Are you getting enough fiber?
Everyone has heard time and time again that a diet high in fiber is important to your overall health. How do you know if you are getting enough fiber? A good indication is the size and frequency of your bowel movements. Now I understand that your elimination patterns are not exactly water cooler conversation…even I draw the line there…but given the fact that you are probably reading this from the privacy of your own home (or on your blackberry on the train), we can be frank here. I’m talking “Dear Lord that thing came out of me?” size logs here, not a few tiny little pebbles you’ve strained over for a half hour. Freakishly large in this case is good. Easy to pass is good. Straining…tiny pebbles…bad. That would indicate that you are indeed constipated, which aside from being an unpleasant situation, contributes to the onset of many preventable diseases.
Why is proper elimination so important? This is our body’s way of removing toxins from our system. Fiber plays an essential role in that it adheres to and softens the waste as it moves through the intestines, allowing for complete and easy passage at the end of the line. It cleanses the colon and promotes healthy bacteria. A high fiber diet is known to reduce the incidence of some cancers by up to 60%. It prevents appendicitis, diverticulitis, colon cancer, constipation and hemorroids.
Let’s take diverticulitis as an example here. Years of eating a low fiber diet contribute to the onset of this condition, which can be quite painful and land you in the hospital. The lack of fiber causes constipation, which leads to constantly straining over elimination. This causes pouches to develop along the intestinal tract. Tiny cuts can develop in these pouches and get infected and inflamed resulting in severe pain, fever, chills and nausea. A high fiber diet will prevent this condition from developing in the first place, which typically strikes people over age 50.
So hopefully we are all on board now that fiber is an integral part of our diet. If you think you need to increase your fiber intake (an honest look into the bowl in the morning to see what is transpiring will let you know), there are some simple ways to do so. Replacing the white stuff (processed foods, white rice, pasta, most breads, sugar, crackers) with whole grain products is a good start (brown rice, quinoa, kasha, amarenth, oats) Increasing all kinds of fruits and vegetables (especially leafy greens), nuts and seeds is another. And don’t forget about water. Proper hydration is essential in preventing constipation…2 liters a day of high quality water is a good target.
Keep your focus on adding good things into your diet rather than on removing the bad stuff, otherwise you start to feel deprived and set yourself up for failure. As you add more whole foods in, you will naturally crowd out the bad stuff. If you need some other tips for adding fiber into your diet, review these articles:
Easy ways to add greens into your diet
Raw foods: what is all the hype about?
Don’t be afraid to leave your comments here! I’ve heard some fairly entertaining accounts from people who have increased fiber in their diets and as a result become fairly obsessed over their fecal output. A few have even offered photos (please don’t)…but I would like to hear your thoughts on the topic if you so dare.
Problem with diverticulitis is once you have it, it makes it more difficult to increase your fiber as doing so can trigger an attack.
Clare, that is true. During an attack as well as right after, juicing is a great thing to do. It removes the fiber and helps you heal. Then you can gradually add more fiber back into your diet. A gradual approach is best so your body had time to adapt. Most importantly, avoid processed foods and sugar…stick to whole foods.
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