Fibre fibre fibre!

Posted in Nutrition on June 19, 2014 by Abboud Fahoum.

Fibre is your friend! Fibre includes all of the parts of plant foods that your body can’t digest or absorb and sometimes goes by the names of “roughage” or “bulk”. We all know that fibre helps to keep us regular and maintain a healthy digestive system but fibre also provides so many other great health benefits. Fibre can help to lower blood cholesterol levels and control blood glucose (sugar) levels, prevent colon cancer and can help to control weight and appetite by helping you to feel full for longer.

Different types of fibre

There are two different types of fibre that have different important roles in a healthy diet:

Soluble fibre helps to lower your blood cholesterol and control your blood sugar levels by reducing the absorption of cholesterol and glucose following a meal. Soluble fibre can be found in foods like oats, barley, psyllium, legumes, apples, citrus fruits, avocados, sweet potato, edamame and broccoli.

Insoluble fibre helps to keep your bowels regular and may protect against colon cancer through fermentation by the friendly bacteria in your intestine. Insoluble fibre can be found in vegetables and fruits like cabbage, lettuce, onions, corn, cucumbers, grapes and peas as well as the bran portion of whole grains.

How much fibre do I need?

Most Canadians only get half of the fibre that they need on a daily basis. If you want to increase the amount of fibre in your diet, be sure that you do it gradually and include plenty of fluids throughout the day. This will give your body time to adjust and will help to avoid any gas, bloating or discomfort associated with increasing your fibre intake.

What foods have fibre?

Grain Products

• Replace all white grain products in your day with whole grain products such as whole grain oats, barley, rye, quinoa and brown rice.
• Always choose whole grain bread products such as bread, bagels, pitas, breakfast cereals and pasta. Always read the ingredients on the food label and be sure that the words “whole grain” is included.
• Replace at least half of the white flour in your baking with whole wheat flour.
• Add ground flax or bran buds to your usual breakfast cereal or yogurt.

Vegetables and fruits

• Include 1-2 servings of vegetables and fruits with each meal and 1 at each snack. One serving of vegetables and fruits is ½ cup fresh or frozen fruit or veg.
• When possible, always eat the peel of fruits and vegetables (after washing well).
• Eat the whole fruit or vegetable instead of drinking the juice.
• Have fruit as a snack or dessert, berries and pears are two star fruits when it comes to fibre content.

Legumes

• Legumes are very high in fibre and are a great meat alternative source of protein.
• Add beans or lentils to your soup, stew, chili or pasta sauce recipes instead of meat.
• Add beans to your salad at lunch to make it more filling and fibrous.
• Use bean based spreads like hummus or black bean dip to dip your veggies instead of sour cream based dips.
• Roast chickpeas with a spritz of olive oil, salt and pepper to have as a quick fibre and protein filled snack or easy addition to your salads.

Nuts and seeds

• Make your own trail mix with a mixture of unsalted nuts, dried fruit and high fibre cereal.
• Add a sprinkle of nuts to your hot cereal in the morning.
• Add nuts or seeds to your salads.
• Grab a handful of unsalted nuts or seeds as part of a healthy snack.

How can I add more fibre to my day?

Here is an example of a days worth of eats showing you how to increase your fibre intake by making only a few small changes: