Don't Forget Fiber
The quick answer: Over the last century, dietary sugar consumption rose as fiber intake declined. To reduce your risk of overweight and disease, eat more natural fiber than sugar.
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The 20th Century was a dietary disaster—we’ve said it before, but repetition is a principle of learning. The industrialization of our food is presented in the graph above that compares traditional diets (Developing Countries) to the modern Western diet. For the thoughtful person, there is much food wisdom in this chart.
The diet of the Western countries makes a good business—not just for the food processors that comprise Food Inc. but also for the medical establishment that treats the resulting chronic diseases. A premise of this blog is that as we eat and live better, we will have less need of doctors, drugs, and hospitals. We’ll still die, and perhaps from those same chronic diseases, but we’ll have more years of good health to enjoy, and less years of bad health to endure. (A younger person diagnosed with cancer, for example, will linger longer than an older less vigorous person with the same disease. My Father died of cancer in his 90th year, but it was just a week from diagnosis to his passing.)
Two metrics define the 20th Century damage to our dietary: the year-by-year rise of sugar consumption, and the corresponding decline in fiber intake. The third Healthy Change established the rule that food products must be made of whole grains and contain more natural fiber than sugar. Prior posts addressed sugar; this post is about fiber.
The original weight-loss marvel:
Fiber is essentially the structural material of plant cells. Whether soluble or insoluble (it doesn’t matter which, we need both), fiber is the original weight loss marvel: it provides lasting fullness yet has zero calories. In addition, fiber optimizes the rate of digestion, slowing the rate that starch enters the blood as glucose (thus softening the swings in blood sugar and insulin that cause type 2 diabetes and fat storage) while speeding the passage of food through the G.I. tract (which reduces the risk of colon cancer).
Dr. Denis Burkitt
In the course of the year we highlight twelve heroes of better nutrition, including Dr. Denis Burkitt. Dr. Burkitt served in Africa as a missionary surgeon and his keen study of disease patterns led to the ‘80s bestseller, Don’t Forget Fibre in Your Diet. (No fiber isn’t misspelled; Burkitt was English.) The informative graph displayed above is from his book. Burkitt single-handedly brought the removal of fiber by the industrialization of food to the public consciousness. From his research—he painstakingly established a large network among hospitals to monitor the incidence of diseases—Burkitt linked the disappearance of dietary fiber with modern diseases like constipation (the first sign of fiber deficiency), type 2 diabetes, heart disease, gallstones, and breast and colon cancers.
Fiber deficiency diseases:
Over the last century fiber was steadily removed from our diet by the rise of processed foods, and the chronic diseases noted above. Another result—I’ll try to be delicate here—was increased constipation. (Fiber deficiency isn’t the only cause; other factors include too little exercise or fluid intake, or a diet high in dairy products.) Most people don’t realize the danger of constipation-caused straining during bowel movements:
- Straining causes hiatal hernias, a condition where the upper portion of the stomach is forced into the chest cavity, which causes the leakage of stomach acid and heartburn. Rather than diet reform, people take antacids (Alka-Seltzer, Milk of Magnesia, Pepto-Bismol); more recently drugs to reduce acid production (Pepcid, Tagamet, Zantac) have been heavily advertised.
- Straining can force partially digested food into the appendix where it can lodge, become infected, and lead to appendicitis. Appendicitis is the most common emergency surgery of the stomach.
- Straining can cause bulges or aneurysms in the large colon and the serious disease of diverticulitis.
- Finally, straining is associated with the painful problem of hemorrhoids, which require no explanation.
Foods rich in fiber:
The humble legume—whether pea, lentil, or bean—provides more fiber than any other food. See here for the legumes highest in fiber.
Besides legumes, foods rich in fiber include (for details go here):
- Whole grains (a 2011 study showed whole grains to be significantly protective of death from all causes),
- Nuts and seeds,
- Fruits, especially berries,
- Vegetables, particularly root vegetables such as yams.
Budget Wisdom:
It’s well known that legumes provide the best nutrition value for your food dollar. What’s surprising is how little shelf space markets dedicate to dried beans, the very best food value. Selling for around a dollar per pound, you can feed the family for pennies per serving. If you’re serious about food value, this week’s Healthy Change is a natural.
Please comment: Share the ways you include legumes in your family’s diet.
Need a reminder? Download our Healthy Change reminder card. Print and fold, then place in your kitchen or on your bathroom mirror to help you remember the Healthy Change of the week.
Graph from the book Don't Forget Fiber in Your Diet by Denis Burkitt
Monday, July 25, 2011 at 12:47PM | by Skip Hellewell | 11 Comments | 3 References | Share Article | in cancer, fiber, healthy change, overweight | Email Article
Reader Comments (11)
We've been experimenting with different ways to eat beans.
black beans in soup, chili, tacos, enchiladas, pupusas, gorditas, etc.
pinto beans to make refried beans or in any of the above items
white beans in chicken salad (lots of different recipes online) or with spinach to make dip (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/everyday-italian/spinach-and-cannellini-bean-dip-recipe/index.html)
chickpeas, roasted or made into hummus
I aim for a serving a day because beans are so filling. They complement lots of other foods quite nicely. I used to shy away from them, but I really love them now. I even craved them the other day! I never thought that would happen.
I always get dried beans, so I like to cook up a week's worth ahead of time (usually 2 different types for variety). It makes it easy to just pull some beans out of the fridge/freezer and throw them in whatever I'm making. From what I understand, a serving is only 1/2 c., so it's actually pretty simple to average a serving each day.
I highly recommended doing homemade corn tortillas, pupusas, gorditas, etc. from masa harina (corn flour). Not only is it cheap, it tastes amazing compared to any tortillas that you can buy in the store. Beans and corn tortillas were made for each other. I could eat them every day.
This is a great post! If people only realized the consequences of eating highly processed convenience foods. I also blame low carb diet fads for a lot of health issues. In fact, I have currently read several books that tout exactly what you wonderful blog is trying to get across. Choosing plant based proteins, whole grains, fruits, and veggies is the healthiest way to achieve weight loss, increased energy, and improve long term health. I add cooked brown lentils into my cooked ground beef to stretch taco meat. I also add lentils into meatloaf, spaghetti sauce, soup, and stew. My kids like to mix homemade refried beans with salsa and eat them with tortilla chips. I also grind dry beans into flour with my wheat grinder, and use it along with my whole wheat flour when I make bread.
I need to incorporate more beans into our diet. I actually love beans but often forget about them.
This evening I made bean and cheese quesadillas for me and my young sons. I know I could make it healthier by using whole grain tortillas and black beans. I will make this change for next time, but we're on the right track. We also had strawberries, which are a delicious source of fiber. Yum!
Sacha, you know about pupusas? That takes me back to lovely El Salvador. Thanks for your comment. I'm going to try the home-made tortillas. Best to you.
This is good stuff, Skip! I am trying to up my whole grain consumption with steel cut oats and wheat berries for breakfast (brought to a boil and soaked overnight). Drizzle on some molasses for sweetener and I am good to go until lunch. The fiber thing is amazing when you get it right!
I did want to ask you about breakfast--keeping the overnight fast and then the best way to break it. How long is optimal? What if, during the night, you need to take some medicine with food? What would be the best approach for that?
As I understand it, your body finishes digesting and then while you sleep, it does cell repair. If you eat late at night, then your body works on digesting and doesn't get as much time for repair...what are your thoughts on this? I was reading an historical novel where they described the foods by which they broke their fast, usually ale and bread...in renaissance italy maybe it worked, but that doesn't sound good to me.
My grandparents (farmers) would eat a big noon-time meal (dinner) and then a light evening "supper", sometimes popcorn and milk or baked potatoes and retire early (by 9). I don't know if they ate first thing in the morning or did their chores and then ate breakfast. It seems that knowledge has been lost (and they are gone or I would ask them).
I thought you might have some insight.
TJ You're right, much knowledge has been lost. My own family never wrote down my Father's bread recipe. Eating late at night is problematic as it interferes with sleeping well and seems to add unwanted weight. From my own experience, the late night food craving is symptomatic of other problems, like too much stress, or too little exercise. Americans are hard workers and we have bought into the idea that "burning the midnight oil" is a virtue. Perhaps there's a message in the old saw, "Early to bed . . . " as it not only ensures adequate sleep but also keeps us in rhythm with the natural cycle of sunlight (sleeping in the dark, rising with the dawn). Re breakfast, have you considered using fresh fruit as a sweetener? Best to you.
My kids do not like beans, however I continue to offer them. I usually mix them into main dishes. Last year I decided to start making my kids a hot breakfast before school. I found a wonderful homemade buttermilk pancake mix that has oats and whole wheat flour. I keep the mix in my refrigerator and make pancakes or waffles once or twice a week. A friend of mine gave me a waffle recipe that has whole wheat flour and pinto bean flour. You can't even taste the beans. I would love to find more recipes with bean flour or ground beans.
I really appreciate your blog. Thanks for all of your efforts!
I second Sacha's comment about homemade corn tortillas. I never liked corn tortillas until I tried some homemade.They are delicious and easy to make. We have them at least once a week. I love to make up a batch of rice in my rice cooker. I add 1/2-3/4 a cup of frozen tex-mex mix (corn, onions, and bell pepper) and let it cook. When the rice is finished I add a can of black beans. Top it off with some homemade salsa, and a couple fresh corn tortillas on the side... Delicious, and excellent for lunch or a light supper.
I've been trying to replace meats with beans for most meals and have found some great bean recipes. I love this cuban black bean stew from Martha Stewart:
http://www.marthastewart.com/337366/cuban-black-bean-stew-with-rice
and we do taco soup a lot- couple cans or cups of beans, can of diced tomatoes, can of tomato sauce, cup of beef broth and some corn with a packet of taco seasoning. Super fast and yummy. Eat it with a little cheese on top and some tortilla chips!
Beans & Potato Hash
2 Servings
1 can Pinto Beans, drained and rinsed
1 large Russet Potato
1 large Celery Stalk
1/2 Red or Yellow Bell Pepper
1/2 Green Bell Pepper
1/2 Onion
2 cups Cabbage
2 Eggs
1 Tbl Olive or Canola Oil
2 Tbl Sour Cream
2 Tbl Salsa
2 tsp Parsley
Salt & Pepper
Dice the potato into small cubes. Finely dice the cabbage, onion, celery and bell peppers. In a skillet over medium low heat, add oil, potatoes, cabbage, onion, celery, bell peppers, beans, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until potatoes are done. Then turn up the heat to medium high for another 2 minutes to crisp the potatoes. Remove from pan. Crack two eggs into the pan and cook until done but yolk is still runny. Serve the potato hash with egg, salsa and sour cream on top.
Thanks for another great post.
As I'm writing this, I have a big pot of taco stew on the stove with black eye, pinto and borlotti beans! It's a new recipe so I can't wait to see how it turns out.
Don't forget that legumes aren't limited to beans and lentils, which can take a long time to cook. We often have green beans or peas with our dinner and always have raw snow peas or mange tout with our lunch. Plus it's easy to throw a handful of peanuts in a stirfry or have some natural peanut butter on toast for breakfast. You could always add some alfalfa to salads or a sandwich. Although I must admit that I really look forward to our New Year's tradition of split pea and ham soup!