How to Fill the Gap with Fibre

It seems that very often we are told about the importance of having fruits, vegetables and whole grains in a balanced diet to obtain needed vitamins and minerals. With all the benefits of these foods, we forget that these foods also contain fibre which is an important part of our everyday diet. Fibre can help you in multiple ways. It can help you with controlling your weight by making you feel full for a longer time and it can also help you with digestion, as it aids with the movement of food through your digestive system.¹ Foods with higher fibre amounts may make you feel full longer as they are more satisfying.¹ Consider what may make you feel full longer—drinking a glass of apple juice or eating an apple whole. A whole apple may make you full longer because of the fibre in the apple and in its skin. Also, with enough fluid, fibre can help glide food through your system more quickly, helping you with issues of constipation.¹ Some types of fibre provide the benefits of lowering levels of blood sugar and blood glucose, which in turn, can lower your risk of getting diabetes or heart disease.² Fibre is a powerhouse for providing benefits to your digestive and heart health and overall well-being.

Although the benefits of fibre are known, fibre is under-consumed among adults in Australia and New Zealand. Recommended adequate intake amounts for fibre for adults ranges from 25 to 30 grams per day, but in reality, trends have shown that people consume less.³ Adults may not be getting all the great benefits that fibre has to offer.

To show dietary fibre amounts in perspective, 1 medium banana has 3.1 grams of fibre and 1 slice of whole-wheat bread has 1.9 grams of fibre.⁴ As a female, you may need to eat an orange, 1 cup of oatmeal, 2 slices of bread, 1 cup of brown rice, 1 cup of broccoli and half a cup of black beans a day to have your daily requirement of around 25 grams of fibre.⁴ Generally, whole foods are recommended to get a diverse set of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and fibres available in foods. However, it may be challenging for some to obtain these consistently in the diet while on the go during breakfast time or while hectically running errands throughout the day.

A supplement that contains fibre, such as the NeoLife All Natural Fibre Food & Drink Mix can help you add fibre to your diet with ease. It is as easy as blending the mix in your favourite juice or stirring the mix simply with water. This mix can also be creatively added to foods such as pasta, baked goods or sauces. The NeoLife All Natural Fibre Food & Drink Mix contains 6 grams of fibre in a 21 gram serving of the drink mix from 12 whole food sources such as whole oats, fruits and vegetables. As satisfying as it is to know that this mix contains fibres from whole food sources, the exclusive Neo-Polyfibe also provides additional benefits to the mix. The Neo-Polyfibe features soy and whole oat fibre, along with acerola cherry fibre, that can help prevent your digestive system from absorbing cholesterol without making you lose any additional nutrients that some other types of fibre products often do. The NeoLife All Natural Fibre Food & Drink Mix combines a unique blend from the Neo-Polyfibe along with fibres from other whole-food sources to help you boost your fibre intake.

Having fibre in your diet can help support heart and digestive health, can help you feel full longer and aid in weight management, and can help with lowering your risk for some diseases. Whichever route you choose for your lifestyle, be sure to remember to add fibre in your diet to help fill gaps in achieving optimal balance.

Written by:
Natalie Masis, PhD, RDN | Research Manager
Dr. Masis is a registered dietitian nutritionist and earned her doctorate in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a Master of Science in Nutritional Sciences from Texas Tech University, and both a Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences and in Food Science from Cornell University.

* Always read the label. Use only as directed. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.