Most Australians only get 50% of their recommended fibre intake. Here's how to change that.

It’s amazing how much of what’s going on in the inside can affect how you perform on the outside.

Those days when you are a little bit tired, haven’t eaten quite right, or haven’t done any exercise for a while can really have an impact on the rest of the family.

You don’t mean to, but sometimes it’s hard to not be “cranky Mum” no matter how much you try.

Do you know what I mean? You snap at your kids, you bicker with your partner and it’s really about nothing. I do it myself and boy do I regret it after.

It is hard to explain to young children that it isn’t their fault. You vow never to snap at them again. But we parents aren’t heroes, we aren’t faultless, we are just people too.

Just as an FYI, you should know that this is an advertorial for Benefiber^®.

What I have realised after much trial and error is that often when I eat right and sleep right I am a brand new person.

Now that might sound easy in theory but you haven’t yet met my kids.

I have been blessed with three children who aren’t either night owls or early risers. They are both.

So I can count a good night’s sleep out of the equation. But what I can do is try and eat right.

Fibre is one really important part of a successful diet, and one that a lot of us overlook.

We think that digestive issues only happen to “old people”, or that it is just something we need to solve in the short term.

Did you know that the recommended fibre intake for a woman over the age of 18 is 25 grams? (Yeah I didn’t know that either, but I just Googled it up and now I am quite the expert.)

Those of us with low fibre diets can feel sluggish and bloated. It’s hard to operate at 100% when you’re distracted by digestion issues.

According to the experts, most Australians only get 50% of their recommended fibre intake.

It’s tough to make that 25 grams a day. A slice of whole meal bread for instance has 2 grams of fibre. A banana has 3 grams.

What you need to do is stop looking at upping your fibre as being a short-term solution. It needs to be something you incorporate into your everyday routine.

According to Nutritionist Suzie Burrell, who wrote for Taste, “As a general rule of thumb, consuming two pieces of fruit and 2-3 cups of vegetables on a daily basis is an easy way to get at least half of your daily fibre requirements.”

So what about the rest? Well it is pretty important to get it right, so here are some tips you can use.

1. Why not try a daily supplement like Benefiber^®?

Benefiber^® is an invisible, tasteless fibre supplement that dissolves completely, this means you can add it to just about anything. Simply stir a couple of teaspoons into your glass of water, coffee or juice. Add it to your yogurt or pop it into your cooking. You won’t even notice it’s there. You can even add it to recipes to bump up the fibre content.

You can get some great recipes which actually add fibre to your diet from the Benefiber^® website.

2. Choose bran or oat based breakfast cereal

Your average 30 gram serve of bran-based cereal has about 7 grams of fibre in it.

3. Sneak in some beans or even lentils to mince dishes

We all sneak in grated carrots and zucchini to the spag bol, why not sneak in some beans or lentils too…the kids will never know.

4. Bread.

Switch your bread over to a whole grain or multi grain. Simple.

5. Smoothies are great.

Smoothies are an easy recipe to sneak that Benefiber^® in. This lovely Strawberry and Almond smoothie is filled with protein, fibre, calcium and vitamin C. How good is that?

• ½ cup almond milk
• 1 cup low fat yogurt
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 tablespoon almond butter
• 1½ teaspoon maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons of Benefiber^®  powder

The thing with fibre is you just need to make it a daily part of your diet so you can get on with your day.

Easy!

What do you do to keep a healthy lifestyle?

When you’re distracted by digestion issues, you can’t think clearly. It may be that you’re not getting enough fibre in your daily diet. Benefiber^® is a 100% natural daily fibre boost that dissolves into almost anything you can think of.
Benefiber^®. Think clear.
Available at leading Supermarkets and Pharmacies.

Visit www.benefiber.com.au.