The F Word

In my previous blog posts explaining macros, I forgot a very important part of the equation and that is The F Word or more commonly known as fibre – in my opinion the unsung hero of the nutrition and fitness world. There are two types of fibre, soluble and insoluble and they both have a very important part to play in our health, but in order to keep things simple we are going to concentrate on fibre as a collective. It will always come round to balance so this is what you need to concentrate on.

Again, like everything else there are numerous numbers thrown around with reference to how much fibre we should consume. For a female around 20g – 25g is a good figure to aspire to. This will ensure gut health by assisting with digestion and also reducing the chances of developing many cancers.

I have listed below a few ideas on how to improve your fibre intake:

1. Rather than consuming fruit juice, eat the fruit including the skin as this is where the fibre is.

2. Eat raw vegetables as a snack.

3. When choosing brown bread ensure there is at least 3g of fibre per slice. This information is normally located on the back of the loaf under the nutritional label.

4.  If you fancy a snack, make your own popcorn! Popcorn contains soluble and insoluble fibre but just be careful not to add too many calories for your toppings.

To conclude this post, when it comes to calculating your macros and subsequent calories, don’t worry about the contribution of fibre. The difference it will make is minimal and in the end overcomplicate things. Primarily you should put your effort into your protein, fat and carbs as these are the macros which will have an impact on your overall goals and ultimately your results.

Next time I will conclude the whole macro/calorie question and let you know how you can apply all the information to reaching your fat loss/muscle building goals!

I hope this helps and as always don’t hesitate to message me if you have any questions.

Until next week, stay fit and healthy!