How to get your daily 30g of Fibre

DIETARY FIBRE

Fibre is the indigestible part of a plant material and is made up of two main types of fibre:

a- Soluble fibre easily dissolves in water and is broken down into a gel-like substance in the part of the gut known as the colon. It can help to lower cholesterol. Found in oat, oatmeal, peas beans, carrots, barley, flaxseeds

b- Insoluble fibre does not dissolve in water and is left intact as food moves through the gastrointestinal tract. It can particular help with constipation. Includes wholegrains brown rice, skin of many fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Beans and peas contain significant amount of both soluble and insoluble fibre but can be hard to digest for some individuals with a compromised digestion.

For both diarrhea and constipation, you want to get more soluble fiber, such as oats. For constipation only, you can add in some insoluble fibre.

BENEFIT OF A HIGH FIBRE DIET:

• Normalizes bowel movements. Can help to bulk the stool so easier to pass or help to solidify the stool if you have loose stool as it absorbs water and adds bulk to stool.

• Helps maintain bowel health. A high-fibre diet may lower your risk of developing small pouches in your colon (diverticular disease) and may be protective against colon cancer..

• Lowers cholesterol levels. Soluble fibre found in beans, oats, flaxseed and oat bran may help lower total blood cholesterol levels by lowering low-density lipoprotein, or "bad," cholesterol levels..

• Helps control blood sugar levels. In people with diabetes, fibre — particularly soluble fibre — can slow the absorption of sugar and help improve blood sugar levels.

• Aids in achieving a healthy weight. High-fibre foods tend to be more filling than low-fibre foods, so you're likely to eat less and stay satisfied longer. And high-fibre foods tend to take longer to eat and to be less "energy dense," which means they have fewer calories for the same volume of food.

• Helps you live longer. Studies suggest that increasing your dietary fibre intake — especially cereal fibre — is associated with a reduced risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and all cancers.

• Feeding healthy gut bacteria: Some soluble fibre-rich foods feed gut bacteria, as it is fermentable in the colon, and so it helps the bacteria thrive longer.

HOW MUCH FIBRE DO YOU NEED?

Age (Years) Recommended intake of fibre

2-5 15grams

5-11 20grams

11-16 25grams

17 and over 30grams 

DAY SAMPLE:

Breakfast:

Food Portion Fibre Content

Porridge 40gr (1/2 cup) 4gr

GFlaxseeds 1TBsp 12gr 3.5gr

Pumpkin Seeds 1Tbsp 1gr

Berries Handful 1gr

TOTAL : 9.5gr

Lunch

Food Portion Fibre Content

Wholegrain rice 1 Cup (110gr) 3.5gr

Chickpeas 75gr 1/2cup 5gr

Cooked mixed vegetables :1 tomato, 1 medium courgette, 1 pepper, ½ onion

Fibre content : About 5gr

TOTAL : 13.5 gr

Snack

Food Size Fibre Content

Pear skin on Medium 5.5gr

Almond 23nuts s handful 3.5gr

TOTAL : 10gr

Dinner

Food Size Fibre Content

Sweet potato baked with skin on 1 medium 6gr

Cooked Broccoli 1/2 cup 2.5gr

Avocado 1/4 2gr

Cooked chicken 100gr 0gr

Mixed leaves salad Medium/L 2 gr

Total : 14.5 gr

TOTAL FOR THE DAY : 41.5 GR!

Precautions :

• Start slowly build up over time to avoid any digestive discomfort particularly if you suffer from any Digestive condition.

• However, it is important to try and vary and re-ntroduce fibre into your diet. Failing to do so will further deplete the amount and diversity of your gut bacteria which is associated with impaired Digestive function.

• Increase water intake as you are increasing your fibre, failing to do so may lead to constipation.

12 TOP TIPS TO INCREASE YOUF FIBRE INTAKE

Sprinkle MIXED SEEDS on your breakfast: porridge, yogurt, eggs.

KEEP SKIN ON  fruits and Vegetables: stewed apple with skin on make a great desert!

Make the switch from white to WHOLEGRAIN bread, rice, pasta. Start with 50/50 if this is a difficult change for you . A slice of white bread has 0.5gr of fiber, wholegrain can have up to 3gr

Snack on a HANDFUL OF NUTS

Add 1tbp of FLAXSEEDS to your meals: in porridge, soups, yogurt

Add texture to your soups and stir in ½ can of MIXED BEANS

Snack on HUMMUS & CRUDITES

Add a small SIDE SALAD to your meals.

Have a SOUP with your sandwich at lunch time

Always keep FROZEN VEGETABLES in your freezer and add to stews or curry – Also a good way to ‘hide’ vegetables and get kids to eat a wider variety.

Add a handful of pulses like beans, lentils or chickpeas to curries and salads.