keto constipation

62apples

Don't like talking about this, but I wish I had known before.
Not enough fat, water, magnesium, or too much fiber causes keto constipation.
I thought fiber was supposed to fix this.
I read one post after another that fiber causes keto constipation.
Ditch the fiber and raise the fat...it works.
For magnesium, a person can use calm or Oxy-Powder.
If a meal does not have enough innate fat, then add some ghee (not olive oil).

Yes, all the know it alls are going to descend on this, with their contrary comments...
but since I wish I had known so it is here for others to know.

MimiOfTheLusciousLawn

I've found that eating a large, leafy green salad every day keeps things moving adequately. Just remember, a keto diet produces less waste so you won't be going every day. Once every 3-4 days is fine and not constipated (in need of fixing).

Sunny_Bunny_

Also salt... low sodium will also contribute

Vladaar

MimiOfTheLusciousLawn wrote: »

I've found that eating a large, leafy green salad every day keeps things moving adequately. Just remember, a keto diet produces less waste so you won't be going every day. Once every 3-4 days is fine and not constipated (in need of fixing).

That is interesting, I have salad almost every lunch and find that I am having to go frequently like I would if I was eating a lot of fruit in my diet. I haven't been eating fruit. I didn't realize salad had that affect, but it will be good to balance the fruit intake with since I now know that.

62apples

To Sunny Bunny. Very interesting. My alternative practitioner said that I had a blue hue to the whites of my eyes which meant I was not eating enough salt. Thanks to you, I now know that was also a contributing factor.

I was eating salads regularly but still had bathroom problems. I increased my fiber and still had a problem.
From other posts and my alt person, I increased my salt, magnesium, and copper. I bought some raw butter today so I can be sure to have enough fat. Many posts say that increasing fat cures keto constipation.
I should be worried about the higher fat since I have a one inch gallstone. Yet on keto, I have been eating high fat, and it has not caused me any symptoms. Also, the keto diet reduced my fatty liver to barely noticeable.

KnitOrMiss

Vladaar wrote: »

MimiOfTheLusciousLawn wrote: »

I've found that eating a large, leafy green salad every day keeps things moving adequately. Just remember, a keto diet produces less waste so you won't be going every day. Once every 3-4 days is fine and not constipated (in need of fixing).

That is interesting, I have salad almost every lunch and find that I am having to go frequently like I would if I was eating a lot of fruit in my diet. I haven't been eating fruit. I didn't realize salad had that affect, but it will be good to balance the fruit intake with since I now know that.

@Vladaar - I don't know if greens going through quickly for everyone is a result of low stomach acid, but I found out that after about a year on keto that I'd apparently used up all stomach acid reserves, and any raw greens hit me like a ton of bricks - so much so that I thought I had food poisoning until I did some research. I'd never had an issue like that ever before...

So if you're having any type of digestion issues with the raw greens, it might be worth some research.

That being said, keto might have reduced overall volume of waste for me - but it DID NOT reduce the frequency with which I went... Since I don't have a gallbladder, I go more often than most folks, but not more than everyone. I go multiple times a day. This is just a sequence that was created long before going keto.

Some folks go less, some folks go more, some stay about the same... The main thing is - watch for discomfort, actual dehydration/misery, more solid type forms of foods consumed identifiable in the waste, etc. Basically, if you're going often enough that you don't get discomfort from it, you're probably okay, as long as you're under, what, 8 days or so?

Knowing that we focus on our own patterns, it's always odd to me when I hear someone else's perfectly normal pattern!

62apples

An ayuvedic doctor took me off all raw food. I have coooked squash zucchini for lunch. I found eating a tablespoon of raw butter helps. Oxi powder helps. I have added a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar morning and evening.