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Fibre: Superfood’s Least Sexy Cousin – Part 3

November 16, 2016

By Karalee Boschung RD(t) Let’s begin by asking ourselves – Am I getting enough fibre? The recommended intake of fibre is 25 – 38g per day. It is estimated that most Canadians do not get enough. Some estimate that fewer than 50% of Canadians meet the recommended fibre intake! How can you know you’re getting enough? Ask yourselves the following questions: How many times a day do I eat fruits or vegetables? A diet including enough fiber, will have at least seven servings of vegetables and fruit per day. A serving is half a cup of vegetables, a whole fruit, or one cup of leafy greens. What type of carbohydrates do I eat on a daily basis? Most of the carbohydrates you eat should consist of whole, intact grains. Examples include barley, brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, farro, amaranth, buckwheat etc. Other high fibre carbohydrates can be found in starchy vegetables, such as sweet potatoes or purple potatoes. Aim for at least half of your grains per day to be whole grains. How many times a week do I eat plant-based proteins (ex. beans, tofu, lentils)? Aims to get your protein from plant-based sources as much as possible, to increase fibre in your diet. If you are eating plant-based protein at 3-4 out of 7 dinners per week, you are on the right track. How much of my diet is made up of processed foods (ex. white bread, fast food, processed breakfast cereal, cookies, chips)? Processed foods should make up 20% or less of your diet. They should be used as treats but not make up the majority of your daily intake. To get enough fibre you should reduce your intake of processed foods as much as possible. After answering those questions, how are you doing with fibre intake? Are your habits fibre-rich? Or do you need to work on a few things? Here are 6 ways to easily increase your fibre intake: Cut the fluff and switch to whole grains! Bread – the first ingredient listed should be whole wheat, whole rye whole oats etcetera. Look out for “brown bread” that is just white bread colored brown with molasses! Cereal – ditch highly processed breakfast cereals and get whole, intact grains instead. Experiment with steel cut oats, quinoa, buckwheat, barley and more whole grains for breakfast! Start switching out white rice or pasta with whole-grains at lunch and dinner. There are many delicious, nutty-tasting grains out there! Make it your goal to try a new one each month to get familiar with all the options, and see how easy (and inexpensive!) it is to add whole grains into your diet. Get rid of processed foods in your snacks and have…

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Fibre: Superfood’s Least Sexy Cousin – Part 2

September 24, 2016

By Karalee Boschung RD(t) Picture 1: ““healthy-heart” by Mark Topper, via flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0 After reading Part 1 of this series, you know that fibre can give immediate benefits such as a healthy intestinal tract, a stable weight, and well-fed probiotics in your gut! But what are the long term benefits of fibre intake? Today we are looking at five ways long-term fibre intake can prevent chronic diseases. 1.    Leads to a Healthier Overall Diet High fibre foods are more often than not very healthy foods already. Low fibre foods tend to be highly processed and less healthy choices. Food processing generally reduces the fibre in foods, making them smoother, creamier and whiter. Some examples of highly processed foods are donuts, white bread, corn flakes, and French fries.  These foods are more processed, lower in fibre, and unhealthier choices. They would be foods to choose less often, as treats perhaps, but they should not make up the bulk of your diet. Foods that have only been processed a little, or not at all, are healthier options that are also higher in fibre. Examples of these whole foods are: nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains (barley, quinoa etc.), fruits and vegetables. You should choose these foods daily to make up the majority of your diet. It is well established that a long-term healthy diet based on whole foods is an important factor in preventing chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease. 2.    Lowers Blood Cholesterol Soluble fibre can lower blood cholesterol by trapping the cholesterol excreted into the intestinal tract as bile. Soluble fibre, mentioned in part 1, is the type of fibre that combines with water in the gut to form a gel-like matrix. It traps cholesterol in this matrix and carries it out of the body. This can contribute to a healthier level of fats and cholesterol in your blood, which significantly decreases your risk of heart disease! 3.    Prevents colon cancer The American Cancer Society, reports that fibre in the diet, especially from whole grains, may prevent colon cancer. The Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada explains that the reason whole grains may provide more cancer prevention than other high fibre foods, is that whole grains are higher in insoluble fibre. As mentioned in part 1 of this series, insoluble fibre is tough plant material that passes through the gut almost entirely unchanged. It provides a sweeping function in the gut and removes potential carcinogens before they have time to be exposed to the gut for any length of time. Interestingly, fibre supplements have not been shown to decrease risk for colon cancer, only fibre from real food (also noted by the American Cancer Society). Research is…

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Fibre: Superfood’s Least Sexy Cousin – Part 1

September 2, 2016

By Karalee Boschung RD(t) Picture 1: “Fruit and fibre” by Richard Cocks, via Flickr, CC BY 2.0 What is so great about fibre?  We know that we all need it for some vague “intestinal health” reasons, and we are surrounded by fibre supplements in the cereal aisle of the grocery store. But what does fibre actually do in the body? Is it really that essential? It has been debated whether fibre should be named one of the major food groups because of its large role in health. The interesting thing about fibre is that it is not “nourishing” to us in the purest meaning of the word. We do not obtain calories, protein or vitamins from fibre. Actually, the definition of fibre is the tough plant material that human bodies cannot break down or digest. The benefits that fibre gives are of a mechanical nature rather than a nutritive nature. There are two major types of fibre available from plant foods: insoluble and soluble. Insoluble fibre is often referred to as “roughage”. Examples include many types of vegetables, the skins of some fruits, and wheat bran. This fibre is the tough stuff that will pass through the body completely unchanged. Soluble fibre has its name because it is soluble in water. In the gut, it combines with water to form a gel-like substance. Soluble fibre is found in oat bran, fruits, legumes (like beans, peas, and lentils) and some root vegetables (like carrots). Most high fibre foods contain both types of fibre, but may have a higher proportion of one compared to the other. With that brief introduction, let’s look at three of the main ways that fibre can improve your health: 1.     Weight control Because fibre is so bulky, it pushes against the walls of our stomach and intestines and sends messages to the brain that we are full. Eating plenty of fibre at each meal will help us feel full sooner and eat less calories per meal. Fibre will also help us feel full longer and prevent us from reaching for an unhealthy snack an hour later. Because of these traits, eating fibre at each meal can be a great way to control your weight. And you won’t feel hungry or deprived while losing weight because fibre will fill you up! 2.     Healthy Bowel Movements Having regular bowel movements is what fibre is arguably most famous for. Insoluble fibre, which is chewed and mashed but not absorbed, adds bulk to the stool in the digestive tract. This bulk stimulates the walls of the digestive tract to contract and move things along, so we have regular bowel movements. Soluble fibre holds water in the stool and keeps it soft…

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