Boost your fibre
Fibre is the indigestible part of plant foods that work to keep our digestive system healthy and help give us the feeling of fullness (cue intuitive eating!). Eating a diet rich in fibre is shown to reduce the risk of stroke, heart disease, type II diabetes and more. There are three types of fibre - soluble fibre, insoluble fibre and resistant starch.
Soluble fibre dissolves in water and creates a thick gel in your gut. This slows digestion and keeps you feeling full. It also works to lower your cholesterol and manage blood sugars. Insoluble fibre absorbs water which adds bulk to your stool and keeps everything moving regularly. Resistant starch resists digestion in the small bowel and ferments in the large bowel, which produces substances that keep your bowel lining healthy.
How much/tips
As a general rule, adults should aim to consume about 25-30grams of fibre per day. Fibre can be found in a range of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and nuts. Increase your fibre intake with these tips below.
Avoid peeling fruit and veg.
A bulk amount of fibre in fruits and vegetables is found in the skin as it works as a protective layer. We rarely ever peel our fruit and veg unless it’s something like pumpkin where you don’t really eat the skin! Have you ever tried kiwi fruit with the skin on? When I was a kid I used to peel off all the white stringy bits from mandarins, little did I know I was throwing away fibre! Sweet potato, carrot, beetroot, apples, pears can all be eaten with the skin on, just give them a quick wash.
Switch your rice.
Opting for brown rice over white rice can give you as much as three times the amount of fibre and is higher in protein too. Other types of rice like red rice and wild rice also provide higher amounts of fibre.
High fibre snacks.
Having a snack such as cucumber sticks with hummus can give you an extra few grams of fibre in your day. You might also like to try a handful of nuts, passionfruit or an apple.
Add extras to your morning muesli.
If you are a muesli kind of person in the morning then try adding some chia seeds, linseeds or psyllium husk for an added bonus. Just 1 tablespoon of chia seeds can give you 3.4g of fibre, and 1 teaspoon of psyllium husk can give you 4.2g! You could even try adding these things to smoothies.
