What is it?
Fibre is the indigestible part of plant foods (particularly found in the skins, seeds and stalks of vegetables, fruits and legumes. It is the type of a carbohydrate that helps keep your digestive system healthy.
When we increase the amount of fibre in our diet, it can initially make us bloat and make us ‘windy’. This is because our body may not be used to a high amount of fibre and the fibre is starting to clear out an accumulation of digestive waste material that can be stuck in the small pouches of our digestive tract. This will pass (pun intended 😊). If we stick with it our bowels will thank us.
Do we need it?
Fibre helps us:
- To slow down the emptying process of our stomach so we feel fuller for longer
- To lower Cholesterol and stabilise our blood sugar level
- To absorb water to help soften our stools and support regular bowl movement
- To assist the good bacteria in our microbiome to improve overall bowel health
Where do we get it?
Great sources of fibre include:
- Seeds: flaxseed meal (linseed meal), black and red quinoa, chia seeds, pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and sunflower seeds
- Unpeeled vegetables: broccoli, pumpkin, corn
- Low sugary fruits: berries, green apples, green guava, ruby grapefruit
- Unprocessed gluten free grains: buckwheat, millet, amaranth
- Plantain and Green banana flour
- Tubers vegetables like taro, yam, cassava, jicama, sweet potatoes …
- Beans: black, edamame, mung, lupin, adzuki, navy beans
To peel or not to peel?
That’s the great question!
Eating your fruit and vegetables unpeeled can increase your nutrient intake. Non-organic vegetables such as sweet potato, pumpkin, beetroot, broccoli, kale etc can be soaked and washed in warm water mixed with a teaspoon of zeolite powder and bi-carb soda. Studies have shown that zeolite can absorb/chelate heavy metals and pesticides including those found in the intestinal tract.
For more information on Digestive Health please consider purchasing our Digestive Health webinar: https://total-health.com.au/webinars-workshops/webinars/digestive-health/
