Do you have a healthy diet?
With today's hectic lifestyles, many of us neglect our diet and instead fill up on food that is quick to prepare but not necessarily nutritious. When hunger strikes, it's far more tempting to reach for high-calorie chocolate than a healthy apple. Yet the good news is that only small changes are needed to ensure you and your family eat a balanced diet that contains plenty of healthy, fibre-rich foods.

What is fibre?
Fibre, or roughage as it used to be called, is the part of the plant food that we can't digest. It helps keep our digestive tract in good working order by providing bulk, giving the gut something to get a grip on and helping prevent constipation. Fibre consists of plant cellulose and other indigestible materials in foods, along with pectin and gum.

What does fibre do?
Chewing fibre stimulates saliva flow and the bulk it adds in the stomach and intestines during digestion aids absorption of nutrients. Diets with sufficient fibre help bowel regularity. There is also some evidence that a fibre-rich diet can prevent cancers of the bowel and other parts of the digestive tract.

Pectin, which is a soluble fibre found in apples and carrots, encourages efficient elimination of waste products and prevents the re absorption of toxins in the bowel. Pectin also helps to balance blood sugar levels. This is good for diabetics.

Fibre is particularly important in the control of the body's cholesterol levels. If your diet includes sufficient natural fibre, any excess cholesterol will be excreted along with all the other waste materials. So, it is important to increase your fibre intake if you have high cholesterol.

A high fibre diet
A high-fibre diet does not mean adding bran to every meal. In fact, bran is harsh on the digestive tract and can result in many important minerals being excreted from the body along with waste materials. The fibre in vegetables, fruit, oats, lentils and beans is much more gentle and effective.

Which foods are high in fibre?
There are two types of fibre and it's important to include both in your diet. Insoluble fibre; found in Wholemeal bread, some wheat-based cereals, pasta, bran, corn, rice (especially brown rice), leafy vegetables, pulses such as chick peas and lentils, and fruit. Soluble fibre; sources include oats, most fruit and vegetables, baked beans, dried peas and lentils and kidney beans.

Increasing fibre intake:

• Make sure that your diet includes a variety of fibre-rich foods, such as green and salad vegetables, root vegetables, fresh fruit, cereals, pulses and whole grain foods.
• Include some raw fruit and vegetables, which have the highest fibre content.
• Choose whole grain products such as brown rice, wholemeal pasta, wholemeal bread and rolls and wholemeal cereals.
• Include more beans and pulses in your diet. In many meals you can replace the meat with beans or lentils. If you're cooking lasagne or spaghetti bolognaise, try adding red kidney beans or add lentils to a curry or mince dish.
• Eat potatoes baked in their jackets. The jackets are not only high in fibre, but they contain lots of vitamin C.

A word of caution....

• Remember to drink plenty of fluids; it is recommended that we drink 2 litres a day. This will be absorbed by the fibre and help it pass through your digestive system.
• A high-fibre diet is not recommended for young children. It's too bulky for them as they need more energy-rich foods for normal growth and development.
• If you aren't used to high-fibre foods, add them to your diet gradually to give your system time to adapt and increase your intake of liquids, too.
• Anyone with a digestive complaint should consult their GP before making any major dietary changes.