Advice after your nerve block for surgery
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What is Fibre?
Dietary fibre (also known as roughage) is the part of food that cannot be easily digested. Fibre is not digested in our small intestine – it moves into our colon or large intestine where it is completely or partially broken down by bacteria in the large intestine.
Fibre is usually encouraged as part of a healthy diet, as it aids the normal movement of food and fluid through your gut and also helps to add bulk to stools. However, in certain conditions it is advisable to limit or avoid certain foods that are high in fibre.
How Does Fibre Work?
There are two types of dietary fibre: soluble and insoluble.
Soluble fibre retains water and turns to gel in the gut. This is found in foods such as porridge oats, flesh of fruits e.g. apples, pears, bananas and root vegetables.
Insoluble fibre speeds up the passage of food through the gut and adds bulk to the stool. This is the part of fruits and vegetables such as the skins, pips and seeds. It is also in fibrous fruits and vegetables such as rhubarb and celery, raw or uncooked vegetables or mushrooms, sweetcorn, lettuce and other salad leaves.
Why Should I Follow a Low Fibre Diet?
A low fibre diet is recommended when you need to avoid foods that may cause blockages in your bowel or may irritate inflamed areas of your digestive tract. Symptoms of abdominal pain, diarrhoea and bloating, associated with certain bowel conditions, may be made worse by a high fibre diet.
Selecting lower fibre foods can help to improve symptoms, for example:
- During a flare-up in inflammatory bowel disease
- If you have an obstruction, stricture (a narrowing) or adhesions in your bowel or new stoma formed.
- After following a liquid diet and reintroducing foods
The length of time you need to follow the diet may vary from a few days to a few weeks, depending on your reason for following the diet, this will be advised by your dietitian and medical team.
A vitamin/mineral supplement may be advised if you are following the diet for more than a month.
Additional Information and Useful Tips for Diarrhoea:
- Eat little and often, four to six small meals per day (every three to four hours)
- Eat in a relaxed atmosphere and ensure you are sitting upright when eating and chewing foods well after meals to aid digestion
- Drink plenty of fluids; you may require extra fluid to replace fluid lost during diarrhoea
- Limit caffeine, alcohol, artificial sweeteners and carbonated (fizzy) drinks
- Be cautious of spicy foods as they can cause discomfort and worsen diarrhoea
- Be cautious of very fatty foods as these can be difficult to digest and cause discomfort if eaten in large quantities
Fruit and Vegetable Preparation
Fruit and vegetables are part of a healthy balanced diet. Even when following a low fibre diet, it is important to maintain a balanced diet, particularly if the diet is to be followed for a few weeks. You can reduce the fibre content from fruits and vegetables by removing skins, seeds and pips and boiling them for longer.
Limit fruit and vegetables to small, cooked portions of those allowed, avoiding certain salad, raw vegetables and fruit. See the table of suitable foods on the following pages.
| Food | Foods allowed | Foods to avoid |
| Protein foods |
|
|
| Starchy Foods and Cereals |
|
|
| Nuts and Seeds |
|
|
| Dairy |
|
|
| Vegetables |
pumpkin / aubergine / beetroot / courgette / spinach (cooked) / mangetout / asparagus / tinned tomatoes / marrow / tomato / cucumber / peppers / butternut squash / avocado |
|
| Fruit |
|
|
| Desserts/Sweets |
|
|
| Beverages |
|
|
| Miscellaneous |
|
|
Choosing a Low Fibre Diet in Hospital
If you are an inpatient and have been put on a low fibre diet by your doctor or dietitian, the low fibre menu at Frimley Park or low fibre snack box at Wexham Park can be provided
Vegetarian or Vegan Low Fibre Diet Options
If you normally follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, the following high protein foods are suggested:
- Smooth nut butter
- Quorn
- Tofu
- Soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, coconut milk
- Soy cheese
- Soy yoghurt
- Eggs
Suggested Meals
Breakfast
- Cornflakes and milk
- Boiled, scrambled or poached egg with white toast/bread
- White bread and seedless jam, honey, smooth nut butter
- Fruit juice-no bits
Lunch/Dinner
- Tender meat, fish or chicken
- Potatoes, white rice, pasta or chapattis
- Small serving of cooked vegetables (from ‘allowed’ list)
Dessert
- Jelly, ice cream, milk pudding, custard, mousses
- Milk puddings to be made with milk
- Tinned, poached or stewed fruit
Snack Suggestions
- Yoghurts, milky puddings, cheese and biscuits, plain biscuits, crisps, milky drinks, chocolate, ripe banana
Reintroducing Fibre Back into the Diet
It is important to reintroduce fibre back into the diet once symptoms have resolved. Your dietitian and/or medical team should advise you on when to start reintroducing fibre.
It is important to increase the amount of fibre gradually, to allow your digestive system time to adjust. Introduce one or two new high fibre foods every few days over a period of time. If a food causes any symptoms of discomfort, exclude it from your diet, but try reintroducing it at a
later date. When reintroducing fibre, you may need to increase your fluid
intake further i.e. up to 10 cups a day..
What to do if Your Appetite is Poor:
If your appetite is poor or you simply cannot eat as much as you used to, then the following ideas may be useful.
- Eat little and often, aiming for five to six small meals/snacks a day
- Aim for full fat options i.e. full fat milk, yoghurts
- Fortify food and drinks to increase their energy and protein with butter, double cream, cheese, butter and sugar
- Try adding fortified skimmed milk powder. Whisk four tablespoons of dried whole milk powder into one pint of full fat milk and use this enriched milk in place of ordinary milk e.g. to make sauces, in drinks, soups, milky puddings etc
Contact us
If you have any queries relating to this information, please contact the Dietetics service.
About this information
Service:
Dietetics
Reference:
DT/055
Approval date:
1 January 2026
Review date:
1 March 2029
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Important note
This page provides general information only. It is developed by clinical staff and is reviewed regularly every 3 years for accuracy. For personal advice about your health, or if you have any concerns, please speak to your doctor.