Fabulous Fibre and You

Did you know that the majority of the population is only getting around 10 grams of dietary fibre daily?

The daily intake of fibre for the typical adult should actually be between 30 to 40 grams a day for optimal health. Lack of fibre has been linked to many different diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

Beans and Whole Grain Pasta You can find fabulous fibre in many different types of foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and grains. A high fibre diet is less likely to cause obesity and stabilizes blood sugar levels as well as improving insulin sensitivity. Fibre can also cause a feeling of fullness which will give us the signal to “put down the fork”. Unfortunately, for North Americans especially, overeating is a major problem in our “super size” society.

There are two types of fibre, soluble and insoluble fibre.

When we consume both at equal amounts we are gaining the largest amount of protection.

Soluble fibre can include foods such as cabbage, oatmeal, oat bran, psyllium, apples, potatoes, carrots, flaxseeds, beans. Soluble fibre keeps things moving by allowing motility in the bowels. Benefits can range from lowering cholesterol to balancing blood sugar levels.

Insoluble fibre can include foods such as the skin of an apple, pears, strawberries, raw carrots, bran cereals. Insoluble fibre improves “transit time” that helps move fecal matter out of the colon. We need insoluble fibre to avoid constipation and to encourage us to go to the washroom around one to two times daily.

To calculate how much daily fibre you are having, Fiber Chart.

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