Fibre Foods are essential on a healthy Low Carb Diet
How do I get it right?
Fibre comes from vegetables, fruit, nuts, beans, wholegrains and it can also be supplemented using the likes of psyllium husks or Slippery Elm.
When you change your diet, you might notice a change in your toilet routine. On a low carb food plan you will loose weight and experience little to no sugar cravings but you need to eat fibre levels of 18g to 30g per day to avoid constipation and keep the bowels healthy.
Let’s look at how to reach your fibre levels
| Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Snacks |
| 25g Oats (16C) -2g | 80g pepper (2C) – 2g | 80g broccoli (1C)- 3g | 40g celery (1C) – 1g |
| 25g Oat bran (13C) – 4g | 80g lettuce (1C) – 1g | 80g carrots (6C) – 3g | 30g Nuts (2C)- 2g |
| 80g Spinach (1C) – 2g | 80g tomatoes (2C) – 1g | 80g cauliflower (2C) – 2g | 11g Linseeds (2C)- 3g |
| 160g mushrooms (1C) – 2g | 80g raspberries (4C)- 3g | ||
| 43g Nutty Granola (5C) – 6g | 85g apple skin (8C) -on – 1g | ||
| optional | |||
| 50g Keto Bread roll (2C)- 6g | |||
| 5g Psyllium Husk – 4g | |||
| 4g to 6g | 4g | 8g | 10g |
The above day provides 3 breakfast options – a cooked breakfast, porridge or my nutty granola. The whole day provides 26g to 28g fibre and a total carbohydrate intake of 31g to 60g Carbohydrate plus proteins and fats. My Low Carb eating plan includes 5 to 7 servings of low-starch vegetables a day (5 x 80g) per day along with oats, wheat & oat bran and psyllium husk.
You are the best person to know what your bowel needs to stay healthy. If you need porridge, have it, just log it on the APP. The bottom line is, do not get constipated on a low-carb food plan.
Fibre is absolutely essential for 2 reasons
1. Fibre moves food waste products and toxins out of the body.
2. Fibre feeds gut bacteria.
Gut bacteria feed on fibre to produce acids (butyric, propionic and acetic) and these acids reduce cholesterol and insulin spikes.
Warning: For people with diagnosed IBS, SIBO, who are likely to have an imbalanced gut bacteria, fibre can cause excessive bloating, wind and make them feel very unwell. A very low carbohydrate diet and the FODMAP diet are excellent regimes to trial and see if you get relieve and a management tool to help the gut recover.
Top Tip – Know your 7 types of fibre and find out which work best for you by trying recipes and seeing the effect they have on your bowel over a few days.
I have linked the food source to my recipes – click on the links to view the recipes
1. Cellulose – InSoluble Fibre – Wheat Bran
Function: Increases faecal weight and size
2. Hemicelluloses – Soluble Fibre – Oat Bran, guar gum
Function: Binds bile salts and Increases faecal weight and size
3. Gums – no examples in my recipes. Laxatives.
4. Mucilages – psyllium husk, Slippery elm bark, marshmallow root are powders or teas you can buy and are best taken before bedtime. Mix them in water and start with small doses of 2 to 3g.
Function: They bind cholesterol, delay the stomach emptying and help to take heavy metals of the body
5. Pectins – found in citrus rind and apple and onion skin
You can add the zest of lemon and lime to lots of my recipes but the skin needs to be organic
6. Algal Polysaccharides – carrageenan , agar, – seaweeds
7. Lignans – woody part of plants – Wheat, apple, cabbage, another cabbage recipe, Broccoli stalks, linseeds, nuts, seeds, Pulses.
Would you like help getting started on a Low Carb diet? I am here to help offering an 8 week programme with daily support. Call me.
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