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Overview
Fibre - go for it!
Fibre is found in cereal foods, beans, lentils, fruit and vegetables.
It comes in two forms, soluble fibre and insoluble fibre. Soluble fibre
helps reduce blood cholesterol levels. Oats, fruit, vegetables and pulses
(beans, lentils, chickpeas) are a good source of soluble fibre. Insoluble
fibre acts as a bulking agent, so it helps prevent constipation and
keeps the large intestines healthy. Wholegrain cereals and wholemeal
bread are good sources of this.
Fibre is seriously underrated and its intake in the United Kingdom,
pitifully low. Rural Africans eat over twice as much a day as we do
and have the lowest incidence of bowel disease in the world. Fibre is
important for a healthier digestive tract, absorbing water, and making
the food contents bulkier and easier to pass. It buffers fat absorption
and is found in foods such as wholegrain cereals that are also packed
with nutrients including B vitamins, magnesium and zinc. Fruit and vegetable
fibre slows down the rate that sugar enters the bloodstream, maintaining
good energy levels.
Increasing our fibre intake need not be that much hassle. Porridge oats
take minutes to cook and have cholesterol-lowering properties, providing
slow burning carbohydrate to fuel you through the day. Jazz it up with
bananas and a dribble of honey. Try soups with lentils, peas and beans
or a baked potato and salad for lunch. Eat cheese with oatcakes, wholemeal
bread, digestive biscuits or raw fruit and vegetables rather than on
it's own. This is because eating fat with fibre helps the body to cope
with fat.
Fibre Consumption
Most adults don't eat enough fibre. The average daily intake is 13g
per day, instead of the recommended 18g per day. An increase in fibre
should also go along with an increased fluid intake.
Fruit and vegetables
Fruit and vegetables are a very important part of a healthy balanced
diet. Low in calories, they are convenient, fill you up and most importantly
provide a whole host of vitamins and minerals that are so important
in the prevention of disease. Aim for five portions per day and these
can include fresh, raw, juiced, frozen and canned.
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