Fiber?

RebekahR84

Can anyone recommend a good fiber supplement? I find myself only getting around 10 grams per day.

kiramaniac

I see discussion regularly with conclusions that we don't need as much fiber as we thought. Truly, I don't know the science either way. But if you're asking only because you aren't hitting the number in your tracking, that may not be an issue. BUT, if you are having problems with regularity, my recommendation is...

Prebiotin. The fiber is from inulin and oligofructose, both of which are probiotics. Prebiotics help the bacteria and flora in your gut to thrive. I had a lot of regularity issues - even before I did low carb. This stuff is like magic.

RebekahR84

Thank you!

mrsek09

Thank you for the suggestion Kira! I hadn't heard of this one before.

JanetLynnJudy

Kiramaniac,

What form do you take the prebiotics in? I looked on Walmart's webpage and I've only found the prebiotics in the form of gummies which are not carried at my local store and probiotics which I already have. I guess I could order them online, but I was hoping I could find them in a pill form like I did with my probiotics. Could they be listed under another name?

kiramaniac

I use Prebiotin. I bought it on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Prebiotic-Fiber-Supplement-Full-spectrum-Prebiotics/dp/B001RVFSFS

It's a powder. they recommend 1-2 scoops. I usually add just one (and you should start off with half a scoop). I add it to my Bulletproof Coffee, and never even notice it. I never thought to try it straight. I think it has a slight sweetness to it.

You can also find chocolate bars with inulin and oligofructose occassionally. Lily's Chocolate is fabulous stuff. And I have seen sweeteners on one low carb site with them included.

I was taking fiber Gummies (sugar free) for months and still had regularity problems. As soon as I switched to this, that ended.

mrdexter1

I use "fitness fibre" as a teaspoon gives 10cals and 6.5 g of fibre - plus its on offer reduced from $43 to $4 as the best before date is just up, but as a powder sealed i doubt thats drastic....

I discovered if you add it to egg before making an omlette - the omlette is very light and fluffy and if you re using a bacon and mushroom filler thats all you taste as the egg flavour is subdued.

KatieJones1979

Have you considered Konjac at all? High fibre nearly zero carbs and acts as a pasta/rice replacement. Loving it so far. http://doctorozremedies.wordpress.com/category/konjac-root/

AlabasterVerve

I only average about 10g a day too but I'm not worried about it. The recommendations for fibre don't seem to be any more evidenced based then any of the other nutrition guidelines so I figure as long as the majority of my carbs are coming from fruits and vegetables and I'm having regular bowel movements I'm good to go. This article sums up how I feel:

http://www.theiflife.com/fiberoverhyped-how-much-do-you-really-need/

davepearson86

I'm on the fence with chia seeds they're 20g carb and 18g fiber for 1/4 cup (I would only eat 1/8 cup) still unsure of this net carb thing

Golightly17

Chia seeds are awesome- lots of fiber, minerals and they sweep out your digestive tract. Google low carb chia pudding, it sounds strange but it's pretty good. Net carb is what counts because of the way your body processes the food- carbs cause a rise in insulin, fiber does not. I also use a refrigerated probiotic with a 50 billion count. I have read that a lot of the unrefrigerated strains become inactive or dead. One note on fiber- be sure that you are drinking a ton of water and add supplementation slowly so your system can adjust, otherwise you'll bloat and fiber will have the opposite of the desired effect.

wideeyedla

I'm on the fence with chia seeds they're 20g carb and 18g fiber for 1/4 cup (I would only eat 1/8 cup) still unsure of this net carb thing

I eat a "porridge" for breakfast made with 1 T Chia, 2 T Flax seed, cinnamon (all ground up in my Nutribullet) and 1/2 cup of warm almond milk. There are actually more grams of fiber than carbs, so it's a net loss Plus it's a combo of soluble and insoluble, Omega 3's (I do high fat/low carb) and has the texture of Cream of Wheat.

Net carbs are simple, actually. You subtract the dietary fiber from the total carbs. That is because fiber doesn't get digested in the same manner, and therefore doesn't effect ketosis. Insoluble fiber, like from the flax seeds, provides bulk and helps motility in your gut. Soluble fiber absorbs excess liquid (and there is debate about it absorbing other stuff too, but science isn't there). That would be why the Chia gets all of that gel when you soak it whole. Pumpkin is another source of soluble fiber. If you get IBS symptoms, soluble fiber is your best friend. (Pumpkin works for dogs too - a couple of Tablespoons will help upset dog stomachs, less mess in the house).

So, if you are looking at pumpkin, for example, it's technically a "starchy" vegetable. 1/2 cup of 100% pure canned pumpkin has 9 grams of carbs. But 5 of those carb grams are insoluble fiber. You don't have an insulin reaction to them. So you would only count the 1/2 cup serving of Pumpkin as 4 net carbs. I find it helpful on here to delete the sodium from the nutrient list and add fiber. Subtract your daily fiber from the daily carbs, and you get net carbs. Then look at your sugar. That should be pretty low, and almost all of it should come from veggies and dairy if you do dairy.