based diet. |
| 0:36.2 | We're going to be talking about gut microbiome, |
| 0:39.5 | inflammation, fermented foods, |
| 0:42.5 | and how to actually build a system slowly |
| 0:45.8 | that can handle all those beautiful plants. |
| 0:49.0 | If you've ever felt bloated, fatigued, |
| 0:51.9 | or just off after doing what you think is everything right? |
| 0:56.8 | This episode is for you, and we're going to dive into this right after these words from Plan Strong. |
| 1:08.2 | If you're a health care provider who believes that nutrition belongs at the center of care, |
| 1:14.2 | I want to put vital signs on your radar. This is not a conference built around theory alone. It is |
| 1:20.6 | designed to give you specific tools that you can actually use in practice while also giving |
| 1:27.3 | you the chance to experience this work |
| 1:29.2 | in your own life. Vital Signs is happening October 18th through October 20th in Cleveland, Ohio, |
| 1:36.7 | and we would love to see you there. You can learn more at planstrong events.com. |
| 1:42.1 | And if you've been craving a deeper reset for yourself, |
| 1:45.6 | our Sedona retreat is coming up September 28th through October 3rd. It is a powerful |
... |
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