Increasing fibre in the diet
published:
Saturday | April 5, 2008
A balanced meal of bean stew, veggie mince wrap, tofu in tomato sauce with pumpkin brown rice, vegetables and carrot juice. Health professionals say brown rice is a high-fibre food group. - File
Daily intake of fibre should be 30 to 40 grams.
Read nutrition labels on bread and other products to ensure high-fibre ingredients.
Eat bread that is made from 100 per cent whole grain.
Have whole grains instead of refined grains. Unprocessed oat bran is an excellent breakfast item. Oat bran contains beta-glucans, responsible for lowering cholesterol. Other cereals high in fibre are cornmeal porridge, bulgur porridge.
Use wholewheat flour instead of white flour.
Use brown rice instead of white rice.
Have a double five servings of fruits and vegetables daily to make 10 per day.
Whenever possible, eat fresh fruits, skin and all, instead of canned, cooked or juiced.
Eat vegetables raw. Where cooking is necessary, cook as little as possible.
Top up salads with extras such as nuts, raisins and seeds.
Consume more chick peas, beans and lentils.
Eat more seeds and nuts. Include pumpkin seeds.
Drink at least six to eight glasses of liquid each day.
Gradually increase the amount of fibre in the diet
Gas or bloating may result, but this will slowly improve over months.
Be careful of juicing machines which eject most of the fibre you need.
