Why Fibre is the diet’s Boss?

My Son throws a lot of tantrums when it comes to eating. At time I am so pissed off and feel helpless. What to do and how to make him realize the importance of Fibre. But then one day, I think the God smiled upon me and his teacher in the school insisted upon adding fibre in the daily diet. He came back home and asked me to give him fibre in the daily diet.

Now, it was my time to educate him about the importance of fibre and the function it plays in our body. Today I would like to share the same thing which I told him to educate. This would help you in educating your child even. Fibre keeps the body digestive system in good health. It also aids up in excreting toxins and waste from the body. They help in prevention of various stomach related diseases and disorders. We could categorize them as insoluble fibres and soluble fibres.

Soluble and Soluble Fibres explained:  

Insoluble and Soluble fibres both are important for our body. An insoluble fibre promotes friendly bacteria growth which ferments the produced waste material soft. Such an action helps in smooth movement of the waste material out of the body. Soluble fibres absorb the water in intestine and soften the stool. Soluble fibres also help in reducing the cholesterol levels in the blood. They also help in keeping the sugar levels stable, so they are beneficial for people with diabetes. The energy or glucose is released slowly thus it prevents sudden onset of tiredness, or hunger pangs.

Sources of Insoluble and Soluble Fibres:

Insoluble Fibres: they could be found in bran, wholemeal flour, breads, vegetables, whole grain cereals and nuts.

Soluble Fibres: they could be found in lentils, peas, beans, oats, barley, dried fruits, soy milk and soy products, fruits and vegetables.

Daily Fibre Intake: 30g -50 g is the recommended fibre intake. If you are consuming too much fibre make sure you drink large amount of water in order to prevent constipation. Too much fibre in the diet could result in deficiency of certain minerals like zinc, calcium and iron. Why this happens because these minerals bind with the fibre and hence they get eliminated from the body and these minerals do not get absorbed in the bloodstream. If you want to add fibres to your diet or your child’s diet, go slow. Start with fruits, vegetables and cereals. When your body becomes used to them you could proceed with pulses and beans.

There are a number of ways to introduce the fibre in the diet:

·         Increase your water intake

·         Include porridge, wholemeal bread in breakfast

·         Consume fruits and vegetables in raw form

·         Add lentils and chickpeas to salads, pastas

·         Switch to brown rice, brown bread and wholemeal pasta

These things worked for my Son and I hope that they would work for you and your child as well.

Stay happy and healthy!!

See you tomorrow again!!