When we think about fibre, we have a tendency to think about big bowls of unappetizing brown cereals, or large bowls of prunes. Prunes and bran, two of things we need to keep us "regular", but there is so much more to it than this.
There are actually two different types of fibre, insoluble fibre and soluble fibre, both of which have very different functions in the body.
Bran is the best example of insoluble fibre, the word insoluble means that it cannot be digested by the body, so its passes through adding weight to the bulk of the stool, and thus helping to promote regular bowel movements or keeping us regular.
How often is regular? This is a question I am often asked in clinic, the standard health advice is generally pretty vague, with anything from once a day, to every three days, or the not very helpful "whatever is right for you". The Nutritional Therapy view is for most people at least once if not twice a day is a sign that you are maintaining a good transit time. Transit time is the time it takes for food to travel through the digestive system. If food passes through too quickly it could mean that all the nutrients are not being absorbed, and if transit time is too long, it can lead to bloating, constipation and a build up a bad gut bacteria - dysbiosis to give it its full name. A stool or bowel movement should also be easily passed, there should be no straining. Also, and I apologize if this is more information than you wanted, consistency is also important, hard pelleted stools for example can be a sign of constipation. Did you know there is actually a "stool scale" which illustrates the ideal stool. In case you are interested try a search for the Bristol Stool Scale, and compare yours.
OK so talking about bowel movements may cause sniggering and a few blushes, but don't ever be put off seeing your GP or MD if you have any unexplained changes in bowel movement. These include blood or mucus in the stool, an unexplained change in bowel habit, which continues for more than a couple of weeks, or a feeling of not having completely emptied your bowels. As Nutritional Therapists we call these symptoms "Red Flags" and would immediately suggest a client went along to their GP or MD to get checked. More often or not it is something simple like piles (hemorrhoids) but it is always worth getting it checked.
I mentioned at the beginning that I would be talking about two sorts of fibre today, and here is where the other sort comes in. Soluble Fibre which is partially digestible and has many other health benefits other than keeping us regular. Soluble fibres such as those found oats, act like a sort of sponge in the gut which binds to, and absorbs cholesterol - this is why we are all being encouraged to increase our porridge intake to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Keeping cholesterol levels within a healthy limit is known to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. If you don't like porridge, try one of the many oatcakes available, you don't have to stick to the plain variety, try one with added cheese or herbs. For a great tasting Oatcake check out your local health food store. Soluble fibre can also help maintain a healthy hormone balance by absorbing processed hormones and promoting their excretion, if you suffer from PMT make sure you get plenty of soluble fibre in your diet in the form of beans and pulses, oats and fruit and vegetables, making sure you leave the skins on where you can.
My top ten sources of soluble fibre:
-Oats
-Peas
-Chickpeas
-Raspberries
-Lentils
-Apples
-Flax seeds
-Oranges
-Pumpkins and Squashes
-Sweet Potato
-Soy milk
So what might an ideal day look like?
Breakfast - Nut rich muesli, with ground flax seeds, fresh raspberries and soy milk
Mid morning - A couple of oatcakes and some humus Lunch Tuna and three bean salad
Mid afternoon - Flapjack and an apple
Dinner - Seared salmon, brown rice with pesto, broccoli or peas - fresh fruit salad
