Fibre…itis!

There is a new epidemic sweeping our lands and it’s coming to a house near you....I call it Fibre...itis! When I look at a plate of food I see nutrient content, you know, fibre, enzymes, phyto-nutrients. I think to myself, what am I going to get out of it? Will it feed me or just fill me? I know I am in the minority here and perhaps it’s a crazy concept for a lot of people, but one that I would ask you to be open to. You see, what you are eating will determine quite of lot of how you are feeling. When you eat something, it will be broken down into smaller parts. These smaller parts, will then go on to become even smaller parts and smaller etc….Eventually, these parts need to become energy for your cells. If you put diesel into a petrol engine, you wouldn’t get very far right? Well, that’s what has happens with your body too. Junk food in, junk energy out.

However, no matter what you take in, it is through all of these incredibly complex metabolic processes, that we produce waste products that will need to be eliminated from the body. If these waste products are not eliminated correctly, and efficiently, the body almost begins to poison itself from within...sounds yuck eh! These waste products will look for alternative way of elimination e.g. spilling onto the skin and causing eruptions and problems and like just slowing us down in general sometimes to the point of stopping us in our tracks with a major illness until we do get the "junk" out. There is a better way than letting these waste products build and build and cause damage to our bodies and this is by taking in sufficient fibre. Fibre is the magic sponge that will safely eliminate these waste producs from our bodies.  So, exactly is fibre and where do I get it from?

Soluble Fibre
There are two main types of fibre: soluble and insoluble. The soluble is the kind found in fruit, beans peas, oat bran, rye, barley, certain veggies such as broccoli and carrots, psyllium (that you can buy in shops) and especially chia seeds. Soluble fibre has a jelly like substance that improves bowel movements. If you’ve ever soaked chia seeds in water, you will get a very good example of this jelly like substance. Soluble fibre also mops up or binds with cholesterol found in the small intestine and brings it out of the body. Soluble fibre can slow down the release of sugars into the system, and is therefore an excellent way of reducing the risk of diabetes.

Insoluble Fibre
Insoluble is the type found primarily in greens, peels, nuts, seeds wholegrains and beans. Think of the husks of grains, and you’ll get the picture of what insoluble fibre looks like. Insoluble fibre is like a sponge and indeed plays a similar role. If you’ve ever put a sponge over water and allow it soak it up, then you will have a good visual of how the insoluble fibre works in the intestine. It can absorb many times its own body weight in toxic residue and then releases it from the body.

Other than metabolic waste where do these toxins come from?
From inhaling the air around us, to undigested foods, taking in heavy metals from the food chain e.g. tuna fish is very high in mercury, and from other pesticides/herbicides that have been used to bring the food to our table. Skin care products, household products that are not environmentall friendly, shampoos and conditioners that are usually bought in chemists and supermarkets, mobile phones, laptops, medication,, alcohol, coffee etc. We live surrounded by them and there is nothing you can do to avoid some of them. However, the one good way to make sure that you are fighting them in the best way possible is to up your fibre intake.

What is the best way to up my fibre intake?
For me, this has to be by taking a green smoothie daily. The fruit and leafy green combination works perfectly. You can also do as I do and add chia seeds for even more soluble fibre. I soak mine before hand. If you do manage to get some chia seeds  and put them in water, you will see exactly how this works. You could also up your legumes (peas, beans and lentils), seeds, nuts and veggies intake. Fruit is also an excellent source of fibre, but I would not encourage you to take in too much as it still does contain a lot of fruit sugar. About two pieces per day is best. Also, please don't get too bogged down in whether or not you have eaten soluble or insoluble fibre, just increase your intake of veggie foods and you will be really helping your gut. For the record, animal products are not sources of fibre, so do not be fooled, you will get neither soluble or insoluble fibre from eating them. Plant based foods are the way to increase your overall fibre intake.

If you would like some green smoothie recipes, please visit www.facebook.com/kitchengreenie. There are plenty of recipes there to get you started.

I hope you found this article helpful and if you did, then please so pass it on to someone who might benefit from reading it.

To your good health!

Ruth.