As I mentioned in my previous blog, pelvic floor physiotherapy can provide you with information, education, and individualized exercise that may lead to happier pooping. Commonly I will ask my patients, “how much fiber do you get in a day?” Up until I completed my anorectal course for pelvic floor physiotherapy; I never knew much about fiber, nor did I pay any attention to this. That is why I am not surprised when most answers I get from patients are… “I don’t know!”
Here is what I know:
The recommended daily indicate (RDI) for Women is 25- 30 grams of fiber/day.
The recommended daily indicate (RDI) for Men is 38 grams of fiber/day.
As per my previous blog, hydration comes first and with a dietary increase in your fiber; you must increase your water or at least drink your minimum calculated amount. If you have more fiber then water, you might find your feces are on the harder side. Increased firmness of the feces will often lead to straining and straining will often lead to hemorrhoids and in some cases a prolapse. If you drink too much water you might find your feces are soft and wiping can be messy. In this case, eat more fiber.
Sometimes our days do not allow us to drink enough water or get enough fiber. Some quick fixes for this could be drinking a larger glass of water with Restoralax to increase the water absorption to the feces in the bowel.
If you need some fiber pick up – 1 cup of bran buds will provide you with the full RDI, 2 Tbsp of Chia seeds, 1 cup of blackberries or a whole avocado will give you 1/3 of your RDI.
Here are a few links that can help you understand fiber and calculate your fiber intake:
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/nutrients/fibre.html
https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/info/nutrition/if-nfs-ng-fibre.pdf
https://www.unlockfood.ca/en/searchResults.aspx?searchTerm=fibre&searchMode=allwords
https://www.vegkitchen.com/34-best-plant-based-high-fiber-foods/
Most fiber-rich foods have a low glycemic index and can make you feel full longer. These effects can help promote healthy cholesterol levels and better stabilize blood sugar levels. By making fiber a big part of your daily eating habits, you could change the need for medications that help to stabilize cholesterol or blood sugar levels. You could say that fiber is important for preventing heart disease and diabetes! Below, is a link to suggestions for diabetics, you will notice that 3 out of the 4 recommendations for food are foods that naturally contain fiber. You will also notice, that Canada’s food guide has recently recommended that our protein sources should come from plant-based foods. This means if you follow the Canada food guide, and eat fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and proteins 4/4 of the food categories will have fiber.
Diabetes Canada Link: https://www.diabetes.ca/managing-my-diabetes/tools—resources/basic-meal-planning
Canada Food Guide Link: https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/healthy-food-choices/
In addition to fiber, Magnesium can also be beneficial to bowel health. Depending on your bowel health tendencies, one type of magnesium may benefit you more than another type. The 2 most common types that I recommend are Magnesium Citrate or Magnesium Glycinate.
For further Guidance, Book Now to see Leona Ham BSc. P.T, Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist.
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