This latest viral wellness trend is all about maximizing your recommended daily fibre intake. The idea is that if you focus on high fibre intake, you’ll improve your gut health, boost your energy and be healthier, overall.
Let’s ‘chew’ this idea around a bit to see if it’s a smart move. Like all trends, it depends…
What is Fibre?
Dietary fibre is a carbohydrate nutrient that comes from the parts of plants that can’t be fully absorbed and digested. It passes fairly intact through the stomach, small intestine and colon, then out of the body.
Key to your intestinal health, fibre keeps you moving regularly, prevents constipation and solidifies loose stools. It also helps your body to maintain a healthy weight, control blood sugar and lower cholesterol. Because of this, it’s linked to a lower risk of certain types of cancers, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
There are two types of fibre:
1. Soluble fibre dissolves in water then turns into a thick gel, slowing the amount of time food stays in your stomach and making you feel fuller longer.
Good sources:
- Carrots and potatoes
- Apples, pears and citrus fruits
- Psyllium, chia and flax seeds
- Legumes (lentils, beans and peas)
- Barley, oatmeal and oat bran
- Edamame
- Inulin is a type of soluble, prebiotic dietary fibre that feeds the good bacteria in your gut and helps to repair any damaged microbiomes. Because of the connection between gut health and mental health, adding more inulin to your diet to increase the variety of good gut bacteria is also linked to reduced depression and anxiety.
- Inulin sources:
- Bananas
- Asparagus, artichokes, green beans, cauliflower and wild yams
- Garlic, leeks and onions
- Oats and wheat
- Soybeans
- Burdock and chicory root
2. Insoluble fibre (not dissolvable) keeps our bowel movements regular and helps to move things along more easily.
Find it in these foods:
- Whole grain breads, cereals and brown rice
- Fruits and vegetables
- Wheat and corn bran
- Nuts
Both soluble and insoluble fibres are found in most high-fibre plant fruits, vegetables, grains and cereals.
How Much Fibre Do I Need?
When you Fibremax, you meet or exceed this recommended intake:
Women
• 25 grams of fibre per day for women under 50
• 21 grams for women over 50
Men
• 38 grams of fibre per day for men under 50
• 30 grams for men over 50
Read nutrition labels to calculate and compare fibre content. Look for foods with whole grains at the beginning of the ingredients list.
How to Fibremax
- Go slowly. Increase your intake over a few weeks to allow your digestive system to adjust to the change. Too much of a good thing can lead to bloating, gas and cramping.
- Increase your liquid intake. Fibre works well when it absorbs water, making your stool soft, bulky and easier to pass.
- Make it easy:
- Aim to eat five servings of fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables every day, including the skin or peel if possible.
- Amp up the veggies in omelets, chili and pasta sauces, on nachos and in smoothies.
- Add beans and legumes to meat-based dishes and soups. Sprinkle over salads, and purée for dips and spreads.
- Add a few tablespoons of unprocessed wheat bran to your unsweetened cereal or oatmeal. Top with sliced bananas, berries or other fruit.
- Choose whole-wheat grain bread and pasta, brown and wild rice, quinoa or millet.
- In baking, substitute whole-grain flour for white. Add crushed bran or oatmeal and dried fruit to cakes, muffins and cookies.
- Snack on whole-grain crackers, raw vegetables and whole-grain crackers, nuts and dried fruit.
Supplements Can Help
The best bioavailable source of fibre comes from whole foods, and you also benefit from their vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients.
But if you have difficulty getting enough fibre in your diet or have an underlying health condition that affects your digestive system, supplements can help.
These come in many forms to address specific issues—such as capsules, powders and gummies—made with either:
- Natural plants with ingredients like bran, psyllium or chicory root; or
- Synthetic/processed sources like methylcellulose or calcium polycarbophil.
Always read labels carefully because many contain additives like sugar.
Start with a small amount, never more than suggested on the label, and drink plenty of water.
Note: Always consult a qualified health practitioner before taking fibre supplements to make sure they are right for you—especially if you have a digestive condition or if you undergo stomach or intestinal surgery or radiation therapy—and to ensure they don’t interfere with any medications you may take.
Learn more in The Good Life magazine.
