Our Mission

To educate and empower women in all stages of menopause

living in rural, Southwest Minnesota to increase their fiber intake,

improve gut health and reduce their risk for cardiovascular disease.

Our Goals

  • For women in Southwest Minnesota to identify the risks of low fiber intake.

  • Increase the fiber intake of women in Southwest Minnesota to reach the recommendations set forth by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

  • Improve gut health of women in rural Southwest Minnesota.

  • Reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease in women living in rural Southwest Minnesota.

Our Objectives

  • Women ages 40 to 64 living in Southwest Minnesota will improve their cardiovascular health by 10 percent by the year 2030.*

  • One out of three women between ages 40 and 64 will identify the recommended daily fiber intake after visiting the program website at least one time.

  • 75 percent of program participants will identify high-fiber foods and increase fiber intake to meet recommendations set forth by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans after attending all 12 classes.

  • Participants will build a virtual support network via a Facebook Group that includes at least 200 members by the end of the six-month program.

    *Based on the seven metrics of cardiovascular health as outlined by the American Heart Association (AHA) (U.S. Department for Health and Human Services & Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, n.d.)

Fiber & Fabulous has a multilevel influence approach.

Our primary intervention program provides plenty of opportunities for learning and growth through environmental, interpersonal and intrapersonal levels.

Program Curriculum Schedule

  1. Heart Disease in Women

  2. Why Fiber Matters

  3. Inflammation and Heart Disease

  4. Heart Health Risk Factors and Screening for Women

  5. Improving Gut Health

  6. High Fiber Foods Meal Planning and Prep

  7. Low Carb Diets

  8. Mediterranean Diet & DASH Diet

  9. Grocery Store Visit to identify high-fiber foods

  10. Farmers Market Visit to identify high-fiber foods

  11. Managing Stress

  12. Overcoming Barriers

Program Strategies

The Website

Our website offers digital resources that are in line with class curriculum listed in the Program Curriculum Schedule below. Its main objective is for one out of three women between ages 40 and 64 to identify the recommended daily fiber intake after visiting the program website at least one time. The eye-catching design highlights multi-media resources that include fiber recommendations, risks of heart disease, facts about fiber intake and gut health as well as high-fiber recipes. This digital material is convenient and not only helps participants learn about the risks of inadequate fiber intake, but offers actionable information about how to increase fiber intake.

In-Person Classes

A 12 class, in-person curriculum component increases risk perception, self-efficacy, relatedness and motivation through engagement, skill development and discussion. Its main objective is for 75 percent of program participants to identify high-fiber foods and increase fiber intake to meet recommendations set forth by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans after attending all 12 classes. Class curriculum is listed below and serves to help participants increase awareness of heart disease in women, the connection among fiber, gut health and heart disease as well as to identify high-fiber foods. By creating opportunities for learning through discussion and activities, such as visiting a grocery store and planning and preparing high-fiber meals, classes empower participants to set and maintain fiber intake goals.

Social Support

A social support component is available through a Facebook group. Weekly discussion posts will align with class curriculum and help participants overcome perceived barriers and challenges by swapping ideas and strategies for increasing fiber intake for themselves and their families. This encourages group engagement which enhances behavior change and maintenance. The main objective is for participants to build a virtual support network that includes at least 200 members by the end of the six-month program.