<h2>"Why do I care about this?"</h2>
Most people under the age of 65 are <em>not </em>concerned about "getting more fiber in my diet". As a matter of fact, my first thought about fiber is two-fold: it's for old people and it makes you poop. Taking a fiber supplement has legitimately <em>never</em> been on my radar. Then an opportunity to work with Metamucil came through my inbox. They wanted me to do a two-week challenge. I thought it was a little strange... but I went for it, figuring myself a totally neutral party. Having done it... I have to say... I was surprised by my experience.<!--more-->
<h2>So what even IS fiber?</h2>
As a personal trainer, I'm kind of obliquely qualified to give some <em>general</em> nutrition guidance. My knowledge and expertise is more specifically in the "fitness" part of "health &amp; fitness". I say that so I can feel better admitting that prior to this Metamucil 2 Week Challenge... I didn't <em>really</em> know what exactly "dietary fiber" was or what it did. <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fiber/art-20043983" target="_blank" rel="noopener">After a bit of self-education... now I do.</a> The quick and dirty is, it's the part of plants that your body doesn't exactly digest or absorb. It's not fat, carbs, or protein... it's what your grandpa might've called "roughage". It literally just passes through more or less intact. Seems to me to be that fiber's main purpose in our diet... is to make sure we're "regular".
<h2>That's right, friends. "Regular".</h2>
The digestive system is meant to function in a particular way... a <em>regular</em> way. The food we eat is digested, nutrients are absorbed, and the waste is slowly moved through, forms a stool, and it's evacuated from the body. It may seem "icky", but hey, we also puke during workouts and poop in the same box 500 other runners shared that day... humans are gross sometimes. <strong>As it turns out, fiber can have some other benefits. </strong>Which, I suppose, brings me to my own personal experience with the product.
<h2>My experience with Metamucil 4 in 1 Multihealth</h2>
I have to say, overall I'm (so far) pleasantly surprised. I did nothing more than simply mix it in a glass of water and drink it prior to breakfast. Later I also worked it in before lunch. I started with one teaspoon, per their guidelines, to gauge reaction, then upped it to two. It was just like adding another beverage to my routine, which was just fine by me... didn't have to do anything special to work it in.

They claim 4 main benefits on the product packaging (hence 4 in 1 multihealth). Of these benefits, you'd need a doctor to confirm 2 of them, and you can pretty much tell whether or not the other 2 are happening.
<h3>1 - "Feel Less Hungry"</h3>
Yes, apparently one of the things dietary fiber can do is help you to feel less hungry in-between meals. Fiber, simply put, takes up space in your stomach. Some forms of fiber even expand, taking up more room. Metamucil uses a particular kind of fiber derived from Psyllium Husk, which does kind of a cool thing - it turns to a gel. That's probably why the packaging says to stir briskly <em>and drink promptly</em> - you'd much prefer it do that <em>inside</em> your stomach.

In the end, yes - I most certainly noticed I felt less hungry in-between meals. This has actually been an issue for me lately, as I've been having trouble curbing the hunger-monster in my gut. Needless to say, I was pretty pleased to experience this benefit. That gel state, as it happens, does some other cool things.
<h3>2 - "Helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels..."</h3>
This is one of those benefits you'd likely need a doctor to help you figure out (or at least, a blood glucose testing device). When the Metamucil fiber turns to gel in your stomach, it traps some sugars and carbs within it, preventing them from being digested in the stomach. It carries these sugars and carbs farther through the digestive tract, to the small intestine, where it's slowly absorbed into the blood stream. This slower absorption in the intestine, rather than the much faster absorption in the stomach, results in a more <em>regular</em> blood sugar level. I don't routinely test my blood glucose, so can't speak on that just yet.
<h3>3 - "Helps lower cholesterol"</h3>
This is another one for a doctor to test. In short, that gel traps some bile acids in the small intestine which is then released in the large intestine with the rest of the waste. Your body uses stored cholesterol to replace that bile acid. Again, can't really speak on that one just yet.
<h3>4 - "Promotes digestive health"</h3>
I think we all know by now this basically means "things are moving as they should". This one I think I can say I've noticed a positive uptick in. I feel like this is a weird, or "gross" thing to talk about... I mean, really, who wants to talk about poop? But ultimately, it's important to make sure the <em>entire </em>digestive system is working correctly in order to be sure your body is functioning optimally. And yes, <em>ultimately</em> that ends in poop. So there it is - pooping on a regular schedule (whatever that is for you) and those poops themselves being somewhat consistent, well... that's a good indicator that things are functioning as intended.
<h2>There are other things, too.</h2>
Those four prime benefits Metamucil claims aren't the final word, either. For one - I don't know that I can say it's definitively related, but I do feel a little bit more energized ever since I started doing this little challenge, too. Is it related? Perhaps. Maybe my energized feeling is a product of my system working correctly. <em><strong>Who knows.</strong></em><em> </em>There's also the matter of flavor. The particular canister of Metamucil 4 in 1 I had came in an "orange smooth" flavor which I actually found somewhat reminiscent of OJ... or at least Tang. Either way, I found it more pleasant than offensive, so there's that.
<h2>Overall, this was a positive experience.</h2>
I have to say, had this opportunity to work with Metamucil never come along... I probably would never have thought to take a fiber supplement. I'm glad it did, and I'm glad I tried it. The TRUE test will be if I go buy another cannister once the one they sent me runs out. We shall see ;)