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What is the best nutritional advice ever given? Guess you will have to read on to see

W. Gifford-Jones MD & Diana Gifford-Jones

April 18, 2023

BY W. GIFFORD- JONES MD & DIANA GIFFORD-JONES

How long has this column recommended a high-fibre diet? Since March 1978 when readers were informed that processed foods create a “slow assembly line” in the bowels. Now some of the world’s most highly regarded nutritional scientists at Imperial College London say dietary fibre is “The best health advice of all time!”

What is it about fibre that is so important? Soluble fibre dissolves in the stomach and can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Insoluble fibre passes through the digestive system, supporting a faster assembly line that moves waste out, reducing the risks for hemorrhoids and colon disease that creep up when hard stools loiter the bowels.

Experts agree that women need about 25-30 grams of fibre daily, and men about 30-35 grams. Children need substantial fibre too, but on average, North Americans are consuming only 15 grams of fibre a day.

Instead, most people are choosing too much processed food: white flour, sugar, low-quality breakfast cereal, chips, pies, processed meat, and ready meals, to name a few. One must shake the head when the benefits of fibre have been known for so long.

Dr. Denis Burkitt, an Irish researcher, reported decades ago that even disadvantaged populations in Africa consumed large amounts of fibre and had healthy bowel movements. Unlike better off Europeans, they did not suffer from constipation, and it was rare to see appendicitis and large bowel problems.

Most people won’t remember the King George V battleship chasing the German battleship Bismarck in World War II, but the British captain was also a medical expert. He brought sacks of bran on board to fight the common ailment at sea of constipation. The bowels of the battleship and the sailors performed very well!

Going back further in history, Hippocrates, who lived from 460-370 BC, told the people of Athens that to keep healthy they should have large bulky bowel movements. He scrutinized the stools of his patients to diagnose problems and recommended bread, fruits and vegetables.

Today we know that whole wheat; fruits and vegetables are high in fibre. Bananas, tomatoes, prunes, celery and roasted almonds are also good choices. Don’t forget the old adage, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” The reason? An apple can contain over 3 grams of fibre.

Be sure food labels do not fool you. Look for the words “whole grain” or “whole wheat” on bread. One slice contains about two grams of fibre. Breads that are labelled “multigrain” may contain little or no fibre.

How do you know if you’re getting sufficient fibre? Be like Hippocrates and have a look in the toilet bowl. Small, hard, stools are a problem. A high fibre diet will result in regular soft stools having the texture of bananas.

Fibre also fights obesity. One apple loaded with fibre has a filling effect. Wait a few minutes after eating one to note how it eliminates the hunger reflex.

Get “fibre smart” and begin the day with a bowl of high fibre cereal along with a banana, blueberries, or other fruits and nuts. Then select meals at lunch and dinner that provide more fibre. Pass on the processed options. Desserts don’t need to be loaded with unhealthy calories. Apple crumble is an example of a high fibre dessert.

No one can claim that fibre is bad for your health, but keep in mind that adding too much fibre too quickly could cause a commotion in the bowels in the form of intestinal gas and bloating. Increase fibre in the diet gradually.

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Written By W. Gifford-Jones MD & Diana Gifford-Jones

Dr. W. Gifford-Jones, MD is a graduate of the University of Toronto and the Harvard Medical School. He trained in general surgery at Strong Memorial Hospital, University of Rochester, Montreal General Hospital, McGill University and in Gynecology at Harvard. His storied medical career began as a general practitioner, ship’s surgeon, and hotel doctor. For more than 40 years, he specialized in gynecology, devoting his practice to the formative issues of women’s health. In 1975, he launched his weekly medical column that has been published by national and local Canadian and U.S. newspapers. Today, the readership remains over seven million. His advice contains a solid dose of common sense and he never sits on the fence with controversial issues. He is the author of nine books including, “The Healthy Barmaid”, his autobiography “You’re Going To Do What?”, “What I Learned as a Medical Journalist”, and “90+ How I Got There!” Many years ago, he was successful in a fight to legalize heroin to help ease the pain of terminal cancer patients. His foundation at that time donated $500,000 to establish the Gifford-Jones Professorship in Pain Control and Palliative Care at the University of Toronto Medical School. At 93 years of age he rappelled from the top of Toronto’s City Hall (30 stories) to raise funds for children with a life-threatening disease through the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Diana Gifford-Jones, the daughter of W. Gifford-Jones, MD, Diana has extensive global experience in health and healthcare policy. Diana is Special Advisor with The Aga Khan University, which operates 2 quaternary care hospitals and numerous secondary hospitals, medical centres, pharmacies, and laboratories in South Asia and Africa. She worked for ten years in the Human Development sectors at the World Bank, including health policy and economics, nutrition, and population health. For over a decade at The Conference Board of Canada, she managed four health-related executive networks, including the Roundtable on Socio-Economic Determinants of Health, the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, the Canadian Centre for Environmental Health, and the Centre for Health System Design and Management. Her master’s degree in public policy at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government included coursework at Harvard Medical School. She is also a graduate of Wellesley College. She has extensive experience with Canadian universities, including at Carleton University, where she was the Executive Director of the Global Academy. She lived and worked in Japan for four years and speaks Japanese fluently. Diana has the designation as a certified Chartered Director from The Directors College, a joint venture of The Conference Board of Canada and McMaster University. She has recently published a book on the natural health philosophy of W. Gifford-Jones, called No Nonsense Health – Naturally!

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