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Low carb - where do you get your fibre from

aylalake said:
I totally agree with both your posts @AloeSvea. Those are my thoughts and experiences too!

(I thought I was donning my tin hat regarding the 5 a day theory - glad I am not alone.)
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Morning @aylalake and @AloeSvea.

Not sure the Five-a-Day thing is even a theory, is it?

AFAIK, the slogan was dreamed up in 1991 at a conference in California convened for fruit and vegetable wholesale and retail companies whose raison d'etre was to boost sales!
 
Well interesting @LivingLightly, that a couple of places are taking credit for coming up with one of the most successful marketing strategies ever! Forgive me, but I can't be bothered following up on the Canada-credit. Not entirely sure we need to know exactly - just that it seems absolutely tied in with the fibre 'theory'.
 
Did a deeper dive into 'the fibre theory', and came up with two - a couple of papers from your country, and an article from my home country Aotearoa/NZ.

This one is interesting in that it addresses insulin sensitivity (a la insulin resistance based metablic disease incl T2D)
'The Health Benefits of Dietary Fibre' (2020)

The Health Benefits of Dietary Fibre

Background: Dietary fibre consists of non-digestible forms of carbohydrate, usually as polysaccharides that originate from plant-based foods. Over recent decades, our diet within Westernised societies has changed radically from that of our hominid ancestors, ...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

lots and lots and lots of 'it appears to be', 'it is suggested that' to "the wealth of evidence".
Not a surprise to know the suggested fibre grammage is a 'by suggestion' . And the idea that our hunter gatherer ancestors were consuming great amounts of plant fibre on a daily basis.

This is the latest one - 2022,

Health benefits of dietary fibers vary

Different dietary fiber supplements were associated with different health benefits, such as decreased cholesterol and increased numbers of beneficial bacteria.
www.nih.gov

conclusion -
  • "The findings suggest that the health benefits of dietary fiber depend on the fiber type, the amount, and the individual."
Not unlike everything else we forum-folk say about diet!

From my country -

Fibre even better for you, Otago study shows

Generations of children have been told to eat high fibre foods because they are good for you. Newly released University of Otago research shows...
www.odt.co.nz

Lots of appears to and suggests in there also (or words to that effect)

What I found most interesting for those of us with insulin resistance based diabetes - ie about 75% of folks with type two diabetes (the fat cells, and wear and tear factors ie ageing included in that), (according to Lund uni diabetes substypes that I must be the only person in the global community who insists on using?! lol) is the recommended way to get that fibre -

"Eat Healthy​

A suggested way of eating 25-29 grams of fibre a day.

  • half a cup of rolled oats (9g fibre),
  • 2 weetbix (3g),
  • 1 thick slice of wheatmeal bread (2g),
  • 1 cup of cooked lentils (4g)
  • a potato cooked with the skin on (2g),
  • half a cup of silverbeet (1g),
  • a carrot (3g),
  • an apple with the skin on (4g). "
As we know - a heap of sugar and high carbs in there! As someone who believed the dieatary recommendation to dump eggs and bacon for weetbix and wholegrain bread, and meat substitutes and low meat diet - I am.... well....hmmm....

As we 75% of diabetics already have the Big D (or in remission from it, you lucky devils! ) - a consequence of too low fibre "it is suggested" (not, of course - too much blasted sugar and excess carbs in conjunction with dietary fats), tis interesting that these fibre recommendations haven't been, ah, adjusted? By medical professionals discussing diet with us. Nor inthe articles like above.

But I like that conclusion in the 2022 paper, that how much and from what food varies for the individual - so @gogobroom - will be interesting what you make of that?
 
AloeSvea said:
Increasing bulk to get it out of a small hole more easily doesn't make sense...
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It does if you understand how sphincters work

As long as I'm well-hydrated, the further I get past 30g of mixed fibre, the more effortless it all becomes and the less need for toilet paper. No pushing, no pain and nary a dash of residue. Oh, and it’s all done and dusted before most will have had the time to pee.

Our evolution may have brought various adaptations, but we still seem to have much of the plumbing we had when swinging from the trees and eating fruit and roughage all day.

Will probably be juicing in the near future, but after that I'm gonna be aiming for 50g minimum of fibre, per-day.
 
I'm constantly reminding myself of the truth behind food guidelines and recommendations - it's not our health they're interested in (well ok, for boots-on-the-ground health care professionals it is) but ever increasing profit margins. Don't get me started on fruit!! It does not belong nestled in the arms of non-starchy vegetables as it's often portrayed, it belongs with sweets, manufactured sweets. Even the wonderful blueberry is bred and modified out of all recognition, so much so that birds which evolved to eat blueberries can't fit modern ones in their beaks. Don't get me wrong, I love fruit, but I also love snickers bars and they belong together.

I cringe whenever I hear "Eat more fruit and veg!" Not because I don't like them, but because for health it should be just "Eat more veg!" Is there a fruit that we must eat or we'll end up deficient in some vital nutrient? Nope. I know some fruits are good, I've just had that rant in the barrell for ages.
 

Chuckle - you know I'm going to see this as an info' challenge? .

From the wonderful NIH -

'How do bowel movements work'

"Rectum and anal canal​

The rectum, which is about 20 centimeters long, is the final section of the large intestine (colon). This is where the indigestible parts of our food collect until the bowel is emptied. The anal canal, situated between the rectum and anus, is closed off by sphincter muscles and hemorrhoids. It is between three and six centimeters long, and has a mucous membrane lining (anoderm). This lining contains a lot of nerves that send signals to help the brain do things like recognize the consistency of stool and how full the bowel is. These nerves also help you know when your bowel needs to be emptied.

Anal sphincters​

There is an inner (internal) and outer (external) sphincter at the end of the anal canal. The inner sphincter makes sure that the rectum does not open when you are sleeping, for example. It is ring-like in shape and made up of smooth muscle.
The outer sphincter supports the inner sphincter, helping it perform its function. Unlike the inner sphincter, the outer sphincter can be controlled voluntarily. This makes it possible to empty your bowels or hold back your stool when you want to. But the outer sphincter can also act involuntarily, for instance to help or prevent the passage of stool.

...

What makes you feel the urge to “go”?​

When the rectum fills up, stretch receptors in the wall of the anus are activated. Signals are sent along nerves to the part of the brain known as the cerebrum. There they are processed, and signals are sent back to the lining of the anus. The nerve impulse causes the inner sphincter to open, making you feel like you need to empty your bowels. The pelvic floor relaxes and drops down a little, allowing the muscles in the rectum to push the stool out.

If you follow the urge to empty your bowels, and go to the toilet, you voluntarily relax your outer sphincter muscle as well. But you can hold back stool for some time by tensing the muscles in your pelvic floor and abdomen, as well as your outer anal sphincter. After a bowel movement, the inner sphincter closes again too and you no longer feel the urge to go to the toilet for a while."

But anyone who has suffered from constipation knows - it's still a small hole!
 
I'm not sure which is worse, constipation or the d word I can't spell. Very interesting info!
 
Strangely I found this fascinating @AloeSvea Thanks for posting

My poor darling husband had Cauda Equina in the last 2 months of his life due to secondary cancer in his spine. It was very humiliating for him
 
AloeSvea said:
But anyone who has suffered from constipation knows - it's still a small hole!
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My experience of constipation has not been affected by the size of the whole. It’s just been an inability to fully evacuate the bowels. The only exception to that is on occasions where the constipation is due to or accompanied dehydrating, in which case it feels like I'm trying to pass rocks that have razor-blades embedded in the sides.

I've actually been pretty constipated for the last few days. Just been passing fewer and smaller amounts. But there’s been no pain when passing whatever comes out.
 
@Beating-My-Betes - 50 g of fibre a day is a lot! But very interesting to look at closely, if you would share with us... are you keeping a food journal for this?

I have been looking for an easier to read comparison of fruit and leaf eating primates and us, re our digestive system and bowels. If anyone else reading this thread has found one already (or you yourself?) - again - very interesting, would be great to share?
 
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