No, no, everyone sit down and stop clapping. It may not be as exciting as you think.

In the world of digestive disorders, fiber is probably the most controversial topic. There is a lot of true and false information on this topic.

Let’s start with what everyone agrees with. In a healthy person, fiber is good. Most people eat very little fiber in their diet. A high-fiber diverticulitis diet will ensure that you are taking positive steps toward your own recovery.

The real problem with a lack of fiber is low volume in the intestines, a direct link to diverticulosis; In this case too, the diverticulosis diet is one of the keys to good health. It might help to think of your intestines, and especially your colon, like a tube of toothpaste. When you get to the last toothpaste in the tube, it is a lot more work to get it out of the tube. This is the danger that too low fiber intake and too low residues have in your system. Eating a low fiber diet is much more difficult on the intestines than a high fiber diet to “get things moving.”

However, I must tell you that once you already have diverticulitis or colitis, adding a lot more fiber all of a sudden is not necessarily a good idea. Consider for a moment that you have a severely damaged colon. If you have pain, diverticula, fistulas, sores, wounds and tears to begin with, then you are already on a road with a sign at the end that says “Beware.” This is why. Your colon, like the contents of a toothpaste tube, is weak, injured, and may even have small tears. Suddenly adding a large amount of anything can cause complications and a lot of pain. When the “tube” is weak, you don’t want to increase the physical pressure it is under. Again, a diverticulosis diet is one of the closest remedies you have under your control to rectify a lifetime of poor eating habits.

Only you and your doctor can assess whether or not you have open wounds and tears. Most people with colitis or diverticulitis are not at this level of crisis. If you know that your colon is healthy, adding fiber gradually is healthy and very tolerable for almost everyone. When you bulk up by adding fiber to your diet, it moves the material through your colon in much the same way as you squeeze toothpaste through a toothpaste tube. It makes it easier for your colon to move the material successfully. This process of movement is called peristalsis. Think of peristalsis as the movement of your hand squeezing the toothpaste tube. A large amount of toothpaste makes it easy to dispense, while smaller amounts of toothpaste make it difficult to get out of the tube and the tube is traumatized in the process of forcing small amounts through it. This analogy is not far from the truth.

If you don’t eat at least 25% to 50% of your diet from the produce section of the grocery store or your garden, you are probably on a low fiber diet. A diverticulitis diet can treat or prevent diverticulitis. Good examples of foods for diverticulitis are canned or cooked fruits without skin or seeds, and vegetables such as green beans, peas, and potatoes (without skin). The less fresh fruits and vegetables you eat, the more fiber you should add to your diet. In the meantime, supplement your fiber with something from the grocery store or health food store. I don’t like naming brands, but I focus on healthier fiber options. Everyone helps. The only thing I recommend is choosing a fiber source that is loaded with sugar or worse, contains artificial sweeteners. I know it is annoying sometimes to hear me tell you why “almost everything is wrong”, but my first passion is to tell you the truth. I’m not going to tell you what you want to hear instead of telling you the truth.

If you don’t listen to this advice, here is a simple list to give you the “best, best, good, and bad” options.

Best of all: When your colon health is decent (no wounds or tears), gradually increase your fiber intake with fresh produce until you have at least one substantial movement per day and preferably two to four times a day (although it is possible not all are substantial). Once you get used to a diverticulitis diet, it will be easier for you to choose the foods that are right for you.

Better: Same as above for colon health, but gradually increase fiber intake by taking a supplement such as psyllium seed, psyllium husk, or psyllium powder. Flax seed (ground or powdered) is also a great fiber option and includes some omega oils and nutrients. When choosing your fiber, avoid excess sugar and avoid all artificial sweeteners. In my opinion, they are toxic.

Good: Same as above regarding colon health, but take any type of fiber you can tolerate well, sugary, artificial sugar, pills, tablets, etc. Do something to improve your volume and it will still benefit you.

Bad – Keep doing what you’re doing now and pretend you’re going to get better. True, the program alone will cure diverticulitis and colitis, but the volume of stool moving through you will always be a factor in your internal health.

One definition of insanity is: keep doing what you’ve always done, but expect or expect a different result.

Fiber is good for us for other reasons, too. The shape and non-softening nature of the fiber make it an internal “scrub brush” as it moves through us. It is the most effective internal cleaner that we can use. If you think of people as a machine, like a car, for example, internal dirt and build-up need to be addressed periodically. In a car, this is handled with the 3,000-mile oil change. In people, especially in the UK, Australia, Canada and the US, we no longer fast (we go without food periodically). We are rich enough and the food is affordable enough. We have come to think of missing a meal or two as some kind of “starving” plague.

Because we don’t get enough fiber anymore, and we hardly ever fast for a 24-hour period (a natural cleanse), we never cleanse. As a group, our plumbing is dirty on the inside. Consider adding some fiber to your diet. When you eat fiber, you also need to drink a full glass of water, per serving (except to make fiber), beyond what is needed to mix the fiber. This is because you want the material moving through your tubes to be the consistency of toothpaste and not the consistency of a brick. Add fiber, add water, and get healthier. Embrace a solid diet for diverticulosis and you’ll be on your way to a healthier, happier lifestyle.

Please do whatever it takes to overcome this horrible disease.