5 ways fibre can give you better health

Fibre is an essential part of everyday good health. Here are 5 ways you can include it in your life.

Fibre is found in a wide variety of foods, and including it in your everyday diet to improve your health has never been easier. Here are 5 surprising benefits of fibre and how you can use it to feel healthier overall.

1. Blood Sugar

• Your average blood sugar level should fall somewhere in between 70 to 99 mg/dL, and should generally be below 140 mg/dL within two hours of the last meal you've eaten. Fibre works by helping your body absorb sugar more slowly so that it doesn't overload your system all at once, instead allowing for a more even distribution during mealtimes. It also helps your body slow down the rate at which carbohydrates are broken down, which can also contain sugar.

2. Healthy Weight

• How much you weight isn't a hard-and-fast indication of good health, as it's typically where your weight is distributed that matters. But to help control unhealthy weight gain, fibre makes you feel fuller with less food, and for longer, too, so you can start to kick unhealthy weight gain to the curb.

3. Diverticulitis 

• This occurs when pouches form with the bowel walls and become inflamed, leading to pain, nausea, fever and tenderness. Increasing the amount of fibre in your diet, especially if it's insoluble fibre (think foods like oats, bran, nuts, seeds, peas, beans and lentils), can help to either offset or prevent diverticulitis.

4. Stroke

• There are many causes and risk factors for strokes, but one way you might be able to decrease the odds of suffering from one is to increase the amount of fibre in your diet. If you can aim for an extra seven grams of fibre each day (just add two raw apples, half a can of baked beans, two slices of high-bran bread, three oranges or two potatoes a day), then you can decrease your risk of a stroke by about 7%.

5. Yeast and Fungus

• Our bodies need a certain amount of yeast and fungus to exist healthily, but too much can spell trouble if we're not able to remove it from our bodies each day. Adding a bit of extra fibre each day can help you feel better on the inside and out, with noticeable benefits like clearer skin and less acne/rashes. You'll want to look for something called "psyllium husk", which can be found in foods like cereal and ice cream, as well as being sold by itself.

Adding a bit of fibre to your everyday diet isn't hard and you can start to notice the effects on better health right away. Next time you go grocery shopping, check out the nutrition labels of each item and start feeling better from the inside out.