Fiber?
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mmoore9242
Posts: 15 Member
I am doing alright keeping my #s where they need to be but I seem to have trouble getting fiber in. Any ideas on how I can do this? Thanks 
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Replies
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Are you eating leafy green, and cruciferous vegetables?0
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Some days I have high fiber, some very little to none. I have no digestive issues and have found fat keeps things moving just as well as fiber does/did.0
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I don't need fiber as much as I want it. I eat cabbage, broccoli, spinach, things like that all day long, but still a bit loosey goosey, so I take a couple of psyllium fiber husk caps with each meal because I prefer one solid visit to the bathroom per day rather than 4 really dramatic ones that require a lot more tissue.1
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Ps - spinach, celery, and avocados are amazing sources of it in veg, there is also flaxseed, chia seed, collards/mustard greens, unsweetened coconut flakes.
Asparagus, celery, mushrooms, eggplant, raspberries and radishes have an almost an equal fiber to carb ratio, so they practically zero out on carbs.2 -
I wouldn't worry about fiber unless given reason too. I've eating high fiber and low fiber. No change for me that I am aware of.1
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My personal goal is zero fiber. Does awful things to my gut.
It's not necessary at all and in low carb the typical RDA recommendations don't apply. High carb eaters need more fiber to clean that junk out of their gut. We don't have those problems. Even if you feel you need it because your body responds in beneficial ways to it, you probably don't need much.2 -
Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »Even if you feel you need it because your body responds in beneficial ways to it, you probably don't need much.
Yep, not much at all. The psyllium husk I use only offers a few extra grams of fiber per day. I tend to have an icky bathroom time if I don't have at least 9-10 grams of fiber a day, so these do help supplement the small amount I get from food.
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I think one of the keys for the fiber discussion in the keto world is how you eat. Some popular (and tasty) keto friendly foods have a binding effect on some people. In particular, cheese and nuts can be binding for some. If you are not one of those people, or you have little to none of these in your diet, your need for fiber will be reduced or eliminated.3
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From The Nourished Caveman:
http://thenourishedcaveman.com/the-right-fiber-for-a-ketogenic-diet-my-research/Are all fibers created equal?
One very interesting fact I discovered working with different patients trying different foods is that not all fibers work the same for everybody.
These are some of my findings:
As a general rule unmodified potato starch spiked blood glucose by an average of 15 points and lead to weight gain in about 65% of my patients.
Psyllium fiber spiked glucose levels by 10 to 20 points in about 40% of patients.
Those patients who had problems with psyllium, seemed to have no reaction to ground flax seeds as far as glucose level spikes or weight gain, but did get good results in bowel movement frequency and ease.
On the contrary some of the patients (about 20%) had a reaction from using the flax seeds and got good results with the ground chia seeds.
Here's a Nourished Caveman recipe for High Fiber Keto Cereal With Cacao Nibs:
http://thenourishedcaveman.com/high-fiber-keto-cereal-with-cacao-nibs/0 -
cstehansen wrote: »I think one of the keys for the fiber discussion in the keto world is how you eat. Some popular (and tasty) keto friendly foods have a binding effect on some people. In particular, cheese and nuts can be binding for some. If you are not one of those people, or you have little to none of these in your diet, your need for fiber will be reduced or eliminated.
Totally. I've never had a problem with cheese or nuts "blocking" me up lol. I've heard it does work for others, to help. In my first few weeks of keto, I was flabbergasted by the ratio of discussions where people try to figure out solutions for constipation on keto vs convos where people needed help with loose bathroom time, because the latter was my problem. I think it's due to people starting keto who have never introduced a good amount of cheese into their diet before. Me, I've always had at least five kinds of it in my fridge, keto or not 2 -
cstehansen wrote: »I think one of the keys for the fiber discussion in the keto world is how you eat. Some popular (and tasty) keto friendly foods have a binding effect on some people. In particular, cheese and nuts can be binding for some. If you are not one of those people, or you have little to none of these in your diet, your need for fiber will be reduced or eliminated.
Totally. I've never had a problem with cheese or nuts "blocking" me up lol. I've heard it does work for others, to help. In my first few weeks of keto, I was flabbergasted by the ratio of discussions where people try to figure out solutions for constipation on keto vs convos where people needed help with loose bathroom time, because the latter was my problem. I think it's due to people starting keto who have never introduced a good amount of cheese into their diet before. Me, I've always had at least five kinds of it in my fridge, keto or not
@bjwoodzy - my ... loose stool ... issues primarily relate back to me not having a gallbladder, and I was able to firm things up for a good while before having to modify my intake - and I did that by adding probiotics and diatomaceous earth in to my daily intake. I'm needing to get back to a point of that, once I handle my dehydration issue, as my body likes to go to extremes...sadly.1 -
@KnitOrMiss I'm sorry to hear that. But glad to know you figured out a solution that works for you. My sister is getting her gallbladder removed next week. She is not keto, but if you have any non-keto-related tips for me I can relay to her, I would be grateful! Of course, she is going to be in excellent care with her surgery team, but you know how doctors are.0
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@bjwoodzy - sadly, my first advice always is - if you gallbladder is not diseased or necrotic - or medical professionals are saying it isn't immediately critical/life-threatening, DON'T DO IT.
I know that not everyone has side effects - but everyone has the chance for them. And if you get them, believe me, you don't want them...
If I had known then 1/2 of what I know now, I would have never done it, as my issue was a drastic dietary change and the hormonal chaos that is pregnancy/miscarriage/pregnancy/delivery...and it triggered stones. While I was 6 weeks postpartum when they finally figured out my issue was gallstones (and that I'd been very likely passing them while pregnant, too) and 7 weeks postpartum when I had it removed, the only things I really remember about the doctor were that he asked me if I was willing to work really hard and change pretty much everything about my lifestyle - as a new and very young mom, sleep-deprived, and on narcotic pain meds, I of course said no...I was lazy and at 24, had no idea what I was doing to my body - or would i could have done with some relatively small but drastic changes --- and he also told me that no matter what I did, for the rest of my life, I would ALWAYS have stones and the pain from passing them, even if he broke them all up then.
He didn't tell me that even with it out, I could still have problems with stones, since most of them start in the liver. He didn't tell me that I might need digestive enzymes down the road, or that taking them could prevent misery. He didn't tell me that without enzymes, raw greens would become my mortal enemy (twice, I thought I had food poisoning, and it turned out to be a reaction to salad). He didn't tell me that without adding enzymes, even though my digestion didn't seem to suffer, I could develop severe nutrient deficiencies, develop major gut health issues - which could trigger diabetes, insulin resistance, thyroid issues, and so many other things. It is kind of a which came first, the chicken or the egg. Losing your gallbladder can create low stomach acid and digestion issues. Not being able to break down foods to absorb nutrients sends the body into a tailspin. Not being able to kill any random bacteria or viruses perpetuates the gut issues and can trigger/develop further issues. There are probably many other things I'm forgetting...but these are my frustrations with not having been as aware back when I had the surgery. Because I can guarantee, I was too exhausted to research on my own, and I trusted the medical profession implicitly.
1) Get on a supplement for digestion ASAP. Personally, ox bile has been the best one I've found. The NOW Brand "Super Enzymes" has ox bile, some probiotics for balance, and a variety of enzymes to help. Betaine HCL is a component of this formula, and you can get it in stronger dose on it's own, but that did not work well for me. I take one pill with each meal. Heavier meals, I also take an ACV pill.
2) Watch your waste. If it does a lot of floating, getting lighter in color, or isn't "formed" in the way that images show to be "healthy," adjust. She may need more or less enzymes. A huge meal or one that is nearly all carbs or all fats - I might have to take a second pill.
3) For any urgent heartburn issues that surface, keep ACV with the mother on hand. Drinking some in water or another beverage can really help ease that initial misery.
4) Stay away from raw greens and extreme levels of fat until she gets the digestion handled.
5) Add a probiotic, if possible. If further gut issues develop, consider adding Diatomaceous Earth as a supplement. Can find many links online to the benefits.
6) Be prepared at first for ... very little notice given by the body before requiring the use of the facilities.
7) Any excessive heartburn, flatulence, or other discomfort, and she might want to consider pairing an enzyme/bile pill with something like an Betaine HCL pill, etc. It's really going to be a take it as you go thing.
8) Don't assume that just because you aren't uncomfortable or feel like you are suffering that your digestion is going well. It took years of vitamin depletion to discover the low acid was the central cause - and many developed conditions. Thankfully for me, going high fat uncovered the underlying issue, and I've spent the last 2 years undoing over a decade of damage.
9) If she takes any supplements, consider liquid forms for better absorption, particularly if those vitamins/supplements or medications seem less effective than expected or have performed in the past.
10) don't drink water immediately before, during, or after a meal, beyond normal use. It can dilute the stomach bile or cause it to float, triggering heartburn.
11) Be careful with any form of fasting. The gallbladder is the controlled release center for bile, and without it, you get a slow trickle of bile all the time, with the amount dictated by your dietary intake, but the body is MUCH slower to adjust volume at this point. Trust me, going to the bathroom and it being straight bile because no food has used it up - that is a level of Hades I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.
I know this is A LOT. But it is over a decade worth of lessons learn condensed... If I think of more, I'll pop in...1 -
From The Nourished Caveman:
http://thenourishedcaveman.com/the-right-fiber-for-a-ketogenic-diet-my-research/Are all fibers created equal?
One very interesting fact I discovered working with different patients trying different foods is that not all fibers work the same for everybody.
These are some of my findings:
As a general rule unmodified potato starch spiked blood glucose by an average of 15 points and lead to weight gain in about 65% of my patients.
Psyllium fiber spiked glucose levels by 10 to 20 points in about 40% of patients.
Those patients who had problems with psyllium, seemed to have no reaction to ground flax seeds as far as glucose level spikes or weight gain, but did get good results in bowel movement frequency and ease.
On the contrary some of the patients (about 20%) had a reaction from using the flax seeds and got good results with the ground chia seeds.
Here's a Nourished Caveman recipe for High Fiber Keto Cereal With Cacao Nibs:
http://thenourishedcaveman.com/high-fiber-keto-cereal-with-cacao-nibs/
Ugh so much for the potato starch! *ditches starch*
Weight gain, my *kitten*!0 -
@KnitOrMiss - thanks, Carly. I logged off not long after my last comment, sorry. I got your messages 1
