Fibre is important for your body at any time, but particularly when doing a detox; not having enough fibre during a time of detoxification can actually be counterproductive and may sabotage your detox efforts.
As your body releases trapped toxins from your fat cells and other body tissue (such as your lymphatic system), they are first detoxified by your liver and then dumped into the bile before being moved into the intestines for elimination. Fibre helps facilitate their elimination; it scrubs toxins from the gut which prevents their reabsorption into the body.
Fibre is a type of carbohydrate that provides no calories, adds volume to food and binds with water in your gastrointestinal tract. This provides a sense of fullness, helps to reduce hunger, and acts as a natural laxative, which helps with detoxification.
High fibre foods also supply you with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which are needed for detoxification, protection from free radical damage and a strong immune system.
A deficiency of fibre in your diet can cause irregular digestion, elevated cholesterol levels, a higher risk of developing cancer and increased body weight.
Not having enough fibre can also cause constipation. Fibre absorbs water and swells, which provides bulk inside your digestive tract, helping to keep everything soft and moving easily inside your body. Drinking lots of fluids when you increase your fibre intake is crucial, otherwise constipation may become worse!
How Fibre Assists with Weight Loss
If you eat plenty of fibre, this is usually associated with a natural reduction in the chances of overeating other calorific and unhealthy foods.
Fibre not only gives food more texture, but also improves your meal satisfaction and helps you feel fuller for longer.
Fibre delays sugar and fat absorption in your gastrointestinal tract, helping to better control energy and blood insulin levels. This contributes to less fat storage and enables you to better regulate hunger.
How much fibre do you need?
The daily target for women is 25 grams and for men, 38 grams. But you can’t eat too much fibre, there is no amount at which fibre is considered toxic for humans, providing it is coming from natural plant sources (as opposed to supplements).
The aim of increasing your fibre intake is to quickly mobilise toxins out of your body. So when we focus on a primarily plant-based diet with not too much meat and minimal (if any!) C.R.A.P foods, we can ensure we are constantly helping to support our body’s detoxification processes.
Anything else you want to know about fibre for detoxification? Ask away in the comments below!
Hi Fleur
Can we include Gluten Free Oats in our goof fibre list, and not just fruits and vegetables?
Regards, Denise
Hi Denise, yes of course. Oats are naturally gluten free, they only tend to have traces of gluten when they are made in factories that also produce gluten-containing products. So unless you have celiacs disease, you don’t need to necessarily buy gluten free (I buy organic oats from Aldi), but it’s your preference. Oats have about 9.4 grams fibre per 100g so they are a good source of fibre, but of course they don’t contain as many minerals, vitamins and antioxidants as vegetables and fruits, so I wouldn’t rely solely on oats. Variation is the key! Hope that helps 🙂
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