Carbohydrate and Fibre

[Priam]

Can someone enlighten me on this? We are recommended to consume less than 150 grams of carbohydrate per day - it is even suggested as low as 20 grams per day. It is also recommended that we consume 32 grams of fibre per day - for obvious reasons. Fibre is part of the carbohydrate content and is generally less than 25% of the total carbohydrate. So it is therefore impossible to achieve both of these values - you can only achieve one or the other. Please don't tell me to live on a diet of Chia and flax seeds to achieve this.

 

[Juicyj]

Hello @Priam - Here's some information i've picked up from Waitrose's website about fibre, I am interested to learn about food types which aid digestion so I found this quote useful.

• There are two types of fibre, soluble and insoluble. We should all try to include more fibre in the diet from both types.
• Soluble fibre is broken down in the colon (bowel) by beneficial bacteria.
• It may also help reduce blood cholesterol and may help control blood sugar levels by slowing the absorption of sugar. This may help in managing diabetes.
• Insoluble fibre absorbs water as it passes through the digestive system which adds ‘bulk’ and aids bowel movement - this is important for avoiding constipation and helps stave off hunger by making the body feel full

Soluble fibre examples:

• Oats
• Pulses such as beans, peas and lentils
• Fruit and vegetables

Sources of insoluble fibre include:

• Wholegrain cereals
• Wholemeal bread
• Brown rice
• Wholegrain pasta
• Some breakfast cereals
• Nuts and seeds

 

[Bluetit1802]

From that list above, non-insulin dependent diabetics will struggle. All I am left with (T2 diet only) are vegetables, nuts and seeds, tiny amounts of fruit and maybe small amounts of pulses sometimes. It isn't as easy as it sounds.

 

[seadragon]

I feel (and I have no scientific evidence whatsoever to back this up) that if you eat fewer carbs you have less need for fibre! The fibre is necessary only to keep those unhealthy carbs passing through. So eat fewer carbs and get whatever you like from nuts, seeds, leafy veg, berries and the rest takes care of itself!

In fact if you look at Waitroses reasons why we need fibre as quoted above ...

• It may also help reduce blood cholesterol and may help control blood sugar levels by slowing the absorption of sugar. This may help in managing diabetes.
• Insoluble fibre absorbs water as it passes through the digestive system which adds ‘bulk’ and aids bowel movement - this is important for avoiding constipation and helps stave off hunger by making the body feel full

.....you will see that neither apply if you are eating very few carbs and filling up on healthy fats. We don't need it to absorb sugar as we are eating very little sugar and we are not hungry if we eat plenty of good fats and in my experience at least cholesterol (the bad kind) goes down the more good fat you eat. So reduce carbs and you don't need anywhere near as much fibre.

 

[Brunneria]

@Priam

Where are you based?

In the Uk nutritional info lists carbs and fibre as separate (for the purpose of food labelling) so it is easy to separate fibre out from the carbs that influence blood glucose.

For my body 150 g carbs a day is far too much - I get all sorts of blood glucose fluctuations, aches, pains and cravings on so much. So I generally eat around 40g, though it can vary.

Neverthless, this enables me to eat plenty of above ground veg, some fruit, lots of salad. I don't particularly focus on fibre, mainly because my body demonstrates that I get enough. On the rare occasion I get a bit bunged up, a teasp of psyllium husks in water sorts everything out effortlessly.

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

You don't need fibre. Or at least I don't.

 

[Bluetit1802]

I suppose if we have no symptoms of fibre deficiency, then we are getting enough.

Symptoms appear to be raised cholesterol, constipation, difficulty controlling weight gain, diverticular disease and hemorrhoids, and difficulty controlling blood sugars. Not suffering from any of this, or there are other medical reasons for it, then as far as I'm concerned, you are getting sufficient for your personal needs. (and no doubt these needs vary from person to person, as with everything else)

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

If you are really concerned about fibre, Google "Fibre Menace".

 

[Oldvatr]

If you are really concerned about fibre, Google "Fibre Menace".

I find Metformin sorts out most of these problems.

 

[Kristin251]

Fiber menace is great. Avocado nuts and salads are all I need

 

[britishpub]

I'm sorry but I cannot take a book written by someone called Konstantin Monastyrsky seriously.

Especially as he can't even spell Fibre correctly

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

In the US fibre is spelled fiber. Feel free to ignore his warnings. It's based on actual clinical research. For example, "they" say lots of fibre reduces your chances of getting diverticulitis, but the research shows the more fibre you intake, the greater your chances of getting it.

 

[britishpub]

In the US fibre is spelled fiber.

Yeah, they used to call me a "non-resident alien" all the years I lived there, which I thought was a tad insulting.

Ta for the heads-up, interesting reading.

 

[Kristin251]

Too much or the wrong fiber always causes me issues. My whole life. Avocado saved the day. Haha

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

Without going into the details, cutting all fibre out of my diet returned my intestinal function to normality.

 

[Oldvatr]

Too much or the wrong fiber always causes me issues. My whole life. Avocado saved the day. Haha

at £1.70 for a medium avacado in my usual Supermart, I cannot partake of this luxury item on my pension. The last time i bought Avacado, it was snaffled overnight by the other carboholics in the family. Sniff

 

[chri5]

at £1.70 for a medium avacado in my usual Supermart, I cannot partake of this luxury item on my pension. The last time i bought Avacado, it was snaffled overnight by the other carboholics in the family. Sniff

Where do you shop? I bought one in Lidl the other day for 85p and from Aldi on saturday for 95p.

 

[bulkbiker]

at £1.70 for a medium avacado in my usual Supermart, I cannot partake of this luxury item on my pension. The last time i bought Avacado, it was snaffled overnight by the other carboholics in the family. Sniff

Waitrose do ripe ones for £1.29 or large ones for "home ripening' for £1.00 you do need to get a banana as well though to soften them up...

 

[Kristin251]

Oh what a shame. I get 6 for $5 and they're always perfect. Rarely any browning. I have to have one everyday or it's not a good day.

 

[Oldvatr]

Where do you shop? I bought one in Lidl the other day for 85p and from Aldi on saturday for 95p.

I saw the Aldi price, but their basket was empty for the last week. I use one of the top 4 supers, and their prices have shot through the roof recently. My weekly budget (set this time last year for 2015/2016) for the family only covers half a weekly shop there, but Aldi covers it. But even their prices have gone up recently.

I hate going down the aisles and seeing the prices all the same. i.e. £2 per pak regardless of what is in the pak. At least the discounters display more believable prices, (with pence), and have loose vegs.