Article: Many times, people follow a low-fiber diet for medical reasons. Always speak to your doctor prior to advancing yourself to a higher fiber diet or resuming your previous high fiber foods.  Your doctor will most likely give you a specific timeline for reintroducing fibrous foods or give you a certain limitation on your total fiber intake. Be sure to ask what types of fiber are appropriate, how you should add fiber back to your diet and what your long-term fiber goal should be. Remember that any time you add or subtract large levels of fiber, you are likely to experience gastric changes such as bloating and constipation. If you've been following a low fiber diet for a while and would like to return to a higher fiber diet, it's important to add in extra fiber slowly. A quick increase in extra fiber may cause GI distress and other uncomfortable side effects like: gas, bloating and cramping. As you increase your fiber intake, it's also extremely important to be consuming adequate fluids as well. Fiber can absorb water and you'll need to drink enough fluids to cover this absorption. As you increase your fiber intake, you must increase your water intake as well.  The number of ounces of fluids you should drink each day can be found by dividing your weight in half. So if you weigh 200 lbs, you should drink 100 oz of water, or 12.5 glasses of water every day. This will help your digestive system move consistently and help prevent constipation. Stick to sugar-free and caffeine-free fluids for your best bet. Water, flavored water, decaf coffee and tea are good options.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Talk to your doctor. Add fiber slowly. Drink plenty of water.