By: MANAHIL RAUF
We often see, as we scroll through the aisles of grocery shops, boxes and packages of perhaps breakfast cereals declaring that their contents are rich in fibre; though we have become increasingly conscious of a number of sugars, saturated fats and other food additives in the items we consume due to the recent health scares we continue to deny dietary fibre any attention.
Dietary fibre, chemically known as Non-starch Polysaccharide is a non-digestible constitute which makes up the cell wall of plants and consists of pectin, cellulose, lignins, hemicelluloses, and resistant starches. Despite the fact that it is excreted from the body in more or less the same manner as it is consumed it plays a pivotal role in maintaining a healthy body.
Predominantly fibres absorb excessive water in the colon – a part of the intestines – and swell to lend a bulky characteristic to faeces hence reducing transit time from a hundred hours to thirty-five hours or less. Similarly, it adds to the satiety level of foods which helps to prevent overindulgence thus assisting the prevention of obesity. Experts say that fibre also plays a major role in reducing chances for diabetes, coronary heart disease (CHD) and helps prevent hernias, constipation, diverticulitis and even colon cancer- all of which are rather discomforting and excruciating.
However, unfortunately despite knowing the advantages many people, specifically adolescents, are not able to sustain a diet saturated in fibre and a research showed that the average consumption of fibre if 12-18 g/day which is not consistent with the dietary recommendations suggesting an intake of 35 g/day hence the high cases of obesity, constipation, appendicitis and CHD being reported among young people.
Other than of course the main issue of consistently having had crisps, biscuits, pastas and a few way too many shawarmas from the ‘Paradise’ takeaway stand, there is not enough knowledge regarding the sources that contain fibre nor the ability to come up with innovative meals for we have been taught to see fibre as ‘chapatti’ or as most people would say – ‘the sookhi roti.’
Besides, the whole grain cereals fibre is saturated in many foods: apples, carrots, cabbage, pears, grapes, lentils, dried fruit, chia seeds, unpeeled potatoes and breakfast cereals. If you believe that your children will certainly not eat any of these foods then try hiding them in plain sight and they would never notice. When making custard, for instance, add some apples and berries or a handful of raisins in cakes (which are likely to be mistaken for chocolate chips); leave the potatoes unpeeled the next time you make French fries or add a teaspoon of the tasteless chia seeds to their milkshakes and simply buy wholemeal pasta the next time you go shopping.
Alongside this, it is essential that young children and adolescents are continuously reminded of the importance of not only having a diet rich in fibre but also other nutrients so that they grow into adults that are capable of making the right dietary choices which would help to eliminate a vast number of diseases from our nation.
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