Getting fiber on low-carb/keto?

MarkusDarwath

Aside from taking a fiber supplement, how does one go about getting enough fiber on a carbohydrate restricted diet? I had thought leafy greens and such were the answer, but getting into it, turns out I'd actually have to eat lettuce and spinach by the bale to reach 30 grams of fiber per day. The only solution I've found so far is Mission "Carb Balance" whole wheat tortillas. Not sure exactly what they do with them, but these fiber bombs contain almost a whole day's amount of fiber and only something like 6 net carbohydrates (which is still a lot of carbs if one is on a full keto diet, which I'm not. I'm just restricting to control blood sugar.)

jessiethe3rd

I don't go net carbs but you can do benefiber to keep things moving. I personal drink a lot of water and couple that with a lot of fat. Those two things can resolve any slow Downs

quatermore

I have hyperglycemia and count my carbs daily. When my system is slow I eat a bowl of muesli, it really works wonders.

Christine_72

Magnesium every night before bed. Oxide and citrate produce more consistent results.

tlflag1620

Getting adequate fat keeps things moving. The supplements Christine mentioned can also help if you are constipated. Trying to hit an arbitrary fiber goal isn't really necessary though. If you aren't blocked up, don't fix it. If you do decide to supplement with benefiber, or the the tortillas you mentioned, make sure you get loads of water with that, otherwise you can make the issues even worse. There are lots of high fiber, low carb foods, beyond lettuce and spinach - broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, seeds and nuts, berries, avocados, etc. And you don't necessarily need 30 g per day, especially on LCHF. I've been eating low carb for three years and have never had bathroom issues, but it is not unusual for people to have an adjustment period (that's really true of any major dietary change).

kshama2001

Chia and flax seeds have a 1:1 carb:fiber ratio.

Purplebunnysarah

Avocado is close to 1:1 carbs:fibre.

nvmomketo

My fibre is quite low and I have never been more regular. I dunno, I am of the opinion that fibre is useful for carb digestion and elimination so when you don't eat a lot of carb you need less fibre.

MarkusDarwath

Thanks for the answers, folks. I've never actually counted fiber before other than to deduct it from total carbohydrates. When I've been eating right and losing weight in the past, I've gone with a rule that net carbs should not exceed 20% of total food mass. Having started with the logging here and not having to do more complicated math for myself, I'm finding that 20% of calories is more effective than my old rule. But along with that came the notion of actually having a target for fiber intake. As anti-establishment as I am on just about everything, I'm surprised that I let myself just accept that "they" had a good recommendation.
What's funny, I always used to joke that consuming grease/fat "keeps things lubricated." Never thought it might actually be a thing
The 30 gram fiber target was based on the USDA suggestion of 14 grams per 1000 calories consumed, which I thought was more realistic than the medical group guideline of 38 grams for everyone.
I haven't had any issues that made me seek more fiber... just got sucked in by "hey, look.. numbers!"
I am forcing myself to do the 8 glasses of water. I say forcing because I don't really enjoy water. It's not that bad though, as I can slam down 8 ounces in three swallows. My main reason for bothering is I'm trying to cut back my gallon-a-day diet soda habit without having to consciously deny myself the soda. I can't tell if I'm really drinking less of it so far, but I am peeing annoyingly often without it being caused by high blood sugar. Hopefully I'm not flushing too much potassium or anything that I actually need.

jessiethe3rd

I was going to mention psyllium husk in a shake mix is also a great way to get fiber for a great #2.