Is High Fibre Diet Always A Good Option?
- Feb 29, 2024
- 3 min read
Written by: Agata Tiurmorezow, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Dietary fibre, is the indigestible part of plant foods. It's crucial for maintaining a healthy digestive system and offers several health benefits, including:
digestive health - fibre is important for digestive system, regular bowl movement and constipation prevention.
weight control - more fibre in food – less cravings and hunger. Fibre helps to control appetite as well.
heart condition: soluble fibre can help lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.
blood sugar control - fibre slows the absorption of sugar, which is beneficial for people with diabetes or those at risk of developing it.
gut health - fibre fermentation in the colon produces short-chain fatty acids, which support colon health and may reduce the risk of colon cancer plus it creates great environment for our good bacteria guys.
But
Sometimes we are not always feeling great.
When someone wants to change habits and jump from low fibre diet to fibre rich nutrition, they feel worst.
It's just because our body is not used to it and it takes time to process it.
Fibre needs more water so increasing fibre in diet, always needs to be along side increased water consumption.
I find clients always change products like 100% or nothing – white rice to brown rice, white bread to wholemeal bread, no veggies to full plate of them... and as a result...belly is bigger.
Why?
Consipation, fermentation, poor digestion.
Effect is opposite as we lose motivation of healthy eating and our habits go back to point where we started.
How shall we start?
Slowly.
Veggies are important but if you haven't had them in every meal, add them slowly. Use low fibre and fresh veggies at first.
Drink water.
You can add supplements like: digestive enzymes, liver support supplements, Apple cider vinegar etc to help with digestion.
Do not snack in between. Your digestive system needs time to process the food, so do not disturb.
Watch your body. I don't tolerate well brown rice. That's fine. I don't eat it. Make notes and learn how your body works.
Fibre and workout
Personally, on very active days, I cut fibre to minimum, so instead of buckwheat, I go for basmati rice, low veggies and no veggies before and after workout. If workout was very intense, having high fibre meal straight after, can upset your stomach.
Keeping macronutrients like protein, carbohydrates and fats are always number one in those days.
If meal is far away from training, you will have more time to digest.
It all depends of intensity and type of workout. Try to do HIIT style session after full bowl of broccoli, lentil or soup;)
Fibre can slow down post-workout meal digestion. We don't want that.
After workout, we want to replenish glycgen, protein and get quick recovery, BUT again everything depends of the workout.
As I mentioned earlier, at first stage, high-fibre diet can lead to constipation and bloated stomach. This can have an impact on our training. Having strong pelvic floor muscles and core are crucial for any type of workout. If you feel constantly bloated, you might struggle.
If you experience any of above, check your diet. I always go and recommend rule 80/20. 80% good, rich food, and 20% what I want.
Women experience different symptoms during menstrual period.
Again, some schools and nutritionist suggest to increase fibre intake to help digestion and hormones BUT it's not working for me and some of my clients. Before “those days”, I cut fibre to minimum
to avoid “heavy gut” and constipation. Less bloated stomach – less painful period. Is there something you should be aware of?
Yes.
Fibre is giving volume to meals. We all know the cravings and hunger feeling before menstruation. So if you stay with smaller meals, cravings might be stronger and there is higher risk of cheating;)
Please feel free to contact me for advice or if you need tailored plan.
Visit my Instagram for more info!
Agata Tiurmorezow, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Agata Tiurmorezow works as Eating Disorder Recovery Coach. Agata after sufferring herself 20 years ago, earned a master's degree in Food Technology and Human Nutrition. This allowed her to deepen her knowledge of nutrition and better understand how the body functions. For the past 10 years, Agata has been helping women achieve their goals, improve their health, and minimize symptoms of conditions like PCOS, endometriosis, thyroid issues, or menopause through a specially tailored nutrition plan, supplements, and exercise.
