To prepare for medical procedures, special diets and liquid preps can help clean the colon. For everyday colon cleaning, maintaining a high-fiber diet does the trick. Women should eat at least 21 to 25 g of fiber daily, and men need slightly more, approximately 30 to 38 g a day. The experts at the MD Anderson Center recommend staying away from colon-cleansing products, which can cause dehydration and loss of crucial electrolytes.
Fruit
Fruit is particularly good for cleaning the colon because of its high content of water. Five servings of fruit daily is recommended and can be easily consumed by eating high-fiber fruits such as raspberries, pears and apples. Just 1 cup of raspberries provides 5.5 g of fiber. A pear offers 5.5 g of fiber, and an apple contains 4.4 g of fiber, including the skins.
Vegetables
Whether fresh, frozen or canned, any vegetable counts as a member of the vegetable group, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA. High in fiber and other important nutrients, vegetables help clean the colon. They may even be sipped on the go to achieve the same benefits, provided the beverage contains 100 percent vegetable juices.
Whole Grains
Whole grains are a healthy part of your diet, chock full of fiber for a clean colon. Not all breads and cereals are healthy choices, however. The USDA reports that grains are divided into two subgroups: whole grains and refined grains. The latter are processed to improve their shelf life; in doing so, much of the fiber is removed. Whole grains are the healthiest option, containing the entire grain kernel. Breads that list "whole grain" as the first ingredient on the list are best. Brown rice, oatmeal and whole grain pasta are other examples.
Nuts
Nuts are a healthy snack that offer a lot of nutritional value in small servings. Just 1 oz of almonds contains 3.5 g of fiber, according to MayoClinic.com. Natural, unsalted varieties are preferred over heavily salted varieties, however.
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