What I learned about my diet and fiber from a colonoscopy

Last year I got a colonoscopy, as recommended for my age. When I woke up from it, the doctor asked why I didn’t follow the procedure to empty my bowels. He couldn’t see anything.

If you’ve had a colonoscopy, you know that the doctor has you take medicine that flushes everything out of your colon so he or she can see your tissue. I told him I followed the instructions to the letter. He said he couldn’t see anything. Soon enough it came out what I eat: fresh whole fruits, fresh whole vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and little else. Some mushrooms and nutritional yeast.

I thought fiber flushed the gastrointestinal tract. In some ways it does, but it also coats the colon wall. The standard procedure to clear the gut doesn’t work for people who eat more fiber than they expect. Peer-reviewed research shows “an estimated 95% of American adults and children do not consume recommended amounts of fiber,” so who can blame him for expecting I eat too little?

By contrast, these posts show typical 24-hour periods for me: What I ate in the last 24 hours, August 2023 and Do I get bored of my diet? What I ate in the last 24 hours. Tons of fiber!

I had to redo the colonoscopy. For some reason, it had to be a year later, which is now. My doctor gave me a document of what I could and couldn’t eat for the week leading up to it.

Every low-fiber item I’m allowed to eat, I don’t eat (with 2 exceptions). Every high-fiber item I should avoid, I eat (with a few exceptions)

I put the document below. Of the things I’m allowed to eat, the only two I eat are tofu (labeled as a meat) and ripe melons. Meanwhile, of the foods I should avoid, I eat all of them. My diet is the opposite of a low fiber diet. I think I have to eat tofu and water for a week. The list doesn’t include water among the beverages, but I’m going to drink it anyway.

If you can’t tell, I’m pleased with my fiber consumption. Also, the coop I belong to sells tofu in bulk, so I don’t need to buy it packaged.