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Ask the Expert
May 3, 2003
Question:
How can one keep enough good fiber in their diet to promote a healthy colon without using breads and grains?
Answer:
Fiber is definitely an important part of the diet. Fiber makes the stool more bulky. A bulkier stool will dilute the cancer-causing substances that are in foods and that are excreted in the stool, sparing the colon an assault by these chemicals. Fiber also makes the stool move faster, an effect that should reduce the time that the colon is in contact with cancer-causing chemicals in the stool.
While fiber is largely associated with grains, a much healthier source of beneficial fiber is vegetables.
When you eliminate bread and grains from your diet it is important to replace them with vegetables. Replacing grains with complex carbohydrates from vegetables will not only replace vital nutrients but will also give you most of your needed fiber.
Vegetables contain phytochemicals, powerful natural agents used by the body to cleanse, repair, and build healthy cells, organs and tissues. They also contain fiber, which gives a feeling of fullness after a meal and cleanses your digestion.
If you are juicing your vegetables, which I highly recommend, you can also eat the leftover vegetable pulp for added fiber.
Additionally, you can consider adding freshly ground organic flaxseeds to your diet. Whole organic flaxseeds can be purchased online or in most health food stores, and you can grind them immediately before you use them in a normal coffee grinder. You can use from one to six tablespoons and put it in water or as a garnish on your salad. The flaxseeds are rich in omega-3 fats and water-soluble fibers that will keep your bowels moving very similar to psyllium, which is the fiber found in most bulk laxatives.
