We are living in a busy world of fast lives, little time and higher expectations, which can lead to buying fast, highly processed convenient food that often has very little nutritional value. Ask yourself how many times you have consumed a take-away or pre-packaged meal, dived in head first like Augustus Gloop at Willy Wonka’s Chocolate factory and inhaled a high-sugar or high-sodium meal that left you feeling hungry again an hour later, with reflux, if not totally thirsty all night with weird dreams about travelling to foreign countries? I know I have done this many times myself and thankfully didn’t end up stuck in a tube after falling into a chocolate river.
Foods such as fruits, legumes, vegetable and grains are all high in fibre and assist with preventing constipation, help maintain a healthy weight and aid with digestion. Therefore, depending on your choices, a lot of convenient meals are lacking these ingredients.
Fibre is important because it helps add bulk to your food and therefore assists with satiety, or feeling full. This can mean achieving a healthy weight goal and maintaining it. High-fibre “foods tend to take longer to eat and to be less “energy dense,” which means they have fewer calories for the same volume of food.”1.
Other benefits to a high fibre diet are;
- Normalising bowel movements & maintaining bowel health. A high-fibre diet may lower your risk of developing haemorrhoids and diverticular disease.
- “Lowers cholesterol levels. Soluble fibre found in beans, oats, flaxseed and oat bran may help lower total blood cholesterol levels by lowering low-density lipoprotein, or “bad,” cholesterol levels.” 1.
- Helps control blood sugar levels: Fibre, soluble fibre in particular, can slow the absorption of sugar in people with diabetes and improve blood sugar levels.
Creating a healthy balance is so important for feeling better, less bloated, less tired, less hungry and maintaining a healthy weight through eating well and not relying on fad diets that aren’t beneficial long term.
For further information regarding how I can support you through 30 days of healthy living and beyond, including aids such as Fibre Boost and Greens Balance to compliment a clean eating plan, please use the contact page to get in touch.
Ref: 1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fiber/art-200439832.
2. http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/fast-food-chains-high-fiber-10926.html