FIBRE DEFICIENCY: YOU’RE GETTING PLENTY OF PROTEIN!

There is a never-ending craze about making sure that you’re getting plenty of protein every day. Protein helps to rebuild and repair muscles and bones, so for obvious reasons, it’s a needed macronutrient. However, what if I told you you were getting enough protein, and it’s really fibre you should be looking at instead? 

What Is Fibre?

Fibre, or dietary fibre, is a plant-derived food that typically cannot be completely broken down by the human body when consumed. It has two main components: soluble and insoluble fibre. These are common components of plant-based foods such as legumes, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. Many times, we’ve heard that you need to eat your fruits and vegetables. But why? It’s not necessarily to increase vision or build strong muscles independently. A lot more goes into it.

Insoluble vs. Soluble

The advantages of eating fibre generally differ depending on your overall source. In other words, are the fiber types you’re eating soluble or insoluble? For soluble fibre, these forms of fibre tend to dissolve in water. It’s typically a fermented product in colour and turns into gases. Different variations of this type of fibre include oats and barley. 

Insoluble fibre is essentially fibre that cannot be dissolved in water. Think wheat bran and cellulose. This is the fibre that tends to stop you and cause things like constipation.

Digging Deeper Into Fibre

Diversity is key to the two main types of fibre. For example, if you were to eat bulking fibres. These various types of fibre tend to contribute to regularity in bowel movements. Now, if you’re consuming viscous fibre, these fibre types tend to thicken your fecal mass. Another form of fibre to consider is fermentable fibre. This form of fibre is the heavy lifter in your gut. Why? Because it’s in charge of feeding the bacteria and microbiota in your large intestine. By default, this creates short fatty acid chains that serve their purposes in the gut.

Even with all this knowledge, the conversation still tends to steer toward the need for more protein in a person’s diet. But what if I told you that while most individuals in the United States eat double their daily protein recommendations, only 5% of the American population is hitting their daily fibre intake? That means that 16.4 million people aren’t eating their daily fibre.

The Body’s Need For Fibre

Okay, so how can I fix the fact that I’m not eating enough fibre? The basic guidelines are that women should consume between 21 and 25 grams of fibre per day, while men should go for somewhere between 30 and 38 grams of fibre per day. So, what can that look like?

This could look like eating 100 grams of uncooked whole grains like oats, barley, or rye. Or, if you’re not all for eating uncooked things, you could eat a cup of cooked beans, a half cup of leafy greens, or between 2 and 3 servings of fruits—all of which add up to around 25 grams of fibre. Or, if you’re looking to eat around 30 grams of fibre, then you could add a bit more to the examples above or maybe incorporate other high-fibre snacks.

High Fibre Snack Ideas:

• Cereal
• Apples
• Nuts
• Whole Grain Bread
• Baked Potatoes
• Whole Grain Pasta
• Nuts
• Bananas
• Beans
• Lentils
• Avocado

Fibre’s Many Benefits

But what can you expect when you add more fibre to your diet? Well, there are quite a few changes you can expect. The good news is that they’re good for you. The first is the normalization of bowel movements, for example. Not only does fibre change the size and weight of your stool, but it also helps to soften it, making it easier to relieve yourself. The bulkier your stool is, the easier it is to have a bowel movement.

But fibre doesn’t just help you pass stool out of your system. It’s also responsible for keeping your bowel health in check. What does that even mean? Well, if you’re on a high-fiber diet, you’re less likely to develop hemorrhoids in your colon. It can also lower the risk of certain cancers, such as colorectal cancer. 

Most people don’t know that while fibre plays a huge role in your bowels, it can also help in two other areas of your health: cholesterol and blood sugar. In terms of cholesterol, the soluble fibres of certain foods can help lower lower-density lipoprotein (i.e., bad cholesterol). As for blood sugar, soluble fibre can slow the absorption of sugar and thus help regulate sugar in the blood. 

Peptides For Gut Health

While known as an overall healing peptide, BPC-157 has also been found to aid the gut in healing from things like inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and even leaky gut. BPC-157 is a peptide that is able to help in many forms of wound healing, primarily in soft tissue wounds. It speeds the process, giving your body some much-needed aid. But where can you get yourself some BPC-157, whether to heal external wounds or help with gut health?