Lalabana - Although I am not a poster on this subject I wanted to say thank you for your post. It was very informative and I really appreciate the time you took to really go into detail. I am a new member to this site and I am just getting started.
Unfortunately, I have not been very knowledgeable in the dietary department, and so now that I am in my 30's I am beginning to learn. Your break down of soluble fiber and insoluble fiber was great!
I hope to read more of your posts, and look forward to getting into a healthier lifestyle.
Thank you,
Faith8412
Original Post by lalabanana:
Hi there! :] I have to eat a lot of fibre as I have stomach trouble (see: chronic constipation and pains if I don't keep my intake high :[) - I'm talking about 60-70g daily! Obviously, you don't need quite that much especially if you're regular, but I can still help you with a list of high fibre foods~
The important thing is to get a balance of soluble and insoluble fibre. Insoluble fibre creates bulk and regulates our gut PH levels, while soluble fibre binds the fatty acids, helping to lower things like cholesterol, and regulates blood sugar levels. Fibre also generally helps keep you fuller and satisfied for longer. :]
Insoluble fibre foods include:
-- Whole-wheat pastas, breads, etc
-- Quinoa
-- Brown rice
-- Bran products
-- Fruit and vegetable skins, such as potato skins, tomato skins, plum/prune skins, apple skins, pear skins
-- Nuts and seeds, particularly flax, almonds, brazil nuts and walnuts
Soluble fibre foods include:
-- Oats
-- Rye
-- Barley
-- Potatoes of all varieties
-- Psyillium husks
-- Legumes and pulses, especially lentils, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), kidney beans, pinto beans and soybeans
Fruit and vegetables are varying sources of both of these, good sources being plums, prunes, bananas, apples, pears, raspberries, blackberries, dried fruits - dates, apricots, raisins, figs (and prunes again) - broccoli, cauliflower, artichokes, asparagus, green beans and peas, dark leafy greens like spinach and kale - even the Christmas staple of brussels sprouts. Yum. x3 A lot of these can be double-whammies, too: fruits with a skin often contain both kinds of fibres as you get one kind in their skins and the other in their pulp.
All in all, it's very easy to vary up your diet to have more fibre content while still keeping to your calorie count - and not just eating beans every day P: Try making ratitouille to go with your dinner, or having a warm bowl of oatmeal with some dried fruits and seeds, or whatever your heart desires!~ :] I personally swear by oats, prunes/plums, and chickpeas as my favourites out of all those. All to a person's tastes, though!
Here > http://www.chpnyc.org/healthinfo/dietaryfiber /fibercontentchart.html < is a very good list if you want even more ideas. I hope this is handy :D
OH! And, importantly: if you're upping your fibre, even a little, drink more fluids to compensate! Fibre introduced suddenly can cause (or worsen) constipation, and you don't want that. ;<
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