Oxygen Australia Issue 93 SeptemberOctober 2017

oxygenmagAU Sep/Oct 2017 85

W

e love the “F” word!
Get your mind out of the
gutter: in the nutrition world,
the “F” word represents
good old-fashioned fibre. It’s not sexy but it’s
important. While most women are familiar
with fibre, many of us don’t fully grasp why it’s
as important as our protein, carbohydrate and
fat intake. Put simply, fibre can be a healthy
diet game changer. Knowing what fibre-filled
foods to eat and when to eat them can boost
your energy levels and optimise performance.
Prepare
to find out all you ever wanted to know
(and perhaps a little more) about eating fibre-
rich foods for gut health, metabolism and fat
loss.

Fibre 101
Fibre is a type of carbohydrate that the body
can’t digest, and because of that, it’s vital to
your health.
The body relies on a balance of two types
of fibre — soluble and insoluble — for proper
digestion. Soluble fibre, which dissolves in
water, is found in beans, oats, fruits like apples,
and some vegetables. Soluble fibre slows diges-
tion, controls blood sugar from spiking, and can
help lower “bad” LDL cholesterol to promote a
healthy heart. Insoluble fibre, which does not
dissolve in water, can help move food through
your digestive system. This type has a laxative
effect; remember it by thinking INsoluble
fibre puts you IN the bathroom (wink, wink!).
Boosting of this type of fibre may come in
handy to alleviate a bout of constipation, but a
moderate amount each day can help with regu-
larity. Good sources of this type of fibre include
wheat, brown rice, fruit skins and nuts.
No matter which type of fibre you eat, they
both help you feel fuller longer, which is ideal
for sustained energy levels and maintaining a
healthy weight.
There’s actually a third type of fibre, a
trendy category of fibre known as functional
fibre. Instead of being part of a healthy food,
these are isolated fibres that are added to
foods to boost the fibre count per serving.
These fibres are typically soluble and may
possess some of the same health benefits but
lack the nutrients that come along with whole
foods like grains, legumes and fresh pro-
duce. Too much of these supplemental fibres
also can lead to stomach upset, so there are
numerous reasons to focus on the whole-food
sources.

Breaking It Down
Popular questions surrounding fibre include:

how much do I need? How much am I currently

getting? The recommendation for women is 25

grams per day, which can be difficult to accom-

plish. In fact, data from the US Department of

Agriculture published in 2014 revealed that

most women ages 20 to 39 are falling short of

their needs, taking in only about 15 grams

per day.

Weight Loss

Don’t discount the hunger-fighting super-

powers of fibre. Cutting calories is a lot easier

if you aren’t starving. Because fibre delays

digestion, high-fibre foods help curb appetite

for the long haul. Researchers at the Harvard

School of Public Health discovered that

increasing intake of fibre-rich foods could

be used as a tool to fight obesity. The report

revealed that women who increased their

fibre intake over 12 years were half as likely

to become obese as those that decreased

their intake.

Digestive Health

The slower digestion rate of fibre also benefits

the health of your intestines. As fibre travels

through the digestive tract, it’s allowed to

ferment in the intestine, promoting healthy

bacteria to flourish. The increased amount

of bacteria (or improved microbiome, if you

want to use the trending terminology) has

been linked to improved nutrient absorption

and immunity. While this is desirable, people

with gastrointestinal conditions or those who

just take in too much fibre too quickly may

be at risk for stomach discomfort along with

other unpleasant tummy troubles. The take-

home lesson here is to always increase fibre

intake gradually.

Cancer Prevention

Several studies have connected fibre intake

with a reduction in cancer risks throughout the

body. Research published in the March 2016

issue of the journal Pediatrics found that eating

a higher fibre diet in adolescence and early

adulthood significantly reduced the risk of

developing breast cancer later in life.

The Best Sources of Fibre

Really, the best way to get enough fibre in your

diet is through dietary foods because they also

offer other nutrients your body needs. If you

are eating enough fibre-rich foods, you

shouldn’t have to supplement. In fact, many

doctors believe some of the health benefits of

fibre are attributed to the other vitamins,

minerals and antioxidants found in whole-

food sources.

1 medium pear = 6 grams

2 tablespoons almond butter = 3 grams

1 slice whole-wheat bread = 3 grams

1 cup cooked oatmeal = 5 grams

½ cup cooked black beans = 12 grams

1 cup raspberries = 8 grams

1 medium sweet potato = 6 grams

1 cup cooked lentils = 15 grams

Do you need more fibre in your life? If

you are one of the many gals who need

to increase their daily fibre quota, reach

for some of these healthy options.

F word warning! If you’re currently a

fibre underachiever, increase intake

gradually to keep you and your bowels

on good terms. A few extra grams each

day is a great place to start.

What does

25 grams

look like?

FIBRE CAN SLOW DIGESTION, CONTROL BLOOD

SUGAR AND PREVENT HEART DISEASE.

FIBRE