Here’s what a high-fibre diet looks like

What you need to know:

  • What is dietary fibre then in a professional language? It is simply a complex carbohydrate found in the cell walls of all plant-based foods.

Did you know that plant-based foods, fruits and vegetables contain fibre that has potential health benefits? When I speak about fibre I always visualise the ‘nyuzinyuzi’ or roughage we see (or not see with our naked eyes) in mostly fruits, vegetables and other plant based food. So just picture out roughage found in a ripe mango, ripe banana or pineapple. This is explained by Neema Shosho, a Nutritionist with the United Nations (UN) World Food Programme.

What is dietary fibre then in a professional language? It is simply a complex carbohydrate found in the cell walls of all plant-based foods.

It is something the body needs but never actually digests. What happens is, while the body converts other carbohydrates such as starch (from say your ugali or rice that you consumed) into simple sugars for energy, it’s not able to fully break down fibre.

Fibre actually passes through most of your body’s digestive system undigested until it reaches the large intestine or colon.

Where can we find fibre?

Neema said dietary fibre is found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. It should be noted that the list includes our local fruits and vegetables, therefore maximize the consumption!

Health benefits of dietary fibre

Consuming adequate fibre can help you maintain a healthy weight. “Fibre will keep you full and lower the chance of overeating. Just try starting your meals by consuming fruits and vegetables before loading yourself with chips mayai. You will observe that a very small portion of chips mayai will be consumed. This is also a tip for weight loss,” says Ms Shosho.

Lowers cholesterol and prevents cholesterol production, which may prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease.