Eat as Nature Intended
Fruits and vegetables are a must in anyone’s diet. There are 3 things that fruit and vegetables provide in your diet – vitamins, minerals and fiber. Vitamins and minerals are also referred to as ‘micro-nutrients’. Fiber is essential for improving your gut health. As you get older, you need more fiber in order to be able to clear your gut every morning.
Eating fruit whole allows fiber to enter your gut and aside from going through an anxiety free morning in the bathroom. This type of fiber is called insoluble fiber. Fiber also reduces cravings and it is always wise to reach out to have fruit as a healthy snack. This type of fiber is called soluble fiber. Fruit contains both soluble and insoluble fiber.
Fiber also feeds your gut bacteria. They are sometimes sold as ‘prebiotics’ in the market. A brand called Good Bug (not sponsored) and many other processed food brands have mentioned that prebiotics are added in their foods. Probiotics on the other hand are a little different. These are found in dairy and increase the amount of already existing good gut bacteria.
But Chewing is Hard
You would not be surprised if I told you that this is something I have heard from some clients. They have told me that chewing of fruit is time consuming and it is easier to just drink it as liquid aka juice. But here is the problem. Grinding of fruit in a blender destroys the most vital part of the fruit itself which is the fiber component.
Fiber keeps you full by slowly allowing the fruit sugar (fructose) to be released into your blood. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that people with diabetes who ate 50 grams of fiber a day — particularly soluble fiber — were able to manage their glucose levels easier than those who ate less fiber.
Merely drinking juice is going to spike your blood sugar and give your body a lot of unnecessary calories. Your local Ganesh Juice Center adds at least 4 oranges to make a single 200ml glass of juice. That is over 300g of oranges. They also add at least two tablespoons of sugar to ensure the sweetness of the orange is enhanced. This means you are getting at least 200 calories from juice and you don’t even feel full afterwards. On a side note, I need to find out why so many juice shops are named after the god Ganesha.
Another example I can give you is during the harvest festival of Sankranti in Karnataka, you see sugarcane sticks being sold all over the city. Try chewing through a small stick of sugarcane, not easy if you have tried it. However, the sugarcane juice shop adds several sticks to make a small glass of sugarcane juice which you can easily guzzle down. That whole stick of sugarcane contains fiber which can make a world of difference in how full you feel and how many calories you are getting.
How Much Fiber Per Day
I tried to find data on how much fiber is needed for the Indian diet. But even the National Institute of Nutrition does not provide this data. However the The USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest the following amounts of fiber:
- Women under 50: 25 to 28 grams per day
- Men under 50: 31 to 34 grams per day
- Women 51 and older: 22 grams per day
- Men 51 and older: 28 grams per day
However, according to me, see how your body responds to fiber. If you are having regular episodes of constipation you need to increase how much fiber you are eating. If you are seeing IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome (diarrhea) then reduce the amount of fiber you are eating. You can see on the right a conversation I had with a client who complained about IBS. Turned out they were eating mostly fruit all day which means the excess fiber made them run to the bathroom every few hours.
Getting More Fiber Per Day
Here are some easy ways to get more fiber in your foods.
- Fiber is listed under the ‘Total Carbohydrate’ on the Nutrition Facts Label – high fiber foods are those with at least 5 grams per serving. – In fact there are many protein bars which have fiber added.
- Look for whole-wheat bread instead of regular white bread.
- Leave the skin on your fruits and vegetables. – well not bananas obviously.
- Eat whole wheat pasta instead of the maida based ones. – and always add more vegetables to your pasta.
- You can also consider brown or red rice instead of white rice – although I am always a pro-white… rice guy. See what I did there?
Key Takeaways
Fiber in your diet is non-negotiable. Why would you want to eat less of something that makes your morning rituals simpler and that can greatly reduce your blood sugar spikes?
Get at least 20g of fiber per day. If it is excessive or inadequate is your call to make. And always ensure you eat your fruits and vegetables whole and not grind them into juice.