Fibre -- a dieter's best friend

More than just roughage, as our grandmothers called it, fibre-packed foods can help you look and feel great. Fibre's popularity is on the rise; in addition to their well-known role in gastrointestinal health, fibre-rich foods offer a defence against a variety of ills, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Fibre can even help you with weight loss -- if you know which sources you should add to your shopping cart.

There's no doubt that Canadian women fall short of the recommended 25 grams of fibre per day; our estimated average intake is only half of that.
While it may seem easier to reach for a fibre supplement than plan a fibre-
rich menu, consider that fibre-rich foods keep good company. They are packed with a host of other disease-fighting compounds such as vitamins, minerals, essential fats, antioxidants and other phytochemicals.

Facts about fibre
The fanfare over fibre began in the early 1980s when Dr. Denis Burkitt, a physician in the U.K., linked the material in plant foods that's resistant to our digestive process to a decreased risk of heart disease and many common bowel diseases such as diverticulitis. But fibre's status really began to change with improvements in the methods of determining fibre content.

Older methods of scientific nutrient analysis measured only insoluble fibre, known for promoting bowel regularity. Cereal products, such as wheat bran, were well recognized as an antidote to constipation. But when soluble fibre was identified and researchers measured just how much was in various fruit, vegetables and grains, they realized that the fibre content of apples, chickpeas and oats was higher than presumed. While many foods contain a mix of both soluble and insoluble fibre, some foods are top-notch sources of one or the other.

Soluble fibre
Soluble fibre, which you'll see on food labels as pectins, gums and mucilages, are gummy compounds. These are found in legumes such as kidney beans and chickpeas; ground flaxseed; whole grains such as oats and rye; and fruits and vegetables such as apples, oranges and okra. When you eat these foods, the soluble fibres swell and form a gel-like structure that traps nutrients such as sugars and starch, which then take longer to be absorbed into the blood. You can see why you'll feel fuller after consuming soluble fibre, and why it should be part of any weight-control plan.

This metered digestion process that results when you eat soluble fibre-rich selections means you're getting better blood-sugar regulation, particularly important for those with diabetes. Everyone can benefit from fewer blood-sugar swings, and slowed digestion helps with girth control by curbing your appetite. Enjoying oatmeal for breakfast or some hummus as a predinner snack can help to tame appetites at the next meal. Its appetite-managing and blood-cholesterol-lowering benefits have made soluble fibre the darling of the nutrition conscious.

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