Niki Bezzant: Feel-good fibre

Smoothies made from fruit and veges are a good source of fibre. Photo / Getty Images

We don't like to talk about our bowels in polite society. It makes us squeamish or it makes us laugh; or both. Probably, though, we should talk about how our guts are going a bit more often. Because it appears lots of us have bowel issues.

A survey of New Zealand women by cereal company Kellogg's found more than half the respondents suffered from bloating as a result of digestive discomfort many times a month. But most don't talk about it and most don't confidently know what to do to eliminate their symptoms.

Bloating is a nebulous term that could be down to lots of things. Dietitian Angela Phillips sees people regularly who have had symptoms for years. "Often they say they just thought it was normal," she says.

Sometimes bloating can be a symptom of food-related issues such as irritable bowel syndrome or food intolerance. But a more likely cause could be something far less drastic. A feeling of bloating can be caused by simply eating too much at once; eating too quickly, or leaving it too long between meals.

The Kellogg's survey found that 17 per cent of women said they ate less frequently to reduce bloating. This may contribute to the problem. "We know that when we eat frequently we stimulate the digestive system," says Phillips. "So going a long period of time without eating is more likely to trigger bloating."

Constipation is a common cause of bloating. Before skipping straight to supplements to help move things along, or experimenting with eliminating foods from our diets, a more simple solution could be to add fibre.

Most New Zealanders don't get enough fibre for good health. Apart from helping beat the bloat, fibre has other health benefits. Higher-fibre diets are associated with reduced risk of diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. Foods high in fibre are lower in energy and because fibre slows the rate of digestion, it helps us to feel full, which is great for weight control.

Getting more fibre doesn't mean we have to munch through piles of cardboard-like bran. It's not difficult to get lots of fibre into our day; we just have to think about what we already know is healthy: eating lots of plant-based foods.

Because it's important to get a range of different types of fibre, we need to get it from a range of sources, including vegetables and whole grains. Giving up grains — a feature of some popular diets at present, including the paleo diet — can make it much more difficult to get that range and balance of fibre, just as it can if we don't eat enough vegetables and fruit.

Phillips recommends not skipping breakfast, because breakfast is an easy time to get some whole grains in the form of cereal or grainy bread. Instead of fruit and vege juices, go for smoothies where the fibre is retained. If you're eating a rice or pasta meal, switch to brown or wholegrain. Stay well hydrated. And remember your veges: the more, the better.

Other things to look at if you're still feeling bloated include eating frequency — make sure you're eating regularly — and the pace of eating; slow is good. Have an honest look at your portions, too — keeping them reasonable can help.

Finally it's important to note that any ongoing bowel symptoms shouldn't be ignored. We have a serious issue with bowel cancer in New Zealand and part of the reason for our poor outcomes is that too many of us literally sit on our symptoms. We need to get over our squeamishness and if in doubt, get it checked.

• Niki Bezzant is editor-in-chief of Healthy Food Guide magazine.