Why do we need fibre in our diet?

Do you experience regular digestive issues? If so, you’re not alone – around 50% of us report having stomach problems. The question is whether it’s the normal comings and goings of your gut or whether you are suffering from poor gut health.

A normal functioning gut needs plenty of good bacteria and a wide variety of good these good gut flora such as bacteria, viruses, yeasts and fungi, which is called the microbiome.

Your microbiome houses trillions of microorganisms, and if they aren’t happy, neither are you. Your microbiome is as individual as you are and it plays an important role in your health and can influence your weight, ability to focus, energy levels, emotions, sleep patterns, physical pain and can contribute towards chronic conditions.

We damage these microbes when we eat the wrong types of food. The worst culprit is a low fibre diet and, on average, Australian women consume about 21g of fibre daily whilst Australian men consume about 25g per day.

For a healthy digestive system you need approximately 40g of fibre per day. Fibre feeds the good bacteria and also acts as an “intestinal broom” which sweeps out all the food debris that may not get digested properly.

Undigested food in your gut can create pockets of putrid mess causing gas, bloating, pain and inflammation which is medically diagnosed as “diverticulitis” (aka inflammation of the intestines). Without enough fibre in your diet you can also get constipated.

To keep you regular, you need the soluble fibre of fruit, vegetables and legumes (lentils, chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans etc) but you also require insoluble fibre such as grains, nuts, seeds and the skin of fruit and veggies.

“But I can’t eat lentils, they make me bloated” you may say. Yes, that’s true, you will bloat but only if you are constipated. If your rubbish removal is sluggish then as soon as the lentils – or any food – lands in your tummy on top of the last undigested meal the food will ferment and cause gas.

“But I’m not constipated, I go every single day” this may well be your pattern but you if you are still eliminating food from days ago – this qualifies as being constipated.

What to eat and drink for a healthy gut?

• Start your day with a large glass of warm water + a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• Eat fruit instead of fruit juice
• Brown rice instead of white rice
• Potatoes in their jackets instead of chips
• Muesli or porridge oats instead of processed cereals
• Plenty of nuts and seeds
• Plenty of fresh fruit and veggies
• Legumes such as red lentils, chickpeas, blackbeans etc
• Drink 2 litres of filtered water daily
• Avoid foods that may cause constipation (yellow cheese, tea, sugar, white-flour products, red meat)
• You may also need a herbal tonic (think of this simply as concentrated nutrition) or a practitioner-only probiotic or magnesium powder to relax the bowel wall

To sum it all up, fibre speeds up your body’s waste removal which is a good thing – this is not only important for your digestive health and regular bowel movements – but can also keep you feeling fuller for longer, can improve blood sugar levels and may help in preventing some diseases like diabetes, heart disease and bowel cancer.