This week I am talking about fibre, a common subject that I talk to my clients about very often.
What is Fibre?
Fibre feeds our good gut bacteria. This is particularly important now as over 70% of our immune systems are in our gut. There are different types of fibre (soluble and insoluble) that do different jobs but they are equally as important as each other. Our gut bacteria is very important. It breaks down the foods into different nutrients that our bodies need.
How much fibre do we need?
The government recommended amount is 30 grams of fibre a day. Many people do not achieve this and are having considerably less fibre. This may be due to eating processed foods. Most foods contain fibre, and if you are eating whole foods it’s easier to get well above the recommended amount – I give an example of a daily meal plan that has plenty of fibre (link below)
5 ways to increase your fibre intake
Vegetables and fruit
These are a great way to increase your fibre, especially if you eat the skin. For example, eat the skin of apples and jacket potatoes. Eat the stem of the broccoli and cauliflower.
Wholegrains
Swap your processed wholegrain foods for wholegrain foods. For example, white bread and white pasta are processed, whereas wholegrain bread and pasta are much better
Beans and pulses
Lentils and beans (even out of jars and tins!) are full of fibre and can be added to meals easily. You can swap them for other proteins within your meals.
Bread
Eat wholegrain, rye or sourdough bread. You can add your favourite things to these to make gorgeous sandwiches, maybe an open sandwich on rye bread.
Nuts and seeds
These are full of essential fatty acids and are full of fibre. They are high in calories so eat those in moderation but they are a great addition.
My top tip
Fibre is harder to digest and I would definitely make small changes to your fibre intake rather than increasing it drastically. If you are eating more fibre, please drink more water.
Links
Fibre blog post – Check out this post to see some meal ideas and more information
Ditch the Diet – the doors are closing on 5th December 2020. Get in there quick!
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Episode 61 – This episode talks about fats.
Episode 9 – This episode talks about sugars.
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