Tip Of The Week: Healthy Eating

Healthy eating tip 5: Bulk up on fibre

Eating foods high in dietary fibre can help you stay consistent, lower your risk for diabetes, stroke, and heart disease, and help you lose weight. Depending on your gender and age, diet experts recommend eating at least 21-38 grams of fibre per day for optimal health. Many of us aren't eating half that amount.

• Generally, the more natural and unprocessed the food, the higher it is in fibre.

• Good sources of fibre include whole grains (e.g. brown rice), barley, oatmeal, whole wheat, beans, nuts, vegetables such as celery, carrots, and tomatoes, and fruits such as berries, apples, pears and citrus fruits.

• There is no fibre in meat, dairy, or sugar. Refined or “white” foods, such as flour, white bread, white rice, and pastries, have had most or all of their fibre removed.

• An easy way to add more fibre to your diet is to start your day with a whole grain food (e.g. whole wheat cereal, oat, whole wheat or multi-whole grain bread) or add fruits (like the ones mentioned above), unprocessed wheat bran even tiger nut to your favourite cereal.

How Fibre Can Help You Lose Weight?

Since fibre stays in the stomach longer than other foods, the feeling of fullness will stay with you much longer, helping you eat less. Fibre also moves fat through your digestive system quicker so less of it is absorbed. And when you fill up on fibre, you'll also have more energy for exercising.