Diet low in fiber. Diet on fiber: we easily lose weight in winter and summer. Benefits, effectiveness, exemplary fiber diet menu. Diet after colonoscopy

In the composition of many products for weight loss, you can find a component such as fiber. In addition, in the departments of diabetic nutrition, they even have it, but already in a purified form. In the description of the chemical composition of the diet, in addition to proteins, fats and carbohydrates, the recommended fiber content is also indicated. In general, in recent times, almost unanimously confirmed the need for various types of fiber when losing weight. In addition to the fact that this product is actively used as part of proper nutrition, separate systems are even created on its basis. A diet rich in fiber is not a very fast, but also extremely simple, and most importantly, an easy way to reduce weight.

The cell is also called dietary fiber. It is the coarse tissue found in plant foods. Most fiber can be found in fresh vegetables, cereals, and wholemeal baked goods. Bran, well-known and popular for weight loss, is mostly fiber.
During heat treatment, fiber loses its properties. That is why, when losing weight, it is fresh vegetables or cereals soaked in cold water that are most useful. You can find so-called pure fiber in the diabetic nutrition store or in similar specialty departments. As a rule, it is produced from cereals, fruits of plants. For example, you can find fiber from cedar or flax.
Such fiber is dietary fiber purified in a special way. There are fewer useful substances in them than in the original product, but despite this, fiber is considered an excellent source of vitamins and minerals.
Nevertheless, when losing weight, vitamins from fiber are of no use to us at all. To reduce weight, it is the properties of this component that will be required, and there are a lot of them.
Let's start from the very beginning. Fiber has a very airy, porous texture. Once in the stomach, it begins to absorb liquid, swell and noticeably increase in size. If you eat just one spoonful of fiber, then, due to its expansion, you can fill half of the entire volume of the stomach. This property of fiber is used to quickly get enough, without consuming a large number of calories. It turns out that thanks to dietary fiber, you can lose weight without any worry.
In addition, fiber works inside the stomach as an abrasive. Its rough edges and particles remove from the walls of the digestive tract all the remnants of food, debris, toxins and toxins that could accumulate there for years. It is for this reason that during various diseases associated with the work of the stomach, but not causing damage to their walls, it is recommended to eat as much dietary fiber as possible.
Most of the fiber in the stomach is simply not digested, which further increases the feeling of satiety. After all, when our stomach works, it does not send hunger signals to the brain.
After all this complex work, most of the dietary fiber that has entered the stomach is sent in its original form to the intestines. There, fiber also cleans its walls, and at the same time also removes all debris from the body in a natural way. As a result, we get a cleansing of the body, due to which our metabolic processes begin to work much faster. In general, when losing weight, fiber is a solid benefit.

A diet rich in fiber helps not only due to the beneficial properties of the main product. In addition, we affect excess weight by reducing the calorie content of the diet, increasing physical activity. In this difficult matter of weight loss, a lot of small tricks and recommendations help.
Despite the fact that we act on extra pounds from several sides at once, weight loss does not happen too quickly: only minus 4–5 kg per month. If you are used to hard methods of weight loss, then such successes may seem meager for you, but do not forget that during such a diet you will eat anything, you will not feel hungry. Never during a diet will your mood drop, just because you cannot afford your favorite treat.
Do not forget also that this is the rate of weight loss that is considered beneficial, both by general practitioners and nutritionists.

The fiber diet is not too strict. Fiber itself will not be your only food for a long time. Instead, you need to follow the general rules:
- Every day you need to eat at least 5 tablespoons with a slide of fiber. You can add it to cereals, mix with juices and sour-milk drinks. You can eat fiber both during the day and in the evening.
- Drink at least 2 liters of water daily. It is especially useful in combination with fiber, because it speeds up metabolism and somewhat fills the volume of the stomach, so as not to interfere with digestion, it is best to drink water in the morning.
- Your entire diet should be divided into 6 meals. Eating in the evening is not only not forbidden, but also necessary. The last meal should be 2-3 hours before bedtime. So the rule of not eating after six will only be effective if you go to bed at 8:00.
- All food should be divided into protein and carbohydrate. You should study this question in more detail. Carbohydrates should be eaten only in the morning, and in the evening most of the food should contain mainly proteins.
- Cook food rule, it also makes sense. Do not fry or use stewing. It is best to cook food, cook it for a couple, in the oven. In the most extreme case, you can use non-stick cookware.

The main foods rich in fiber are:
- Fresh vegetables.
- Fresh fruits.
- Any cereals, but especially buckwheat, oatmeal or millet.
- Beans.
- Grain pastries or products made from coarse flour.
- Coarse wheat pasta.
It is these products that should be the basis of your diet, but you can supplement all of them with other foods so that the diet is the most dietary and balanced:
- Dietary meats such as veal, horse meat, rabbit, etc.
- Poultry meat, except duck and goose. Before cooking, you need to remove the skin from the bird.
- From the fish we choose only skinny varieties. No salted, smoked or canned fish.
- Do not fry eggs, but you can eat them boiled as much as you like. Do not forget that yolks are solid carbohydrates, and proteins are the other way around.
- Sugar substitutes, spices and seasonings.
Most of the products used during such a diet provide the body with all the necessary substances for normal operation. Therefore, the period of compliance with such a diet is unlimited. You can follow her rules exactly until you reach your ideal weight.

What does an example diet menu look like?

With a fiber diet, the menu can be interesting and varied. Here are some examples:

Lunch: chicken soup in low-fat broth with white beans instead of potatoes; a glass of kefir with the addition of a tablespoon of bran; a glass of green tea with a sugar substitute.
Snack: strawberry pastille; black tea without additives.
Second dinner: curdled milk with fiber.

Breakfast: cottage cheese casserole with coconut and fiber; green tea with lemon, if desired, you can replace it with coffee.

Snack: scrambled egg white pancake stuffed with soft cream cheese, pieces of boiled breast and fresh favorite vegetables; as a sauce, use a mixture of low-fat sour cream and mustard.
Second dinner: eggs stuffed with a mixture of yolks, sour cream, garlic and fiber.

Snack: half a grapefruit, a glass of any fruit juice without sugar and with added fiber.
Lunch: stuffed tomatoes with buckwheat and turkey; carrot salad with hot spices and a small amount of vegetable oil; a glass of kefir with fiber.
Snack: a little fat-free cottage cheese with sour cream, strawberry puree (you can take baby food, because it does not contain harmful sugar) and fiber.
Dinner: pollock fillet fried on a non-stick coating; green salad as a side dish, you can add fiber to it, and season it with low-fat sour cream or natural yogurt; a glass of rosehip broth.

Breakfast: fat-free cottage cheese with banana slices, strawberries, a spoonful of fiber, a few boiled eggs; black coffee with sugar substitute.
Lunch: oven-baked rabbit leg with mustard sauce; boiled millet as a side dish; a little lettuce and fresh tomatoes, red onions, vegetable oil and vinegar; compote of berries on a sugar substitute.
Snack: natural yogurt with orange slice and fiber.
Second dinner: salad of fresh tomatoes and cucumbers with fiber and kefir for dressing.

Breakfast: oatmeal in skim milk with the addition of a small spoonful of honey and a spoonful of fiber; a glass of coffee without milk and sugar.
Snack: kefir with honey and fiber.
Lunch: stuffed tomatoes with buckwheat and chicken fillet; carrot salad with hot spices and a small amount of vegetable oil; a glass of kefir with the addition of fiber.
Snack: green apple and a glass of yogurt with fiber.
Dinner: boiled beef with a creamy sauce of sour cream, horseradish and garlic; boiled green beans with the addition of a drop of soy sauce; a glass of any juice with the addition of fiber.
Second dinner: a glass of curdled milk with sugar substitute and fiber.

Breakfast: rye bread with dietary ham, lettuce, cucumber or tomato, (several sandwiches are possible); grated carrot salad with sugar substitute; black tea with milk and honey.
Snack: rye bread toast with boiled egg and cheese (either warm the toast or put the cheese on the hot toast to melt it); compote of their dried fruits on a sugar substitute.
Lunch: a little dietary chicken broth with fillet pieces; boiled buckwheat porridge; steam turkey cutlet with added fiber; a glass of tomato juice diluted with water.
Snack: a few soft-boiled eggs; dietary jelly based on a sugar substitute.
Dinner: chicken fillet rolls with cottage cheese and garlic; boiled green peas (only young) as a side dish; seaweed salad; drink of your choice.
Second dinner: natural yogurt with fiber and stevia.

Breakfast: cheesecakes cooked on a non-stick coating with banana and fiber; some wholemeal rye bread with a slice of cheese and tomato; coffee with milk but no sugar.
Snack: kefir with honey and fiber.
Lunch: stuffed tomatoes with minced beef; carrot salad with hot spices and a small amount of vegetable oil; a glass of kefir with the addition of fiber.
Snack: kefir with honey and fiber.
Dinner: boiled chicken breast; salad of greens, tomatoes and cucumbers with the addition of bran and a small amount of kefir as a dressing; chamomile tea with sugar substitute.
Second dinner: kefir with honey and fiber.

Does the diet have contraindications?

For the most part, a fiber-based diet is formulated according to the rules of healthy eating. It will allow you not only to improve your figure, but also to put your health in order. However, not everyone will benefit from this amount of fiber.
For example, with different types of gastritis, eating a lot of foods rich in fiber is not worth it. They can severely damage the already irritated walls of the stomach. In case of any other stomach problems, a specialist should be consulted.
In all other cases, the diet is completely safe. It can be made suitable for any disease by simply eliminating certain foods that in this situation will be especially harmful. Since the diet is very diverse, individual prohibitions will not affect the final results.
To further confirm the safety of the fiber diet, read the reviews. Some girls were prescribed such systems during pregnancy or breastfeeding when they gained weight too quickly.

What do they write in reviews about the diet?

Fiber always collects laudatory reviews as a means for losing weight. You can talk about its benefits forever. All qualities not only help to lose weight, but also restore health. A high-fiber diet is also in high demand, but still it is not so flattering anymore. The fact is that her results are not as fast as, for example, those of mono-diets. In one month, you can lose something about 5 kg. In this case, reviews are not what you should pay attention to in the first place. In fact, a fiber diet is a healthy and very healthy way to lose weight and will help everyone achieve good results.

This is one of the effective methods of losing weight, which has become an integral part for every girl and woman. Every female who wants to get her figure in great shape and get closer to the generally accepted indicators of the ideal female body "90-60-90" can do this thanks to a fiber diet and regular exercise. Everything is in our hands, you can easily achieve the desired result if you have a clearly set goal. The main thing is to believe in your abilities, set yourself up for positive, be strict and be patient, because this is the key to the success of any diet.

The essence of the diet on fiber, useful properties, benefits

The diet is based on the use of those foods that contain large amounts of fiber. And these are ordinary plant fibers (a type of polysaccharide), usually there are a lot of them in apples, white cabbage and all other green vegetables and fruits. The advantage of this type of diet is that by eating foods rich in fiber, the passage of food through the gastrointestinal tract is accelerated, thereby preventing constipation, reducing the risk of developing a condition such as diverticulitis (this is inflammation of one or more diverticula (saccular protrusion in any part (wall) of the colon). Plant fibers consist of soluble and insoluble, which are very necessary for normal metabolism. As for the amount of fiber consumed, it is proportional to the daily calorie content, if you increase it, then you definitely need to add the amount of food, which contain a lot of plant fibers.The average amount is not less than 25 grams per day.The best sources are flax grains, whole grains, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers.

Beneficial features:

Improving the physical qualities of products such as smoothness, velvety and mouthfeel;
Cleansing the gastrointestinal tract from all toxins and products that have accumulated in the stomach during digestion;
Improves cholesterol, blood sugar (if they are elevated, then after eating plant fibers they decrease);
The state of the cardiovascular system improves significantly;
Reduces the risk of gallstone formation;
High nutritional value.

To improve the final result, the following main rules must be observed:

Before use, you should consult a doctor or nutritionist;
Eat four to five times a day;
Eat fractionally, chew food thoroughly;
Observe the drinking regime (drink between meals, drink from one to two liters of pure water without flavorings and gas per day);
The foundation of nutrition is foods that contain a lot of fiber;
The last meal is not later than seven o'clock in the evening;
During the diet, regular exercise in the gym is recommended;
You should buy only fresh products and according to seasonality (you can not buy tomatoes and cucumbers in winter, as they do not contain the right amount of fiber and vitamins);
The duration of the diet is no more than three weeks, you can repeat it no more than three times a year;
Strictly exclude the use of foods prepared by the fried method, as well as high in fat;
You can not eat dairy products with a percentage of fat more than two;
Banned fast food, fast food, fatty meat;
It is allowed to cook in a slow cooker, double boiler, as well as boil, stew, bake in the oven or on the grill;
At the time of the diet, you should not drink alcoholic beverages, and you should also give up other bad habits (smoking);
It is very important to observe the sleep schedule (this is the key to a good mood and healing of the immune system);
The main focus should be on preparing breakfast, since it should be quite nutritious, but at the same time light.

Fiber is a unique natural substance, as it does not destroy all substances in a row, but selectively, only those due to which the digestion process worsens. As you already understood, this method of losing weight is quite useful, in addition to good weight loss, it will improve your health.

Varieties of diet on fiber, features of the diet menu

The diet menu is very diverse, you can use the following products: citrus fruits, beans, grains, cereals, nuts. For breakfast, you can use oatmeal porridge and cereal, for lunch or afternoon snack, eat apples or other fruits. If you want to make your own diet, then some dishes are recommended for you, which contain a lot of plant fibers. These include:

A plate of grated fresh carrots - about three grams of fiber;
In a serving of lettuce - the same amount;
A plate of rice contains about one and a half grams of plant fibers;
One slice of cereal bread contains about two grams of fiber;
An orange contains about two grams.

If you consume the required amount of fiber every day, then the result will come in a few days and the weight loss process will go smoothly and comfortably.

The 7 Day Fiber Diet. Over time, up to two to three kilograms are lost, it all depends on your efforts, but especially on the physiology of the body. This type of diet can also be called vegetarian, it is allowed to drink plain water and green tea. Basically, you need to follow the rules and, if possible, do not break the diet.
An example of a diet for seven days.
Monday.
Breakfast - we cook oatmeal with milk and dried fruits.
Lunch - one apple.
Lunch - an omelette of two chicken eggs, a salad of broccoli, arugula and cucumbers.
Snack - apricots in their own juice (with a low amount of sugar).
Dinner is the same as breakfast.
Tuesday.
Breakfast - Herculean porridge with low-calorie milk and nuts.
Lunch - one green apple.
Lunch - a salad of one boiled egg, stewed rice and watercress.
Snack - two peaches.
Dinner - half of the morning portion of porridge.
Wednesday.
Breakfast - oatmeal with milk (low fat).
Lunch - one orange.
Lunch - Greek salad (possible without feta).
Snack - one banana.
Dinner - ½ portion of the dish that you cooked for breakfast.
Thursday.
Breakfast - rice milk porridge.
Lunch - one grapefruit.
Lunch - lettuce leaves, cauliflower, one boiled egg, chop all this and add to the salad.
Snack - one vitamin apple.
Dinner - cook rice with peas, corn and beans in a slow cooker or steam.
Friday.
Breakfast - oatmeal without oil, cooked in water, one boiled egg.
Lunch is half a pomelo.
Lunch - about 100 grams of peas, scrambled eggs with vegetables.
Afternoon snack - the second half of the pomelo.
Dinner - prepare the same dish as for breakfast, only half the portion.
Saturday.
Breakfast - oatmeal porridge with a fermented milk product (yogurt or milk).
Lunch - one ripe apple.
Lunch - rice with vegetables, one boiled egg.
Snack - an apple.
Dinner is the same dish as for the morning meal, only in a reduced amount.
Sunday.
Breakfast - kefir with wheat germ.
Lunch - one orange.
Lunch - buckwheat porridge with a salad of green vegetables.
Snack - one small grapefruit.
Dinner - oatmeal with low-fat yogurt.
Five day fiber diet. The essence is the same as with any other. Eat as many products with vegetable fibers as possible, but do not exceed the permitted rate. If you have a food allergy to some of the ingredients in your diet, then you need to replace them immediately.
Menu for five days.
1st day.
Breakfast - a portion of any porridge with milk, a cup of natural unsweetened coffee.
Lunch - a glass of yogurt, one apple.
Lunch - a plate of broccoli soup without potatoes, a cup of green tea.
Afternoon snack - curd dessert with a banana, cooked at home.
Dinner - a salad of vegetables, which contain a lot of fiber.
2nd day.
Breakfast - corn porridge with milk, you can add a little sugar.
Lunch - a glass of fermented baked milk, which contains a low percentage of fat.
Lunch - a plate of cream of mushroom soup, bread with whole grains.
Snack - a glass of nuts.
Dinner - a salad of any vegetable with fiber content and with linseed oil.
3rd day.
Breakfast - barley porridge with milk, a cup of green tea.
Lunch - one small pear.
Lunch - soup with beans, one boiled egg.
Snack - one medium-sized banana.
Dinner - a portion of seafood.
4th day.
Breakfast - rice with low-calorie milk.
Lunch - two peaches.
Lunch - vegetable soup (without meat and potatoes).
Snack - cottage cheese with fresh fruits (grapes, apple, pear).
Dinner - steamed vegetables, two egg scrambled eggs.
5th day.
Breakfast - whole grain toast, cucumber salad, broccoli, herbs and tomatoes.
Lunch is one juicy pear.
Lunch - salmon soup with cream.
Snack - nuts or dried fruits.
Dinner - a salad of seasonal fruits.
Long-term diet for two weeks. The menu is quite simple and therefore the diet is very easy to follow. It is scheduled for two weeks. The menu is based on the nutrition of the first dietary day.
Ration for one day.
For the whole day, you need to drink one liter of low-calorie kefir, dividing it into four doses (it is recommended to buy fiber at the pharmacy and add it to kefir by a teaspoon, after three dietary days, increase to two). If you do not like this fermented milk product, then you can replace it with yogurt. In addition to all this, you can use any dietary products (vegetables, fruits, cereals, meat). But not more than 200 grams per meal. You can drink plain water or unsweetened tea.
Light fiber diet. Duration no more than two weeks. Use only those foods that have a minimum amount of calories. Strictly observe the drinking regime and the main rules.
Menu for one diet day.
Breakfast - a salad of peaches, pears and apples, you can season with yogurt (but so that there are no additives).
Lunch - oatmeal, milk and half a glass of raspberries.
Lunch - spinach soup, rice with vegetables.
Afternoon snack - about 50 grams of oatmeal on the water, chop the apple and banana and add to the porridge.
Dinner - fruit platter.

How to get out of a fiber diet

For the correct observance of the post-diet days, you must follow some simple rules on which the consolidation of the result obtained from using the diet depends. The bottom line is this:

You can introduce products at least every two days;
Use the following ingredients - fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy products, cereals and any cereals, seafood, salinity, sweets (in moderation);
Continue to observe the drinking regime;
Daily calorie content after a week of release should not exceed more than 2000 kcal;
Eat only light foods for dinner and no later than seven in the evening;
Observe fractional nutrition.

In addition to everything listed above, it is necessary to pay special attention to sports. In order to make the body beautiful, embossed, toned, to bring muscle and skin tone back to normal, you should regularly visit the gym. To do this, draw up a program according to which in the future, you will be engaged, you need to touch all muscle groups. It is also recommended to visit the swimming pool, fitness studios, step aerobics. To care for problem skin, go for a massage, bath, sauna, beauty salons. Go for a run in the morning, systematically take a contrast shower, and go for a walk in the evening.

Disadvantages of fiber diet contraindications

This type of food is so useful that it does not have any significant disadvantages, let alone side effects.
Contraindications include:

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (ulcers, gastritis, enterocolitis);
Pregnancy
Children and the elderly;
Condition after surgery;
Hormonal changes;
Violation of the psycho-emotional state;
Oncological diseases;
All acute and chronic processes in the body.

Fiber diet: menu, reviews. A diet based on the consumption of a large amount of fiber appeared at the end of the twentieth century, it was developed by English scientists and proved its effectiveness. In modern women, this diet is very popular.

Scientists have proven that weight directly depends on the amount of fiber consumed per day.. For those who want to lose weight, you need to eat 13 to 19 grams of fiber per day. This diet promises to reduce weight by five to six kilograms. If you do not want your health to decrease with weight loss, do not use the diet for more than two weeks and do not repeat before a month. In addition to weight loss, this diet is considered beneficial for the whole body as a whole.

The benefits of fiber are:

1. It is rough and hard to digest, which contributes to the slow absorption of nutrients. It also contributes to the fact that not everything that you eat is absorbed, and therefore, to replenish the necessary energy, the body uses its own fat reserves.

2. Fiber, due to its coarse texture, helps to cleanse the entire body of various harmful substances, toxic elements and poisons.

3. With proper fiber intake, the risk of many diseases, for example, diseases of the stomach or diseases of the vascular system, is reduced.

Diet on fiber - the basic rules

The main rules that are taken into account in this diet are the consumption of fewer high-calorie foods, and more consumption of high-fiber foods. Fiber creates a feeling of fullness in the stomach and quickly satisfies the feeling of hunger.

Some fiber foods are high in calories, such as nuts or dried fruit. In this case, you need to be careful, and it is advisable to count calories.

A large amount of fiber is found in foods such as:

leafy vegetables;

roots;

legumes;

fruit;

berries;

nuts;

dried fruits;

wholemeal flour;

cereals.

In order for you to understand how to eat during this diet, we provide you with an approximate menu for the day, from which you can build on throughout the diet.

Diet on fiber - the basis of the menu

For breakfast, it is advisable to eat cereals (oatmeal for example) without adding salt, sugar and butter, you can add low-fat milk and some fruits (for example, an apple and a banana).

For lunch, you can eat something more substantial. For example, lean meat (chicken breast, chicken chop) with vegetables(can be stewed).

For dinner you can have boiled fish (such as cod) with rice, some porridge with vegetables, wash it all down with freshly squeezed juice.

In order not to experience hunger, try to make your menu as varied as possible.

If you cannot live without sweets, then you can replace them with dried fruits, but do not get carried away.

During the day, in addition to the main meals, you can eat fruits and drink mineral water without gas.

If you follow all the rules, you can easily part with extra pounds and cleanse your body of harmful substances.

The fiber diet is gaining more and more popularity over time. This is due to the fact that when it is observed, it is easiest to get rid of extra pounds. Diet developers, with the help of scientific research, have proved that fiber or dietary fiber is a component of the intercellular membrane of grains, plants, seeds.

And most importantly, fiber is contained in the outer layers, which are disposed of during cooking. That's what it's worth include in the diet of their food "unrefined" products and food containinga large amount of fiber. If earlier fiber was considered one of the unnecessary components of the product, then at present the situation has changed radically and doctors believe that it needs to enrich everything that is possible.

Exist two types of fiber soluble and insoluble). Soluble fiber is abundant in grains and legumes, fruits, vegetables, and seafood. The second type of fiber is also present in grains and legumes. But especially a lot of it is found in brown rice. In addition to all other useful properties of fiber based on it, it is useful in that fiber promotes the removal of harmful toxins and toxins from the body, cleanses the intestines.

Fiber gives impetus to weight loss by the fact that it does not dissolve in the stomach, but when it swells it fills it, gives a feeling of fullness.

Fiber contains no calories at all and the feeling of satiety comes from substances that do not manifest themselves in the form of weight gain. But in order to maintain the correct nutritional balance, lose weight and simultaneously feel healthy both types of fiber should be consumed.

All of the above can be summarized in one simple and short rule: eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible, as well as whole grains, and then the body and nature will do all the work.

Unbelievable, but it is a fact: scientists from the Oxford Institute came to the following conclusion, the more you eat foods rich in fiber, the more you lose weight. In the future, this statement was confirmed in practice during experiments with the participation of those who wanted to lose weight.

By including in your diet required amount fiber, daily you can lose from one hundred and fifty up to one hundred and seventy-five kilocalories. In comparison, to lose the same number of calories, you would have to run for twenty minutes. Well, you have to make smart decisions.

An example of a fiber diet menu

Breakfast:

milk porridge 200 g with a small (!) Addition of sugar or honey, if desired;
sugar free coffee;
vitamins.

Lunch:

ryazhenka 250 g;
fiber 2 tablespoons;
medium apple;
green tea without sugar.

Dinner:

bowl of mushroom soup (composition: mushrooms, potatoes, onions, salt);
sweet yogurt 250 g;
fiber 2 tablespoons.

Afternoon snack:

ryazhenka 250 g;
fiber 2 tablespoons;
tea without sugar.

Dinner:

sweet yogurt 250 g;
fiber 2 tablespoons;
cucumber or tomato;
tea without sugar.

Content:

Why is it important to eat foods containing fiber if it is not absorbed in the intestines?

Dietary fiber can be of two types: soluble and insoluble. Each of these groups has unique properties and plays a special role in the normal functioning of the human body.

Soluble dietary fiber is widely distributed in nature and found in most fruits and vegetables. Once in the intestines, soluble dietary fiber turns into a gel. Soluble dietary fiber plays an important role in the normalization of metabolism and glucose in the human body (see below).
Insoluble dietary fiber is found mainly in the outer shell (husk, peel, peel) of vegetables, fruits, cereals and nuts. In the human intestine, insoluble dietary fiber absorbs water and increases significantly in volume. Due to this, the stool becomes more voluminous, but softer and easier to remove from the intestines.
In addition, being a strong absorbent, fiber absorbs various harmful substances in the intestines. Attached to cellulose molecules, these substances cannot be absorbed into the blood and are excreted from the body along with feces.

If the food consists mainly of easily digestible products and contains little fiber, then after digestion, only a small amount of "food residue" remains in the large intestine. These food residues form a very dense and dry feces, a small volume that sticks to the walls of the intestine.

Removal of such feces, as a rule, is slow and requires very hard work of the intestines.

What should be a normal stool (feces)?

The main goal of a diet rich in fiber is to ensure the normal functioning of the intestines and the formation of soft stools that are easily excreted from the body.

The concept of normal stool includes: consistency, frequency and ease of its removal.

In the history of many people suffering , it is almost always possible to single out a long "experience" of constipation, while, quite often, these people believe that they have perfectly normal stools. The reason for their delusion becomes clear if we take into account the fact that the concept of "normal stool", as well as the style (habits) of eating, are formed in childhood and are largely borrowed from relatives and people around them.

A person may seriously believe that problems with passing stools are “normal” or that they are the result of a hereditary predisposition, since “his parents have exactly the same problems.” In fact, the cause of constipation in most cases is malnutrition, which has become habitual since childhood.

How much fiber should adults, teens and children consume?

For the normal functioning of the intestines of an adult, 20-35 g of fiber is needed daily (approximately 20-25 g for women and 30-35 for men).

Children and adolescents need daily fiber equal to their age in years + 5 (for example, a seven-year-old child should receive 12 grams of fiber (7 + 5) every day).

How much plant food should you eat to get the required amount of fiber?

30-35 g of plant fibers, necessary for the normal functioning of the intestines of an adult, are contained in approximately 1-1.5 kg. plant foods, high and medium fiber (see below).

This means that in order to ensure sufficient intake of plant fibers, the basis of the human diet should be plant foods containing a large amount of dietary fiber.

High Fiber Diet Guide

Below are detailed recommendations on how to effectively organize a diet (diet) with sufficient fiber content. These instructions will be especially helpful for people who understand the importance of a healthy diet and would like to enrich their diet with high fiber foods, but do not know where to start and how to do it.

Step 1. Determine the present state of affairs

For several days (best within 1 week), write down all the foods that you consume during the day and their approximate amount.

As you make the list, mark plant foods on it (you can even calculate the approximate amount of fiber you get per day from these foods using the table at the end of the article). This will help you figure out how much fiber you are consuming per day.

Step 2: Make a change plan

With the list of high-fiber foods at the end of this article and your list of foods you eat every day handy, see what low-fiber foods you can substitute for high-fiber foods in your diet.

Step 3A. Change your diet

Knowing what products you can and want to replace - start the change. However, do not rush to change everything in one day. A very abrupt change in diet and the consumption of a large amount of high-fiber foods at once can cause abdominal pain and bloating (this is the reason why many people almost completely exclude such foods extremely rich in dietary fiber from their diet as beans, peas, cabbage). Give your gut time to gradually adjust to the change in diet.

The introduction of foods high in plant fiber is most convenient to start with breakfast. After following the recommendations in step 2, try replacing some of the low-fiber foods with high-fiber foods.

After a few days, try changing the composition of your lunch, and after a few more days, change your dinner.

Different people may respond differently to the same amount of dietary fiber, so don't pay too much attention to the math of your total fiber content in your diet, but focus on your own well-being.

The goal of changing your diet should not be to consume a specific amount (for example, 30 g) of fiber per day, but to achieve a state of good health, in particular, the establishment of regular and easy bowel movements (see above what should be a normal stool).

Step 3B. Try to drink at least 8 glasses (250 ml) of water a day

As mentioned above, in the intestines, dietary fiber absorbs water like a sponge, and it is thanks to this that the feces of people consuming enough fiber remain soft. If you try to eat foods rich in dietary fiber, but drink little water, the effect may be the opposite: the feces will become dense.

For several days, write down the amount and type of fluid you consume.

If, when calculating the amount of fluid you drink, you notice that you consume less than 2 liters of fluid per day and / or that you consume the main amount of fluid in the form of milk, coffee, tea, drinks containing alcohol, then it would be wise to start treating constipation in your case with ensure that the body receives enough water:

In addition to any drinks and liquid foods, drink at least 8 glasses of 250 ml. water per day
Try to limit your intake of tea, coffee, and alcoholic beverages, as they are diuretic and can make constipation worse. If you do not want to completely give up these drinks - drink an additional 1 glass of water after each serving of these drinks.
Try to limit your intake of milk and dairy products, especially if you notice that they can make your constipation worse.