Fibre in your diet

You may have heard about the benefits of including fibre in your diet. Some of you may have been under the assumption that fibre is rough, dry and grainy and is present only in bran and cereals.

Although there is some truth about the sources of fibre (it is present in wholegrain cereals, rice, pasta and bread), this is not the whole truth.

Besides the above mentioned sources, there are many richer and tastier sources of fibre such as certain varieties of fruit and vegetables.

Another well-known, but generally ignored fact about fibre is that humans just aren't getting enough of it, despite fibre being an essential component of a well-balanced diet. A research carried out in the UK has revealed that only one in five persons consume enough of it in their diets.

Fibre is important as it helps cleanse the digestive system by helping it to remove food waste and toxins. It can help regulate the energy released from food, thereby contributing to stabilising the body's blood sugar levels throughout the day. Also, since some high-fibre food can give us a feeling of fullness over a longer period, they may reduce the temptation to enjoy snacks between meals.

One of the easiest ways to get the recommended daily amount of fibre is to eat wholegrain food and five portions of fruit or vegetables.

This won't be so tough if your diet comprised these elements mixed with fibre-rich nuts and beans.

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Fibre facts

* The recommended daily intake of fibre should be 24 grams.

* A UK survey revealed that 83 per cent of adults were not aware of how much fibre they should consume.

* Only about 13 per cent of people ate the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables per day.

* A pear contains about five grams of fibre.

* A slice of wholegrain bread has about 2.5 grams of fibre.

* You can increase your fibre intake by adding beans, pulses and lentil to soups and stews; choosing a bran-based cereal or varieties that contain wholegrain; sprinkling a handful of nuts or seeds over salads and stir-fries; and having peas, sweet potatoes or carrots as part of your meal.

Conservation:

Help keep our pachyderms safe

They are the biggest animals on land and have proved very useful to man in numerous ways when domesticated. In fact, the most venerated Buddhist relic, the Sacred Tooth Relic is carried by one of these gentle giants of the wild who has been especially trained for this purpose.

Today these animals which once roamed the jungles in large numbers are fast dwindling; they have now become a threatened species and needs to be protected from those who hunt them down.

Elephants as you know are killed not only for their valuable tusks, but also because they invade villages and destroy crops and property.

The elephant - man conflict is a never ending problem faced by many villagers. However, when more and more forest cover is cut down to clear land for cultivation and development projects, destroying the natural habitat of wild life, large animals such as elephants are bound to become a threat to human settlements.

It is therefore important to always make provisions for the relocation of such animals from these areas when drawing up plans for any development projects.

Most of you may be familiar with some of the sanctuaries set up for elephants in various parts of the country, such as Pinnawela and Eth Athurusevana. Some of you may have even visited these places and enjoyed the antics of the pachyderms, especially the babies... well, how would you like to sponsor the upkeep of one of these baby elephants?

At present, there are about 30 baby elephants at Eth Athurusevana, Udawalawe being looked after at a cost of about Rs. 43,000 per day.

How did they end up here, you may wonder. Well, when a baby elephant gets wounded, stranded or orphaned in the wild as a result of man's cruel actions or any other reason such as falling into mud pits etc, the wild life conservation officers who are generally informed by concerned people.

The officers, initially make attempts to return the baby elephants to their mothers or herds once they are rescued and treated. However, if such attempts fail, they are brought to the sanctuary. Here, they are treated for whatever ailments they are suffering from, and given proper care.

Most baby elephants have shown signs of mental depression having being deprived of their mother's love and protection of the herd.

Elephants should be protected as a national treasure because if we don't, soon they too will disappear from Earth and become extinct like the mammoth and many others.

B. A. Podimahathmaya, Udawalawa Correspondent.