You’ve added protein, balanced your carbs, and cooked your food with healthy fats to meet your health objectives and give your health a makeover, but have you added fibre? Unfortunately, most of us overlook this crucial component of healthy meals. However, fibre consumption is one of the most vital factors when assessing your general health.
Roughage, also known as fibre, is a carbohydrate that the body cannot digest and gets found in plant-based foods such as grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and beans. Maintaining a healthy digestive system, promoting bowel movements, and eliminating harmful carcinogens and cholesterol from the body are just a few advantages of it traveling through the body undigested.
Plant foods have two different forms of fibre; soluble fibre, which makes you feel fuller longer, and insoluble fibre, which promotes digestion. A diet rich in fibre provides a ton of impressive health advantages. Since many foods include soluble and insoluble fibre, boosting your fibre intake is, fortunately, relatively simple. The general rule is that the more natural and unprocessed the food is, the higher its content in fibre will be. Therefore, adding high-fibre fruits to your diet may be one of the easiest ways to achieve ideal fibre consumption.
This article will help you learn about a high-fibre diet and everything you need to know, including finding the most significant fibre sources and jump-starting a new routine for better health.
Recommended Fibre Intake
Every 1,000 calories you take daily should get accompanied by 14 grams of fibre. It equates to about 24 grams of fibre for women, whereas for men, it equals 38 grams. It’s advisable to start by gradually increasing your consumption of fibre and water if you’re new to eating high-fibre foods. The fibre absorbs water. Therefore, the more fibre you consume, the more fluids you should drink. You can add fibre to any meal or snack to enhance your daily consumption. Just take it slow at first so your digestive system can handle it.
Healthy Fibre-Rich Foods to Include in Your Diet
A balanced diet should include a variety of nutrient-dense foods, including fibre-rich fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, throughout the day. Since you only find natural fibre in plants, you must incorporate plenty of plant sources in your diet. A few of them are:
Whole Fruits
Fruits with skins, like apples and pears, often contain higher levels of insoluble fibre, whereas softer fruits, like raspberries and bananas, contain higher soluble fibre.
Here are a few (of many) fruits high in fibre:
- Apples
- Oranges
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Mangos
- Raspberries
- Avocado
- Dried fruits like figs, dates, and raisins
High-Fibre Vegetables
Vegetables are a fantastic way to bulk up dishes and provide a filling serving without packing calories. In addition, meals are more satiating when you incorporate high-fibre veggies.
- Asparagus
- bell pepper
- Spinach
- greens for a salad
- Eggplant
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Squash
- Celery
High-Fibre Grains
To ensure that you consume the most fibre, always choose whole grains over refined ones. Including more whole-grain items, which are frequently high in calories, on your plate can aid in reducing overeating. Examples of grains high in fibre include:
- Whole bread
- Barley
- Bulgur
- Brown rice
- Quinoa
Legumes
Great food to add to your diet is beans. They naturally include a lot of fibre, but they also have a lot of protein. These beans are all incredibly adaptable. It would be best if you consisted of the following foods in your high-fibre diet:
- Black beans
- Garbanzo beans
- Kidney beans
- Lentils
Seeds and Nuts
Nuts and seeds provide a lot of fibre. On this diet, the following are particularly fantastic:
- Chia seed
- Flaxseeds
- Squash seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Walnuts
- Almonds
Foods to Avoid When Following a High-Fibre Diet
Low-fibre grains: Steer clear of processed wheat items such as white rice, pasta, bread, and crackers.
- Vegetables: Avoid clear vegetable juices; keep the peels and seeds on when cooking. Additionally, you should prefer high-fibre vegetables like broccoli or cabbage over low-fibre vegetables like lettuce.
- Fruits: Avoid juicing or peeling fruits because the fruit pulp and skin contain fibre. Avoid fruit smoothies and sauces, as whole raw fruits have more fibre than cooked or mashed foods.
- Dairy: The majority of dairy products contain very little fibre. Dairy, however, provides calcium and protein.
- Proteins: Meats are typically low in fibre, except for processed lunch meats, sausages, and hot dogs, which may contain fibre-containing fillers.
Sample Diet Plan For High Fibre Diet
- Breakfast: Vegetable oats upma (1 cup) + + 1 cup of homemade curds + 1 tsp of Chia seeds (added to the curds)
- Mid-morning: Whole fruit (any seasonal high-fibre fruit)
- Lunch: Brown rice (½ cup) + kidney beans curry (½ cup) + 1 cup of tomato, cucumber and radish salad + 1 cup of homemade curds
- Snacks: Green gram sprouts (1 cup) + herbal tea (1 cup)
- Dinner: Whole wheat chapati (2 Nos) + mixed veg curry (½ cup) + 1 cup of fresh cucumber tomato salad
The PHH Note
Current dietary recommendations for a healthy, balanced diet contain a significant portion of high-fibre foods like whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes. However, consuming too much fibre in a short amount of time can also be harmful. Hence, it is better to consume it in required quantities only.
Benefits of a High-Fibre Diet
The benefits of a high-fibre diet are similar to those of other diets, and they include:
Promotes Heart Health
Dietary fibre supports a healthy heart, but studies indicate that it may also help reduce the risk of stroke and other variants of cardiovascular disease.
Promotes Weight Loss
Dietary fibre helps people lose weight because it is high in fibre, which makes you feel full and has few calories. Additionally, increasing your intake of high-fibre meals reduces the amount of room in your diet left for less nutrient-dense foods.
Lowering Blood Sugar
In people with diabetes, enough fibre consumption can lower blood sugar levels. According to research, a diet high in fibre can prevent and curb the ill effects of type 2 diabetes.
The PHH Note
Everyone’s ideal fibre intake differs depending on age and sex. However, most people consume less fibre than necessary. Fibres support heart health and aid in lowering blood sugar levels. Adopting a high-fibre diet helps to maintain a healthy digestive tract, reduces cholesterol and aids in blood sugar control. Although fibre benefits your body, moderation is the key to a healthy life. Too much fibre causes bloating, gas, constipation, etc. However, a person may relieve this by increasing their fluid intake.
Drawbacks of a High-Fibre Diet
Too much of anything is detrimental to your health. Also true for a diet high in fibre.
Following are a few adverse effects of eating foods high in fibre:
- Bloating
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhoea
- A temporary rise in weight
- Intestinal block
- Gastric problem
- Decreased blood sugar
Conclusion
A well-balanced diet with the recommended amount of fibre is optimal for your overall well-being. When making any dietary adjustments, it’s crucial to start slowly and pay attention to your body. Fibre is an essential ingredient that may aid in weight loss, lower blood sugar levels, fight constipation, and have many other advantages. However, too much of it can cause unfavourable health effects. Health professionals always recommend including all the food groups and adding variety to your diet for good health.