Rachel Linstead

People often find themselves confused about carbs and fibre, and how much they should be getting in their diet. Here is an explanation if the different forms of carbohydrates and foods you should consider adding to your diet, and some facts on fibre.

Carbohydrates are often called starchy foods, and are more easily broken down by the body than protein and fat. It should make up about 40% of your diet, with every meal containing carbohydrates. The body uses carbohydrates as its primary energy source and it contains nutrients such as fibre, calcium, iron and B vitamins.

There are two types of carbohydrates: refined and unrefined.

Refined carbohydrates are white rice, white bread and white pasta. These types of carbohydrates are processed to have the husk of the grain removed. By removing the husk, however, you are removing many nutrients. Refined carbs are easily broken down by the body into glucose, which sometimes results in a sugar rush.

When choosing carbohydrates, it is best to look out for ones that are ‘unrefined’ like wholemeal flour, whole wheat, spelt, rye, barley, rolled oats and oatmeal. Wholegrains have little processing and are harder for the body to break down so make you feel full longer. They are high in B vitamins, help maintain a healthy skin, nervous system and aid energy production.

When the grain is harvested it contains three parts, the ‘fibre-rich’ outer layer (bran), the starchy middle (endosperm), and the ‘nutrient-packed’ germ. For a food to be called ‘wholegrain’, at least 51% of its ingredients must contain grains with all three parts remaining.

There are plenty of carbohydrates to choose from, and it’s important to try to vary the carbohydrates you eat so you don’t overload on one type.

What are other examples of carbohydrates?

• Corn, Buckwheat or vegetable pasta
• Rice noodles

Rice is a popular alternative to pasta and there are lots of varieties to choose from:

• Brown rice
• Wholegrain
• Basmati
• Jasmine – This works really well with Thai food
• Wild rice

Fibre, which is soluble or insoluble, is another component of food which is mainly found in cereals, beans, lentils, fruit and vegetables.

The term dietary fibre describes a number of different categories of substances such as non-starch polysaccharides, oligosaccharides and lignin. Fibre cannot be broken down by digestive enzymes but micro-organisms that live in the large intestine are able to digest it. Fibre helps prevent constipation and helps lower blood cholesterol and/or glucose levels.

Soluble fibre contains gums and pectins, which help to reduce cholesterol and regulate blood sugar. All fruit and vegetables contain fibre, but some have more than others, such as apples, pears and citrus fruits. Insoluble fibre contains cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin. It helps the bowel pass food and can help relieve constipation. It is found in wholegrain cereals, lentils and fruit with edible seeds.

In the UK, most people do not eat enough fibre. The average adult intake is 12 grams per day, while the recommended level is 18 grams. A low fibre intake is associated with constipation and some gut diseases such as diverticulitis and bowel cancer. Foods and food products that contain 6g fibre per 100g or 100ml may be labelled as a ‘high fibre’ food.

The sayings “a little of what you fancy does you no harm”, and “everything in moderation” actually rings true when talking about a healthy diet, because it means you eat a wide variety of foods. The more variety in your diet, the more vitamins, minerals and nutrients you are giving your body to utilise.

Healthy eating isn’t impossible, you just need to know the basic principles of good nutrition and then you are set for life. Yes, it does take a little bit of work because changing eating habits is one of the hardest things to do, as these are very much ingrained into our lives as we grow up from a child to an adult.

But the hard work is worth it when you start to feel the benefits of what a healthy eating regime can bring.

There are no fad diets described here. Just easy and simple hints and tips to help you make the right choices when it comes to eating a healthy diet, but it’s not about going “on a diet”; it’s about changing your lifestyle and making informed choices that will last you a lifetime.

If you make small changes to your diet each month you’ll find this the easiest way to change your eating habits for the better over a period of time.

One of the keys to healthy eating is eating regularly. Like a car engine our bodies need fuel to work at optimum capacity — if your car doesn’t have any fuel left, does it run? No, and that’s the same for our bodies: without regular meals, your body has to somehow generate its own fuel from its stores or alert you (cravings for sweet foods) that you need to refuel.

It is recommended that you eat three small meals a day (breakfast, lunch and evening meal) and two or three snacks (mid-morning, mid-afternoon and evening/before bed). This keeps your body topped up with fuel throughout the day, so you are less likely to have energy lows or cravings for sweet foods.

For each of your main meals, you should make sure they contain a range of food groups. The easiest way to do this is in percentage form of what your plate should look like:

• 40% Carbohydrates (rice, pasta, potatoes, bread)
• 30% Fruit and vegetables
• 20% Protein and healthy fats (unsaturated fats)
• 10% Saturated fat, salt and refined sugars

There are a couple more principles to work towards when altering to a balanced diet. These include:

Keep hydrated

The standard advice is around 2 litres of liquid a day but this is again dependent on how active you are and what stage of life you are at.

Watch out for added salt

The recommended daily intake of salt for adults is six grams, always taste your food before adding salt, and check food labels for salt levels, you’ll be amazed how much salt is added to processed foods.

Try to have a meat free day once a week

There are many sources of protein (animal and vegetable). Vegetable protein tends to be lower in fat and contains a range of nutrients.

Keep an eye on your alcohol intake

Alcohol is often referred to as an anti-nutrient as it may strip the body of essential vitamins and minerals, it also means your liver has to work hard to process it.