11/04/2026

LYFE SATURDAY | APR 11, 2026 23 Internet’s ‘maxxing’ mindset swaps protein for fibre

F IRST it was protein, now it is fibre. The “maxxing” mindset has permeated social media, as wellness influencers insist loading up on certain nutrients is the key to vitality and a life-changing gut glow-up. These viral diet trends rooted in extreme optimisation are impacting how people eat and what companies sell, but are they actually healthy? The concept of “proteinmaxxing” insists more is better when it comes to the macronutrient found in foods such as meat, dairy and nuts, which is essential to a vast array of bodily functions such as repairing tissue or enhancing immune function. Meanwhile, dietary fibre is on track to be 2026’s online trend of choice. Ingest as much as possible and you will be less hungry and more regular, said online advocates who wave bowls of chia seeds and oats at the camera. Brands have taken note. If you can buy it, there is probably a protein boosted version of it, even the sugariest cereals are touting their high protein content. And blue chip companies such as PepsiCo and Nestle along with newer firms (Olipop) are jumping on the bandwagon, highlighting the fibre content in prebiotic sodas or chips. “I think fibre will be the next protein,” said PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta in an earnings call late last year. A survey from the consulting firm Bain & Company showed nearly half of US consumers are trying to eat more protein. Across the US, Europe and Asia, it is Gen Z and millennial consumers primarily driving the fad, according to the survey. The same goes for fibre, according to London’s GlobalData, 40% of Gen Z and 45% of millennials reported they are trying to improve their gut health. More not always best Nutritionists said there are grains of truth to the fibre craze. Andrea Glenn, an assistant professor of nutrition at New York University, called the movement surrounding fibre a “pretty tame wellness trend compared with the B EFO R E war erupted in the Middle East, fisherman Peter Bruce spent about £5,000 (RM26,633) on diesel to trawl the North Sea for haddock and cod, the main species used in fish and chips. “Now, the last trip we spent about £10,000,” he said, despite his crew reducing the speed of the boat to save fuel. Bruce, whose boat, Budding Rose , is based in the Scottish port of Peterhead, estimates the extra costs over a year could exceed £100,000. It was not yet clear whether the rise in fuel prices would have an immediate effect on the price of fish, Bruce said. But he is worried the hike in prices would hit customer demand for the classic British meal that was already facing challenges on numerous fronts. Bruce’s catch is sold at auction in Peterhead before being transported around Britain and abroad. He fears customers “will stop buying so much fish and chips, and they’ll stop going out for meals so much”. Classic dish The classic recipe for fish and chips – white fish deep-fried in batter, chips and mushy peas, often with tartar sauce on the side – dates back to the 1860s.

No ‘silver bullet’ So what is an eater to do? First, talk to your physician, Mainous said. As a general guideline, the American Heart Association said for many people, a day that includes a combination of foods such as a glass of milk, a cup of yogurt, a cup of cooked lentils and a piece of cooked lean meat or fish approximately the size of a deck of cards will be in the ballpark of the average daily protein target. Fibre-wise, Glenn said 25g to 38g depending on age and sex is a good goal. High-fibre foods such as beans, fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains (oats or quinoa) are linked to lower rates of certain cancers, and can help keep cholesterol and blood sugar in check. Glenn said generally, people can eat some whole grains or fruit at breakfast, and then should try to fill half their plates with vegetables at lunch and dinner. With that visualisation, “you’ll easily hit that target without needing to meticulously count how much fibre you’re consuming,” she told AFP. But if you are not currently eating much fibre – most people are not – “maxxing” is not a good course, Snashall warned. Shake things up overnight and “your GI system is going to have a strong reaction”. “Slow and steady wins the race,” said Glenn, adding powders and supplements cannot serve as a replacement for whole, real foods. Perhaps most importantly, no nutrient is a cure-all, those “fibre rich” chips probably would not change your life. “I think it’s important to never view these things as a silver bullet to all your problems,” she said.

o New trend raises concerns over misinformation on dietary needs

The ‘maxxing’ fad switches from protein to fibre as influencers insist on loading up on certain nutrients. – AFPPIC

other things out there”. Samantha Snashall, a registered dietitian at Ohio State University’s medical centre, said protein has been “the special child” in recent years – and fibre has been “pretty undervalued”. “I’m glad it’s having some light shed on it.” But those experts along with Arch Mainous – a professor of community health and family medicine at the University of Florida, who has

It is part of a broader trend that has resulted in a “lack of trust in health experts,” he said. A “I’ll do my own research” mentality that has also been fuelled by the likes of US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who has spread anti-vaccine misinformation for years. Few influencers are trained scientists, Mainous said, and many have brand deals or agendas of their own, including products to sell.

researched the use of social media in health communication, said more is not always best, especially when it comes to protein. Mainous said eating according to the recommended daily values is one thing, but “if you say one’s good, five’s better? I’m not really for that.” He voiced concern that people are putting too much stock in the one-size-fits-all health advice of influencers.

Middle East war hits Britain’s fish & chip shops

But there are other difficulties.

Fish and chip shops usually serve nothing else and most are take-away. There were around 10,500 fish and chip shops in the UK in 2024 – roughly the same as a decade earlier – according to Seafish, a public body supporting the industry. It boasted this was more than the total number of outlets of the nine main fastfood dining brands, including KFC, McDonald’s and Domino’s Pizza. Easter is a particularly busy time for the sector since many Britons eat fish on the Good Friday holiday. Andrew Crook, who owns a fish and chip shop in Lancashire, northwestern England, told AFP the number of customers can more than double on Good Friday. Nonetheless, “we’re definitely under pressure,” said Crook, president of the National Federation of Fish Fryers. He blamed several factors. “We’ve got extremely high fish prices, we’ve got energy prices, wages go up continually,” he lamented. The war in the Middle East, now in its second month, caused a record monthly rise in petrol and diesel prices in the UK in March, according to data from the Royal Automobile Club, a British auto services company.

Oil, fertiliser Stricter fishing rules to conserve species, as well as the war in Ukraine – Russia previously supplied 30% to 40% of the country’s fish – had weakened the sector in Britain already, says Crook, and forced it to raise prices. Another concern is the soaring price of fertilisers, and its impact on production of potatoes and oil seeds. Some 30% of the world’s fertiliser normally passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which is now almost closed. Back in 2022, small businesses were worried about a shortage of sunflower oil, since Ukraine was the world’s leading exporter of the seeds. Now, they are increasingly concerned about the energy cost of heating their cooking oils. Crook, who sells fish and chips for £11.45 per portion, said businesses are looking at options to avoid increasing prices, such as choosing less costly fish species like pollack from North America and South African hake, and reducing portions. “We do try to cushion consumers,” he said, adding that he does not want to raise his prices for now. – AFP

The classic recipe for fish and chips, white fish deep-fried in batter, chips and mushy peas, often served with tartar sauce on the side, dates back to the 1860s. – 123RFPIC