Rosalee Brown

Jamaicans have a tradition to periodically clean house from top to bottom. When I was a child, this house cleaning was usually done at the end of the year.

New curtains were installed, fresh painting, white washing of stones, cleaning and clearing of the yard, bushing and burning as the new year should find you clean and new.

This 'cleaning up' practice was also done for individuals, mostly children as I am not sure if the adults took the awful tasting concoctions as we children had to take either willingly or with the threat of a whipping before re-entering school.

Cleansing routine

Although we hated this routine, as adults many have seen the light and continued this practice. This cleansing is carried out very often by many in the form of commercial teas laced with laxatives, colon cleansing/irrigation and detoxification rituals, using plant extracts and water, which can be a detailed process and can be one dose or a programme lasting longer than one day.

Many persons see the need for this, as after the season of feasting which included 'rich' foods, large amounts of meats, fats, alcohol, refined starches and sugars and very little plant food, they are not as regular as they used to be.

After the eating feast, they may even be constipated or just feeling a tinge of guilt and want a washout. Well, there's no need to go for that awful tasting washout brew, just include the right kinds and amounts of fibre in your daily diet and that will do the trick!

Dietary fibre

Dietary fibre includes, but is not exclusive to, plant cell walls which actually make up more than 95 per cent of dietary fibre. These dietary fibres include cellulose, hemicellulose and pectin which are a part of the plant cell wall. They also include gums, mucilages and algal.

The effects of dietary fibre can be looked at based on its solubility in water, its ability to hold water and its ability to bind organic and inorganic molecules and its fermentability.

Dietary fibre is often classified as water soluble and insoluble. Water-soluble fibre includes hemicellose, pectin, gums and mucilages. Cellulose, lignin and some hemicellulose are classified as insoluble.

Soluble fibre in general delays the emptying of the stomach, slows the movement through the intestine and creates a sense of fullness for longer. Insoluble fibre, on the other hand, speeds up intestinal movement and increases the bulk of the faeces. These are all good benefits.

Safe washouts

To increase the bulk in faeces, the diet should contain a larger amount than normal of insoluble fibre. This fibre can absorb large amounts of water and is fermented slowly. Most plant foods contain a combination of both soluble and insoluble fibre. Wheat and rice bran however are effective in increasing faecal bulk, as they can absorb up to three times their weight in water.

Caution

Foods which are very high in insoluble fibre should not be consumed for extended periods, as the increased transit time can have disadvantages. The slow fermentation of these fibres results in increased binding of minerals resulting in their loss from the body.

It is best to increase plant-based foods to benefit from both the soluble and insoluble fibre. Take foods such as peas, beans, fruits and vegetables (as these have fibre plus nutrients) along with increased water consumption. This should be done gradually, especially for persons who formerly consumed little fibre.

Persons who wish to have a safe cleaning to start the year right, can increase their insoluble fibre for a short period. Add some rice or wheat bran to a high plant food diet and drink a lot of water.