High Fibre Diet Review
WLR's dietitian Juliette Kellow is a big fan of high fibre
diets like the F Plan because they're great for both weight loss
and good health.
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High Fibre Diets under the Spotlight
By WLR Dietitian
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With the recent popularity of
low-carb plans like Atkins
and the South Beach diet, it’s hard to remember a time when
filling up on fibre was trendy. But back in the early 80’s,
wholemeal bread, bran cereals and jacket spuds were almost as
popular as Spandau Ballet, Rubik’s cubes and puffball skirts.
Following huge amounts of scientific research, health
professionals suddenly revealed that if you wanted to stay
healthy and lose weight, you should eat more dietary fibre.
Enter Audrey Eyton’s world-famous F-plan diet! In May 1982,
copies of The F-Plan Diet went on sale, and even today it
remains popular. Ultimately, it promoted a high-fibre,
low-fat, calorie-controlled eating plan – in fact, pretty much
what nutrition experts still recommend today if you want to
lose weight.
What is dietary fibre?
Previously called ‘roughage’, dietary fibre is the term
that describes the carbohydrates that human’s can’t digest.
Dietary fibre is found in plant foods such as cereals, pulses,
fruits and vegetables and occurs mainly in the plant cell wall
where it provides structural support for the plant.
What’s the link with weight loss?
Most high-fibre plans for weight loss still come with a
reduction in calories. The F-Plan diet, for example,
recommended a calorie restriction of between 850-1,500
calories a day – and of course, it’s this calorie restriction
that helps you lose weight. However, there are many reasons
why including more fibre in your diet can help boost weight
loss and make slimming less painful.
To start with, unlike other carbohydrates, most dietary
fibre doesn’t provide any calories. This means fibre-rich
foods are often lower in energy than foods containing no fibre
or only small amounts, making them ideal for people who are
trying to lose weight.
Secondly, high fibre foods generally take
longer to chew. As well as helping you to feel more satisfied
when you eat, this automatically slows down the speed at which
you eat, giving your brain time to register feelings of
fullness so that you’re less like to overeat. But that’s not
the only way fibre-rich foods help to control appetite. Fibre
acts like a sponge and absorbs and holds on to water as its
chewed in the mouth and passes into the stomach. This means
fibre-rich foods swell up in your stomach and this can help to
fill you up. Better still, fibre stays in the stomach for
longer as it’s harder to digest and this helps to keep you
feeling fuller for longer, so you’re less likely to want to
snack in between meals.
So how much fibre should I eat a day to lose weight and
how much can I expect to lose?
Regardless of whether you want to lose weight or maintain
your weight, the Department of Health recommends adults eat an
average of 18g of fibre a day with a range of 12-24g. If you
want to lose weight, you’ll still need to restrict your
calorie intake as recommended by Weight Loss Resources and the
amount you can expect to lose will depend entirely on the
degree of this restriction. Weight Loss Resources recommends
you aim to lose no more than 2lb a week, although you might
lose slightly more in the first few weeks when your body loses
water as well as fat. This follows the guidelines recommended
by nutrition experts.
Has a high-fibre diet got any other health benefits?
Definitely. Having spent a long time in the stomach, fibre
moves through the large intestine relatively quickly and
health experts believe this helps to keep the digestive system
healthy, preventing bowel problems such as constipation,
diverticular disease and haemorrhoids (piles), as well as
reducing the risk of bowel cancer. Interestingly, all these
conditions tend to be uncommon in undeveloped countries where
intakes of fibre are high, compared to Western societies where
these medical problems are widespread and fibre intakes are
low.
Furthermore, most fibre-rich foods are also low in fat and
packed with vitamins and minerals – and when it comes to
preventing disease, it seems that it’s this whole package of
nutrients that’s important. For example, wholegrains like
wheat, barley, oats, rye and rice contain not just fibre, but
a number of nutrients that may reduce the risk of heart
disease, stroke, certain cancers and diabetes by as much as 30
per cent. These include antioxidant nutrients vitamin E, zinc
and selenium and a range of plant compounds called
phytochemicals.
I’d heard that a high-fibre intake was good for my heart.
What’s the link?
Several large studies in America, Finland and Norway have
found that people who eat relatively large amounts of
wholegrain cereals have significantly lower rates of heart
disease and stroke. It’s thought that a particular type of
fibre called soluble fibre may be partly responsible as it
helps to lower blood cholesterol levels.
Tell me more about soluble fibre?
Dietary fibre can be divided into two main types – soluble
and insoluble fibre. Soluble fibre is thought to bind with
cholesterol and prevent it from being reabsorbed into the
bloodstream. This lowers the amount of
cholesterol in the
blood, therefore reducing the risk of heart disease. But
that’s not all. Soluble fibre also forms a gel in the
intestine, which is thought to slow down the
digestion and
absorption of
carbohydrates, especially glucose. This means it
can help to keep blood sugar levels steady, preventing
feelings of hunger that leave you reaching for the biscuit
tin. Foods rich in soluble fibre include
fruits,
vegetables,
oats, barley, and pulses such as beans, lentils and peas.
In contrast, insoluble fibre helps to keep the digestive
system in good working order by increasing the bulk and
softness of the stools, which in turn assists the smooth
passage of food through the body. It’s this type of fibre that
helps to prevent bowel complaints like constipation and
cancer. Foods rich in insoluble fibre include wholemeal flour
and bread, wholegrain
breakfast cereals, bran, brown rice,
wholemeal pasta, grains and some fruits and vegetables.
Eating a range of fibre-rich foods, rather than just one or
two sources, is the best way to ensure you get a mixture of
both soluble and insoluble fibre – and make the most of the
health benefits offered by both.
So is a high-fibre diet suitable for people with diabetes?
Yes, health experts recommend that people with
diabetes
have a good intake of fibre in the same way as the rest of the
population. But it’s always wise to speak to your doctor or dietitian before making any changes to your diet, especially
if you are on medication such as tablets or insulin.
What about high-fibre intakes for children?
Although older children and teenagers will benefit from
eating plenty of fibre-rich foods, very young children
shouldn’t be given large amounts. This is because they have
small tummies and generally consume much smaller quantities of
food than older children and adults. Because fibre-rich foods
tend to be filling but reasonably low in energy, young
children may not be able to satisfy their energy requirements
and this may mean they don’t grow as well as they should.
Is it still possible to get enough fibre if I follow a
wheat-free diet?
Yes, providing you include plenty of fruit, veg, pulses and
brown rice. See the chart
here to see how you can make up 18g
of fibre a day using non-wheat foods.
Is there a link with fibre and the glycaemic index of a
food?
Yes. Generally speaking, the more fibre a food contains the
lower its glycaemic index will be.
This is because fibre acts as a physical barrier and slows
down the absorption of carbohydrates into the blood.
Are there any cons to high fibre diets?
Wind is the main problem! Some fibre is fermented in the
large intestine by bacteria that live there and this results
in the production of gases like methane, hydrogen and carbon
dioxide. The amount of gas produced depends on the type of
fibre eaten and the gut bacteria present. But it explains why
some slimmers find that excessive wind, discomfort and
bloating occur if they suddenly boost their fibre intake to
help them lose weight.
Fortunately, this is usually a short-lived problem as the
large intestine and gut bacteria gradually adapt to an
increased intake of fibre. That’s why it’s important to
introduce fibre-rich foods into the diet gradually – and to
persevere with them.
Constipation can also be a side effect of a high-fibre diet
if fluid intake isn’t also increased. This is because fibre
acts like a sponge and absorbs water. The easiest way to avoid
this, is to boost fluid intakes together with fibre intakes.
Juliette’s verdict
Like most nutritionists and dietitians, I’m a big fan of
high-fibre diets, not just because they can help to reduce the
risk of health problems ranging from constipation and piles to
heart disease and cancer, but also because they help to fill
us up. This is crucial if we want to lose weight, but it’s
also important in helping us to keep our weight steady, so
that we avoid becoming
overweight or obese in the future. I
suggest people who worry that eating more fibre will give them
wind, at least give it a go and continue to persevere. This
really is a small price to pay for such major
health and
weight loss benefits and is only a temporary problem anyway.
Once you see the pounds starting to drop off, you’ll
automatically reach for all things brown and ditch the white
stuff from your daily diet.
Further Information:
The F2 Diet, by Audrey Eyton.
The F2 Diet is a healthy way, not just to lose weight, but to
eat, forever.
The Complete F-Plan Diet, by Audrey Eyton.
Lose weight healthily without feeling hungry.
You can track your fibre and calorie intake with the food
diary and tools in Weight Loss Resources -
try it free for 24 hours.
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