Focus On Fibre
Fibre is possibly the most underrated nutrient when it comes to nutrition, health and weight loss!
What is fibre and why do we need it?
Put simply fibre is a type of carbohydrate that your body can’t digest. It’s found in plant foods and has numerous benefits, including:
- Weight loss: Adding more fibre can help us to feel fuller for longer and often comes from high volume low calorie foods. This combination can help to feel satisfied when you are in a calorie deficit.
- Protecting heart health: Soluble fibre can help to lower LDL cholesterol by reducing the amount of cholesterol that is absorbed into the bloodstream from your digestive tract.
- Supporting gut health: Different types of fibre can help to feed the good bacteria in our bowel.
- Helping with digestive regularity: different types of fibre can be used to help to prevent both constipation and diarrhea.
- Lowering blood sugars: Soluble fibre slows down the digestion of carbohydrates which can help to manage blood sugars.
Different types of fibre
Insoluble fibre doesn’t dissolve in water, and is not digested by the body. However, it can be very beneficial for bulking up our stools and improving constipation.
Insoluble fibre is found in plants sources such as: vegetable, fruits, whole grain breads and cereals, nuts, wheat and corn bran
Soluble fibre dissolves in water, turning into a thick gel. Incorporating more soluble fibre in your diet can help with lowering blood cholesterol, blood sugars and leave you feeling fuller for longer. Soluble may also help relieve constipation and diarrhea, as it thickens stools.
Soluble fibre sources include: oats, potatoes, chia, flaxseed, psyllium, beans and lentils. Fruits including; apples, applesauce, avocado, oranges, pears.
How much fibre do I need?
Many Canadians are not getting enough fibre. Adult women should aim for at least 25g of fibre a day, while adult men are advised to have at least 38g a day.There is no upper limit for fibre intake unless you notice your intake is having a negative impact on bowel health.
How can I increase fibre in my diet?
Gradually increase fibre to avoid bloating, gas or loose stools. Many people find increasing by 5g increments helps to avoid digestive upset.
Increasing fibre without enough fluids can cause constipation. Men should be having ∼3 liters of fluid a day, and women should have ∼2.5 liters.
Quick ways to boost fibre at breakfast
- Add sliced banana to cereal
- Blend spinach and flaxseed into your smoothie
- Sprinkle All Bran buds or flaxseed on top of your oatmeal
- Have blueberries with your yogurt
- Have a high fibre cereal
Increasing fibre in snacks
- Eat fruit with the skin on (apples, pears)
- Choose whole grain crackers
- Make overnight oats with chia seeds and fruit
Increasing fibre at lunch and dinner
- Choose bread and pasta products made with whole grains
- Add wheat bran into baked goods
- Add beans and lentils into soups and stews
- Add extra vegetables to stir fries and casseroles
Fibre supplements
If you find it difficult to get enough fibre from diet alone, you may choose to take a soluble fibre supplement. A starting guide is to take 1tbsp/day, mixed into water, smoothies, yogurts etc, building up to 2tbsp/day as needed. It’s important to note fibre from supplements can be beneficial but will not provide you with the same nutritional benefits as getting fibre from whole foods.
If you are interested in learning more about fibre, have any questions or you want to look at experimenting with fibre in your diet please let your Constant Health Dietitian know!
References
Unlockfood - Facts on Soluble Fibre
Unlockfood - Getting More Fibre
Canadian Digestive Health Foundation