Question

1. Why should people not make changes in their diets based on the results of a single research study? 2. What can you do to increase fiber in your daily food choices?

Answer 1

1. Changing a diet based on a single study only because it is apparently convincing will be an unwise decision. Our diet largely determines the quality of our lives. A single change can have a large impact.
Research and studies are continuous processes with constantly changing technologies and methodologies
Dietary recommendations by these researches frequently contradict each other. Sometimes a research is given undue importance just because it serves someone's ulterior motive.
It's important to determine first the reliability of the research by checking if the results are unvarying, if its a preliminary or an advanced research, if the study was large sized or small, if it was a human study or an animal study, what was the methodology used, if the source is credible etc.
It will be better if the dietary change is done only when many different credible organisations validate the result of the research.


2. Fibre is an important food constituent for a healthy life. The daily recommendation of fibre intake is 38g for men and 25 g for women. Usually, we end up eating only half of the recommended amount.

Adding nuts and legumes to our recipes will also enhance the fibre content of the dish.

Plant Based foods are a good source of fibre.
Vegetables, in particular, should be consumed before the meal to increase fibre absorption.
Fruits also serve as a great source of fibre. Try to avoid peeling off the fruits. More than half the fibre content is present in the peel itself.

But these fruits and vegetables should be taken in minimally processed form. The more a food is processed, the lesser is the amount of fibre.
Same goes for whole grains.