Fibre – oh boring! Are you just going to talk about poop?
Yes, well it might be boring – but it is essential to keep your body working well. And it has far greater impact than just simply on your poop.
Low fibre diets have been implicated in diabetes, constipation, haemorrhoids, cholesterol levels, irritable bowel syndrome, colon cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Ok, how much do I need then?
As a guideline – for an adult female, aim for minimum 25g per day, men 30-38g minimum. These levels do vary according to age. And most people are lucky to eat HALF of what they need.
There are 3 types of fibre – soluble, insoluble and resistant starch.
What you need to remember is that many foods contain more than one type of fibre, so this is just a guide for you.
Soluble – in fruit, veg, oats, nuts, seeds, avocado. This is the one that helps you feel fuller, stabilises your blood sugar levels and positively impacts cholesterol. It helps make your stools softer.
Insoluble – grains, nuts, seeds, fruit and veg skin. This is the one that absorbs water from your intestines and provides bulk to the stool – and keeps everything regular and moving. Make sure you remember to drink water too.
Resistant starch – under ripe bananas, firm pasta, raw oats, legumes, cooked and cooled potato and rice. This is not digested in the small intestine, but helps support good bacteria in the large intestine. It is very important to look after your gut bugs!
“Ok, I get it. I need more fibre. What do I eat then?”
It is pretty easy to bump up your fibre intake:
- Swap your orange juice for a whole orange – there is approx. 3g of fibre right there
- Change your pasta to wholegrain – it has double the fibre of white
- Eat carrots, potatoes, sweet potato with the skin on – just give them a good scrub
- Swap white rice for brown rice – or give quinoa a go (really tasty, just ensure you rinse thoroughly before cooking)
- Add some legumes to your meal – chickpeas, black beans, lentils, kidney beans, etc – just rinse the tinned ones and add them to any curry, stew or casserole.
While you are at it, throw in a handful of chia seeds too – they are great for thickening a sauce-based dish.
- Have a pear or an apple instead of biscuits for morning tea – or nuts (almond, walnut), or berries (many types)
• Add 2 extra veg to your dinner – broccoli, peas, sweet corn, potato in skin.