Psyllium

[mfactor]

I am on LCHF and doing fine but have read that I should supplement with Psyllium or Chia ....

All is good ahem "downstairs" , (after the first few days of Keto)....

But I eat very few veggies so short on fibre I guess, so should I supplement or not given all is ok downstairs.


Cheers

Jase

 

[Finsky]

Well...if it ain't broken...don't fix it.. You body will soon tell you if something is amiss.
Even if your 'plumbing works' will change its regularity..there is no alarm to start correcting it straight away, it is normal thing to happen when ever we do dietary changes. If you start to feel uncomfortable with the lack of it...now that is another story..one good natural and low carb 'helper' is flax seeds..they are mildly laxative and are old remedy for it. You can take them as they are, sprinkled on food, soak them and drink them down...what ever appeal to you. But if you do take them dry...drink plenty of water as they make kind of 'gel', it is that and the insoluble fibre on seeds coating that does the 'trick'....both need good amount of fluids to work.

 

[Robbity]

I agree - if your plumbing's working properly - there's nothing to worry over - or fix! When you're eating a low carb higher fat diet, eating nuts and seeds and some low carb fruit (e.g rhubarb) will also provide fibre in your diet, and fatty foods and oils can help "lubricate" things too. Keep up your fluid intake as well.

When I first started low carbing I just had a week or so when I was slightly constipated, but after that my body adjusted to its slightly different diet, and functions were back to normal. However I'd also seen recommendation about using psyllium, but after a short and unpleasant painful and extremely bloated experience with it I'd never touch it again for £1,000,000, but as I said I never actually needed to use it.

Robbity

 

[muzza3]

I take it daily each morning. It is a commercial product I use and have a couple of teaspoons each morning with water. No problems at all and I think the extra fibre is quite healthy (the recommended dosage where you do have problems is about three times what I take daily). I had a few problems when doing the newcastle diet and it resolved them following a recommendation from this forum.
Cheers

 

[Larissima]

I would much rather eat more green veggies, which are full of fibre AND vitamins/minerals/phytonutrients but low in carbs, than a processed seed/husk. Things like all the brassicas (kale, broc, cauli, Brussels, sprouting broc) and green leaves (spinach, spring greens, beet tops, Swiss chard, all kinds of lettuce).

 

[Brunneria]

It is in my cupboard for two reasons:

- it is useful to fill a hole if I am hungry but don't need food - I just drop a tsp in a hot drink, stir, and take. Very filling. No food value. Ace.

- sometimes, all of us need a bit of help for any number of reasons not all related to diet and diabetes, Unless we live on another planet with other Saints. I keep psyllium available as an option. I keep a pack of plasters too, but I don't think that is an unwise precaution either.

 

[Pink_Minx]

- it is useful to fill a hole if I am hungry but don't need food - I just drop a tsp in a hot drink, stir, and take. Very filling. No food value. Ace.

The speed at which turns my breakfast yogurt into cement makes it good for filling holes in walls, too!

 

[Larissima]

It is in my cupboard for two reasons:

- it is useful to fill a hole if I am hungry but don't need food - I just drop a tsp in a hot drink, stir, and take. Very filling. No food value. Ace.

- sometimes, all of us need a bit of help for any number of reasons not all related to diet and diabetes, Unless we live on another planet with other Saints. I keep psyllium available as an option. I keep a pack of plasters too, but I don't think that is an unwise precaution either.

I can see the usefulness of using psyllium on an ad-hoc basis, and I've also seen it in a recipe I'd like to try. I keep it in my cupboard too! However, I still think that before using it on a regular basis, for regularity , try just adding more fibrous veggies first.

 

[buddyscott]

I would be very cautious. A few years ago I was eating Sainsbury's gluten free bread on a daily basis. Three times I was in A&E with suspected kidney stones - the pain was incredible. Giving up the bread - which contained psyllium - did the trick.

 

[lovinglife]

I was on it prescribed by GP chronic diverticulitis - once I got my carbs down to a level that controlled my bs 90g or so but mostly from veggies a few new pots and a slice of burgen every day I had to stop the stuff as it worked far too well! Was never out of the little girls room!

If your having no problems I wouldn't bother, I find good fats from nuts and avocado help too. It's a fallacy that you need to empty your bowels every day - regular means what is your own personal pattern - if that alters significantly then maybe look again at your diet - but if you only go twice a week but you've always only gone twice a week well that is normal for you