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Ask the Dietitian is not a substitute for a consultation with a professional
who can inform you of all the facts of your particular situation. We answer
questions in general terms only, to give you information that may
used as a starting point.
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| TOPIC - Fibre |
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I have always relied on prune juice for my daily bowel movements. How can I reduce this
reliance? I don't want to take any medicine or laxative.
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| Answer |
You can gradually cut back on prune juice while introducing other high fibre foods into
your diet. High fibre foods include fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grain breads
and cereals (see answer below for high fibre fruits, vegetables & breads). You may
require up to 20 grams of fibre a day, so that would mean 2 servings each of high fibre
fruits and vegetables and 6 servings of high fibre breads & cereals per day. If you are
not eating this amount currently, you should increase the number of servings gradually as
eating too much fibre without giving your body a chance to adjust could cause bloating.
Note that 1 cup of prune juice has about 1.3 grams of fibre.
To prevent constipation, you also need to drink lots of water for the fibre to work properly.
Exercise such as walking also helps to keep the system regular.
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| Question |
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I have problems with constipation. What fruits, vegetables or breads are high in insoluble fibre?
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Fruits that are eaten with the peel (such as apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, plums, etc.)
or containing edible seeds (berries) have about 2 grams of fibre per whole fruit or half cup
of berries. You should have at least 2 fruits per day.
Vegetables such as asparagus, green beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, squash,
potato with skin on and canned tomatoes also have about 2 grams of fibre per 1/2-cup serving.
Aim for 3 servings of these fibre-rich vegetables per day.
Whole-grain or multigrain breads, wheat bran or oat bran muffins or those with added wheat germ
contain 2 grams of fibre per slice. Have at least 6 servings per day.
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| Question |
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How much fiber does a 25 yrs old female need?
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According to the Recommended Daily Dietary Allowances for
Adults, women between the ages of 18 to 59 years should have 20 grams of fibre daily.
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What benefits does fibre have? Does it prevent constipation ?
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Answer
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Dietary fibre is a collective term for plant substances that we are not able to digested
such as cellulose, hemi-cellulose, gums, and pectins. There is mainly two types of fibre
- insoluble and soluble. Insoluble fibre in the diet promotes more frequent bowel movements
and softer stools due to the increased bulk, thereby relieving constipation. A meal high in
insoluble fibre may also help to control hunger and aid in weight loss. The added bulk from
undigested fibre tend to make you feel full for longer periods. Soluble fibre, such as those
from oat products, psyllium, vegetables, and dried beans, has been shown to reduce total and
LDL cholesterol.
Most people do not eat enough dietary fibre. It is recommended that we consume 20-25 grams
of fibre daily.
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How much dietary fibre there is in a leave of lettuce?
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Answer
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Lettuce contains very little fibre inspite of the misconception that salads are high in
fibre. There is only 0.5 grams of fibre per 100 grams. If you would like to have
vegetables that are higher in fibre (about 3-7 grams per 100 grams), try the following:
peas, broccoli, baked potato skin, corn, cabbage/coleslaw, carrots and green beans,
particularly if they are eaten raw.
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| Question |
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Which type of snack is high in fibre and low in calories?
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Answer
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There are a number of snacks which are high in fibre yet are not very high in calories.
The best examples are fresh fruits with peel on such as apples, pears, grapes, etc. and
raw vegetables such as carrot sticks, broccoli and cauliflower florets. You can serve the
vegetables with a low calorie dressing such as fat free ranch or light italian vinagrette
if you do not like them plain.
Also you can try rye crackers such as Wasa, Ryvita and Kavli or low-fat bran muffin,
preferably homemade since you can cut back on the sugar and fat used. Bran cereal with
low fat milk is also a good option
Unfortunately many of the local snacks are made from white flour and thus does not contain
much fibre. Any item containing a bean filling or made from beans such as ang koo kuih with
green bean filling, red/green bean dessert soup and tau suan are relatively high in fibre.
Skip the coconut milk and you tiao for lower fat options.
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