about eating anything at all. Three different
ways of eating had been suggested by three
different GPs: one said to go for a high-fibre
diet, another for low-fibre and a third said to
start with low fibre and increase it to high fibre!
I was referred to a dietitian but there was a
three-month wait, so I went online to find a
British Dietetic Association approved dietitian
who specialised in gut problems. I found
Cherry Hagger (cherrynutrition.net), who
practises in Essex.GETTING THE LEVEL OF FIBRE RIGHT
I was existing on mashed potato and carrot
and felt so poorly that I couldn’t go to see
her, but Cherry agreed to make a home visit,
something I’ll always be grateful for. She
said I needed a fibre-rich diet but I couldn’t
introduce it overnight, so I tried reintroducing
a limited number of foods to see how my
gut reacted.
I couldn’t tolerate some types of fibre as
well as others, so Cherry advised me to avoid
broccoli, cauliflower, baked beans and fruits
and vegetables with pips and seeds, as well as
nuts(whichcouldgetstuck in the diverticula).
I nowgetlotsoffibrefrom other types of
vegetables,suchascarrots, potatoes, sweet
potatoes,greenpeasand fruits, as well as
cerealssuchasShredded Wheat, All Bran
andporridge.I nowdefinitely get my 5-a-day
aswell,whichI neverdid before.
Cherryalsoadvisedme to drink more
fluids,asdehydrationcan be another cause
ofconstipation I’vedrunk four pints of
watera dayeversince.The combination
ofeatingfibrerichcereals and drinking more
waterhasimprovedmy gut function so much
I nowhavelooserand more frequent bowel
movementsandnolonger have to strain.
Gettingprofessionalhelp from a registered
dietitianhaschangedeverything, and
I’vealsomanagedtolose two stone.THE COMBINATION
OF EATING FIBRE-RICH
CEREALS AND DRINKING
MOREWATER HAS
IMPROVED MY GUT
FUNCTION SO MUCH
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