Get More Fibre in Your Diet

We all know that dietary fibre — found mainly in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes — can prevent or relieve constipation. But fibre has so many other health benefits as well, from lowering cholesterol levels to helping us maintain a healthy weight. Here’s why we all need more fibre in our lives.

• Fibre helps regulate bowel movements and maintain bowel health.

Dietary fibre decreases your chance of constipation. A high-fiber diet may also lower your risk of developing hemorrhoids and small pouches in your colon.

• Fibre can lower your cholesterol levels, and boost your heart health.

Soluble fibre found in beans, oats, flaxseed and oat bran may help lower total blood cholesterol levels by lowering ‘bad’ cholesterol levels. High-fibre foods may also have other heart-health benefits, such as reducing blood pressure and inflammation.

• Fibre helps control blood sugar levels.

For people with diabetes, fibre can slow the absorption of sugar and help improve blood sugar levels. A healthy diet that includes insoluble fibre may also reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

• Fibre can help you achieve a healthy weight.

High-fibre foods tend to be more filling, so you're likely to eat less and stay satisfied longer. High-fibre foods also tend to take longer to eat and to be less "energy dense," which means they have fewer calories for the same volume of food.

Here are some great tips from the University of California, San Francisco on how to take simple steps to increase your fibre intake. 

Here are our Fiber rich foods