I recently interviewed Ms. Brenda Watson CNC about her new book, The Fiber 35 Diet. She is a knowledgeable individual with a wealth of experience in Alternative Medicine.

KJ: Why did you write the Fiber 35 Diet?

BW: Fiber 35 Diet is my fourth book. Prior to publication, I was a self-published author focusing particularly on digestive disorders with Dr. Leonard Smith.

I have always known about the benefit of fiber in the diet. Between the ages of 42 and 48 I gained weight, although I was engaged in naturopathy.

KJ: why?

BW: Diets high in fiber have been found to be the best. I had eaten too much protein. So, I completed a lot of research on fiber intake. People don’t count fiber. Dr. Dennis Burkett went to Africa to study the African diet, which includes 60-80g of fiber per day. The indigenous people there are free of digestive problems, hemorrhoids, heart disease, varicose veins, intestinal diseases, diverticulitis, diabetes… Americans need to count their fiber intake.

BW: The average fiber supplement provides 3 to 5 g. I had not been eating whole grains. So, I started counting the grams of fiber I was eating.

You need 35g for good health. A study from the University of California showed that more CCK is produced after eating a high-fiber meal, just like when eating a high-fat meal.

My personal adventure became the fiber discharge effect. The fiber dumping effect is based on an average of 7 calories excreted for every gram of fiber consumed. The average American eats 10 to 12 g of fiber a day, which cuts out about 70 to 84 calories. This should be increased to 35g of fiber a day. Fewer calories are absorbed this way.

BW: I also made the mistake of not weighing myself. It is good to do this, once or twice a week.

KJ: I rarely do this myself.

BW: You need to reference calories by your body weight to get an idea of ​​what caloric intake you need. You can follow a formula to determine your caloric intake needs in the Fiber 35 Diet book. I also describe the amount of daily exercise needed to burn calories. However, the main thing is to count the grams of fiber, not the calories.

It is also extremely important to read the labels on your food purchases. Don’t buy anything with less than 3 grams of fiber per serving. For example, a whole wheat wrap should generally contain 3 to 7 grams of fiber. Multigrain does not always mean whole grain.

KJ: Who do you think your typical reader is?

BW: Women, 35 years and older

KJ: What major health problems do you think Americans face because of their lack of fiber?

BW: Every year $120 billion is spent on medical care for digestive problems.

Increased fiber means reduction in: heart attacks, diverticulitis, irritable bowel syndrome, reflux, and GERD, to name a few.

KJ: You state in the introduction that 35 g of fiber a day will help you lose weight and reduce your chances of developing heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer.

Fiber 35: What does 35 grams of fiber look like?

BW:

Breakfast: 7g orange, 8g steel cut oats instead of regular oats

Lunch: 10 g of romaine lettuce, spinach, walnuts, chickpeas and chicken salad.

Snack: 4 g hummus (2 tablespoons), with celery and carrots or flax crackers

Dinner: salmon, 11 g pumpkin and kale

The total is around 35g-40g of fiber.

KJ: That’s easy!

BW: People need options. A health food store will have fiber and protein shakes and there are some good fiber bars as well.

KJ: What are our best sources of fiber?

BW: Raw vegetables and whole grains. Read the labels. People with digestive disorders lightly steamed their vegetables.

KJ: What foods are our enemies?

BW: Sugar and processed foods.

KJ: Not so long ago, cancer was the worst word you could hear on a daily basis. Today is an everyday word. From your perspective, what are the main “do’s” to avoid cancer?

BW: Detox and eat an organic plant-based diet. A specific program with herbs, detoxification, water, fiber and infrared sauna must be followed. The infrared sauna is widely used by holistic practitioners in clinics and is very safe. An infrared sauna produces radiant heat, and the heat causes sweating; the patient sweats heavy metals and other toxins.

KJ: I understand that several years ago you yourself struggled with health problems.

BW: About 20 years ago. I became interested in naturopathy and became a colon hydrotherapist.

In 1990 I started a clinical apprenticeship and from 1993 to 1998 I owned 5 holistic clinics.

KJ: I read that you are also a naturopathic doctor. How is naturopathy different from the conventional medical establishment?

BW: Herbs are studied as much as neutriceuticals, ie. vitamins and antioxidants.

KJ: Are you part of alternative medicine?

BW: Yes, Dr. Leonard Smith, an associate professor at the University of Miami, and I have worked together during the holistic movement. Our goal is to educate the patient using a holistic approach.

KJ: Has alternative medicine gone mainstream?

BW: Yes, but the media is still behind on this. In New York City, for example, there is a lack of awareness from the media in general.

KJ: Today’s consumer recognizes that organic foods are superior to those treated with pesticides. Some people cannot afford organic products. Any recommendations for this group?

BW: Buy the vegetable washes for fruit; use natural household products like vinegar and baking soda.

A study called Toxic Body Burden was completed with volunteers. The average number of toxins within each person was 91. Our bodies are not detoxifying as well as we think.

Recently, the phase out of the dry cleaning solvent perchlorethylene (perc) has been signed into law in California. The chemicals are known carcinogens and have been linked to bladder, esophageal, and other cancers. Several people who lived in a building above a dry cleaner had become ill and an investigation was launched.

KJ: When you were writing the Fiber 35 Diet, how much research did you put into it?

BW: 2 years worth

KJ: The book states that an individual goes through 3 phases. Phases 1 and 2 lose pounds by eating fiber and exercising. Phase 3 is a lifetime maintenance program.

How long are Phases 1 and 2?

BW: Phase 1 lasts about 1-2 weeks and Phase 2 lasts about 1 month.

Nobody has less than 1200 calories.

KJ: Is a colon cleanse necessary? If so, why?

BW: Not always, this is only necessary when a person is constipated. A person needs to defecate every day, and very well.

When constipation occurs, I recommend a 7 or 14 day cleanse. Constipation affects the ability to lose weight. It decreases the metabolic rate, which results in overeating and leads to autointoxication (self-poisoning).

KJ: In a nutshell, what is the difference between your diet book and the others?

BW: The Fiber 35 diet is complete, it’s not a fad, it involves solid research, and it’s simplistic. Most meals can be prepared in less than 30 minutes and I provide a grocery list for once a week. It’s a no-brainer.

Lifestyle is also important, as is exercise.

In my PBS special, I feature a 20 minute upper and lower workout DVD for a full body workout. The same routine is found in the book Fiber 35 Diet. It uses resistance bands that can be used by anyone with neck and back problems.

KJ: Brenda, thank you and much success with your new book, Fiber 35 Diet.

BW: Thank you.