It’s believed that cows emit carbon dioxide gases (farts) that contribute immensely to climate change. However, over the past 6 months that’s been me. I think my newly diagnosed IBS should make up a great portion of this noxious statistic. After months of excruciating pain, my relationship with food changed- it was now my enemy. Before I descended into mooing on all fours, I had one final hope: a high fibre diet.
The latest research has warned that bowel cancer in young people is on the rise whilst decreasing in people aged over 60. Described as an early-onset disease, ultra-processed diets could be to blame but the exact cause is still unclear. In October, a new NHS campaign, titled ‘Don’t Wipe Away the Signs’, encouraged people to recognise the key symptoms and get tested. Plastered across London transport, my morning commute got me thinking about the 40,000 diagnosed with bowel cancer yearly in the UK. A demographic that staggeringly consists of people my age.
Ditching the latest high-protein consumer craze, videos online began to sing the praises of a high-fibre diet, emphasising its importance for preventing bowel cancer. After being tested myself, I set out to see how easy it was to participate in “fibremaxxing”. My initial approach started by downloading Pinterest infographics and curating an adult pick-n-mix for myself of high-fibre foods I can add or sub into my meals. Now, I realised that eating beans on toast didn’t really count as nutritious but adding chickpeas and other varieties would provide fibre and keep me satiated. My whole life I’d branded pasta as a demonic dietary presence but now apparently, I could safely bite down on some lentil or wholegrain pasta. Armoured with these new discoveries, I got shopping.
Wholegrain pasta, the cheaper alternative, was a revolutionary discovery for me. I was able to eat bowls of comforting pasta and feel good after. Controversially, I won’t accept the pasta snobbery that makes people detest this innovation. On the other hand, red lentil pasta didn’t live up to its price tag. As it cooked, the gloopy, sweet-smelling water made me feel like a Shakespearean witch. By the time I was eating it, I had a new-found appreciation for gluten-free people.
After adding kale to each one of my meals, I was starting to feel endlessly sick of seeing green everywhere (I think my toilet was too). Was I fibremaxxing too hard? Finally, on a call with my dietician, I found that the real problem was that I wasn’t fibremaxxing enough. I needed to pack in the M&S cookie obsession and trade it in for snacks like nuts- I know, shocking! For lunch, I was recommended sourdough, avocado, salmon toast- not the cheapest student meal but I’m not complaining. Although my banana porridge breakfast is fantastic, the importance of having a variety of insoluble and soluble sources of fibre was something the Pinterest infographics were missing. I have a long journey ahead of me but I’m glad millennial toast is back on the menu.