Eating more fibre? Give your gut time to catch up

You decide to eat healthier. Overnight, you swap white rice for brown rice, replace your usual kaya toast with multigrain cereal for breakfast, eat extra vegetables with your nasi campur for lunch and devour a bowl of dhal with your naan dinner.

By evening, your stomach feels tight, windy and uncomfortable. Wasn’t healthy eating supposed to make you feel better?

Before giving up, consider that you may have increased your fibre intake too abruptly.

Dietitians encourage people to eat enough fibre. But reaching that goal also means finding the right amount, pace and combination of foods their digestive system can comfortably manage.

Why fibre deserves a place on your plate

Fibre is found in plant foods, including vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, beans, nuts and seeds. Your digestive system cannot fully digest fibre, but it performs several useful jobs.

Different fibres help soften stools, add bulk and support regular bowel movements.

Certain soluble fibres, such as those in oats, help lower LDL or “bad” cholesterol and slow carbohydrate absorption, supporting blood glucose management.

Fibre-rich foods can also help you feel satisfied after meals. Higher-fibre diets are associated with lower risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer.

The health ministry recommends 20–30g of dietary fibre for adults daily. These are goals to work towards gradually.

Why the sudden bloating?

Some fibre feeds bacteria in the large intestine to digest. As these bacteria break it down through fermentation, they produce gas.

A sudden increase in your fibre intake can therefore bring extra wind, bloating or cramps. This does not automatically mean those foods are unsuitable for you. The amount and speed of the change may need adjusting.

Here are sensible ways to build your fibre intake:

1. Make one small change at a time

Start with one addition, such as a serving of fruit or extra vegetables at dinner. Keep that change for several days and assess your comfort before adding another. If symptoms increase, reduce the latest addition and progress more slowly.

2. Make familiar meals work harder

You can increase fibre while still enjoying your usual meals. Start by asking for extra “sawi” in your noodle soup or adding carrots and long beans to homemade fried rice.

When cooking rice, mix a small amount of brown rice or oats with your white rice, then gradually add more as your digestion adjusts. Build on one small change at a time until it becomes part of your everyday routine.

3. Start small with beans and lentils

Begin with a few spoonsful of dhal, chickpeas or kidney beans alongside your usual meal. Increase the portion as tolerated. A large bowl on your first day is unnecessary.

4. Build variety across the day

Work towards including fibre at different meals such as oats at breakfast, vegetables at lunch, fruit as a snack and some beans at dinner. Rotate your variety to include wholegrains, vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts and seeds.

5. Keep fluids alongside the fibre

Drink water regularly throughout the day. Adequate fluid helps fibre support softer, easier-to-pass stools. But do note that people with prescribed fluid restrictions should follow their healthcare team’s advice.

6. Adjust to your own digestive system.

People with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may tolerate some types of fibres better than others. Soluble fibre can be more helpful than wheat bran for IBS symptoms.

A dietitian can help you adjust food choices and portions while maintaining food variety. However, persistent bloating deserves medical attention, especially if you experience significant pain, vomiting, blood in the stool or unexplained weight loss.

Healthy eating has to work in real life. Keep in mind to add a little fibre at a time, notice how you feel and build from there. Your fibre goal matters, and so does feeling comfortable enough to keep going.

Read more articles by Indra Balaratnam here.

Indra Balaratnam is a consultant dietitian and a fellow of the Malaysian Dietitians’ Association. She runs her own private practice, Indra Balaratnam Nutrition, in Kuala Lumpur. Connect with her on Facebook and Instagram.

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