Make friends with Fibre
Make friends with Fibre
by Bat-Zion Susskind-Sacks
The art of living well
Some of us know it as bulk or roughage. Whatever we call it, most of us know that it is one of those good-for-you foods. Fibre refers to carbohydrates that cannot be digested. It is found in the plants we eat for food - fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes.
Photo Carlos Paes
There are two categories of Fibre:
- Soluble fibre dissolves in water to and is known to lower cholesterol, prevent diabetes and heart disease. A recent German study also shows that a diet rich in fibre can help prevent long term complications from diabetes. Sources of soluble fibre are oats, legumes (beans, peas, and soybeans), apples, bananas, berries, barley, some vegetables.
- Insoluble fibre increases the movement of material through the digestive system and helps prevent constipation and may help protect against colon cancer. Sources of insoluble fibre are whole wheat foods, bran, almonds and the skin of some fruits and vegetables.
Photo ABDALLA Gamal
Photo Roswitha Schacht
Photo Kevin Rosseel
Here are some ways to increase our fibre intake:
- Try wild rice instead of white
- Add beans (kidney, black, navy, and pinto) to your salads or to your rice dishes
- Choose high fibre fruits such as apples, pears, bananas and oranges as a snack
- Treats such as whole wheat muffins or cookies with raisins, berries or bananas are packed with fibre.
