Dr. Mandelbaum sees many patients for issues and complaints that can be improved drastically by having a sufficient amount of insoluble fibre in your diet. Problems that can often be treated by increasing your fibre include, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, hemorrhoidal bleeding, anal fissure and anal itching.
In Canada most people do not consume enough insoluble fibre. In Canada many people consume a diet that has an excessive amount of highly processed white carbohydrate.
If you are coming to the office Dr Mandelbaum is very likely to tell you the following, and this advice can be useful for everyone:
- Avoid all white carbohydrates. These include white bread, white rice, white pasta and regular potato.
- If you do eat rice/bread/pasta make it brown, or whole wheat. (but still eat little of these)
- You should eat 4 servings of raw fruit every day minimum. Unfortunately bananas are constipating.
- You should eat one large raw green salad every day. Kale, spinach, lettuce, arugula, sprouts, carrots, celery etc.
- You can include in your salad nuts, berries and especially olive oil. Olive oil is very good for you and will help make you feel like you have had enough to eat. Protein such as chicken, meats and fish are great to add to your salad.
- Fibre supplements such as Restoralax and metamucil are encouraged and can be taken every day.
Adhering to the diet above will help you lose weight, get diabetes under control, reduce colon cancer risk and make you feel much better.
When starting we suggest getting into it gradually, easing into it over a few weeks. An abrupt change can make it more likely that you will not sustain the change.
Use this link to calculate how much fibre you should consume!
https://www.omnicalculator.com/health/fiber
Then use this link to calculate how much fibre you are getting in your diet right now!
https://globalrph.com/medcalcs/fiber-calculator-great-tool-for-dieters/
Amazing dietician website!:
https://www.unlockfood.ca/en/default.aspx
5 minute presentation on fibre with amounts you should have and directions:
If you watch only one video make it this one!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmS4mce5Zn0
This pamphlet from Hamilton Health Services gives easy instructions on how to increase your fibre:
Canada Food Guide:
https://food-guide.canada.ca/en
This video explains soluble vs insoluble fibre (a little scientific but worth watching):
Long excellent presentation about fibre and its benefits for those who want lots of detail: