Increase Fibre

PaddyJules

Can anyone advise me on how to increase the fibre in my diet. I am eating all the proper foods at the moment and drinking buckets of water, but still having a problem with constipation. I know that you have to increase fibre in your diet slowly which I have done. But any advice on some extra 'high fibre' foods that I could eat?

My typical diet would be branflakes with sultanas for breakfast, a ham salad sandwich on brown bread for lunch and a baked potato with salad and salmon or chicken for dinner. In between I snack on bananas, yogurt mixed with liquidised prunes and fruit. Have a sweet tooth but have cut way back recently so just have a few plain biscuits with tea.

So what do I need to introduce or reduce on ??

Thanks

Dixie Chick

Psyllium husks are great to get thing moving, lots of threads here about it recently.

rubadub

PaddyJules wrote: »

My typical diet would be branflakes with sultanas for breakfast,

Have a sweet tooth but have cut way back recently

Those branflakes with sultanas are 33% sugar

http://www.kelloggs.co.uk/products/branflakes/Cereal/bran_flakes_sultana_bran.aspx

Wholewheat, Sultanas (27%), Wheatbran (15%), Sugar, Salt, Honey, Barley Malt Flavouring, Niacin, Iron, Vitamin B6, Riboflavin (B2), Thiamin (B1), Folic Acid, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12.

That barley malt is just another type of sugar, sultanas are around 65% sugar albeit natural.

poconnor16

Just my 2 cents (as someone who suffers from same) but I find the more starchy carbs I eat the worse it can get. I've found a lower carb diet has reduced constipation...so long as I drink buckets of water and eat plenty of veggies, beans and add some flaxseed in there as well. Bananas kill me.
One thing I find helps loads is exercise. If I dont exercise, I will suffer.

Wonkagirl

poconnor16 wrote: »

Just my 2 cents (as someone who suffers from same) but I find the more starchy carbs I eat the worse it can get. I've found a lower carb diet has reduced constipation...so long as I drink buckets of water and eat plenty of veggies, beans and add some flaxseed in there as well. Bananas kill me.
One thing I find helps loads is exercise. If I dont exercise, I will suffer.

we must be descendents of the same clan- all of the above apply to me too. if i miss a days exercise i'm constipated. if i eat a banana- same thing. bananas bind everything together and make it difficult to pass through.. if i have any less than 2 lts or water per day- totally choked.

the human body is a complex thing!#

ETA- TMI alert: a double shot cappucino has me on the loo within minutes..

metamorphosis

Wonkagirl wrote: »

ETA- TMI alert: a double shot cappucino has me on the loo within minutes..

Good ole double espresso for me

poconnor16

ULstudent wrote: »

Good ole double espresso for me

I do find my morning coffee can be a 'moving' experience

Jarren

A tablespoon of coconut oil after a meal usually does the trick for me. 500gr glass jar of coconut oil will cost you about 1.60 from here

http://old.asiamarket.ie/ie/images/asia.gif

metamorphosis

jarecki1976 wrote: »

A tablespoon of coconut oil after a meal usually does the trick for me. 500gr glass jar of coconut oil will cost you about 1.60 from here

http://old.asiamarket.ie/ie/images/asia.gif

Yeah if im really bound up which is very rare - 2 tsp first thing in the morning sorts it out.

Cheers for the link - iv been paying much more for mine.

Wonkagirl

ULstudent wrote: »

Yeah if im really bound up which is very rare - 2 tsp first thing in the morning sorts it out.

Cheers for the link - iv been paying much more for mine.

as have i- SIGNIFICANTLY more.:eek:

Jarren

Yeap .

I know that coconut oil in Holland&Barret is very expensive.http://www.hollandandbarrett.ie/pages/categories.asp?cid=182

The Asia Market people get the stuff from here http://www.westmill.co.uk/products/brands/pride/pride_home.html

and I attached the pic of my coconut oil glass jar just in case


Ps I'ts actually 500 ml not 500gr,I only noticed now:o

Wonkagirl

jarecki1976 wrote: »

Yeap .

I know that coconut oil in Holland&Barret is very expensive.http://www.hollandandbarrett.ie/pages/categories.asp?cid=182

that' s where i got mine- more fool me- ah sure, i know for the next time

rubadub

jarecki1976 wrote: »

Ps I'ts actually 500 ml not 500gr,I only noticed now:o

That is similar enough, mine is 1L and says it is 910grams. I like your jar, you can scoop it out of it, the ones with narrow neck bottles are stupid as it is solid at room temp here. I put my bottle in hot water to melt it and then poured it into an old jar.

Mine was €6 for 1L which I thought was a good price, €1.60 is for nothing.

If you keep the jar in the fridge you can scrape the top of the oil with a fork which makes it end up looking like dessicated coconut and it makes it easier to sprinkle on things or mix into things. I have a waffle iron and liquidise up egg, oats and coconut oil.

Wonkagirl

rubadub wrote: »

Mine was €6 for 1L which I thought was a good price, €1.60 is for nothing.
.

mine was 14 eur!! :eek: a fool and his money are soon parted

do you all keep yours in the fridge? i do but it would be easier to not, if it's feasible? surely theres enough natural sugar in it to not let it go off?

metamorphosis

Wonkagirl wrote: »

mine was 14 eur!! :eek: a fool and his money are soon parted

do you all keep yours in the fridge? i do but it would be easier to not, if it's feasible? surely theres enough natural sugar in it to not let it go off?

Jaysus :eek: That;s grade A mad.

I paid like 4.60 i think for a 500ml jar likr the one jarecki posted a link to. Like Rubadub said its great as i cn spoon it out and let the pan melt it rather than having to heat a whole bottle

Wonkagirl

ULstudent wrote: »

Jaysus :eek: That;s grade A mad.

I paid like 4.60 i think for a 500ml jar likr the one jarecki posted a link to. Like Rubadub said its great as i cn spoon it out and let the pan melt it rather than having to heat a whole bottle

i know- more fool me. i'll know for the next time. holland and barrett are good for the 2 for 1 deals, but you pay then for other things like this!

rubadub

Wonkagirl wrote: »

do you all keep yours in the fridge? i do but it would be easier to not, if it's feasible? surely theres enough natural sugar in it to not let it go off?

Don't think there would be much sugar it in, it is stable at room temps though, I would only put it in the fridge to get it really hard to make it easier to scrape. I have 2 jars one at room temp one in the fridge. So if frying I go for the room temp with a spoon, for mixing the oil in as an ingredient I scrape it with a fork from the fridge.

I did spot a bit of mould on one of my jars, I think I might have used the same fork/spoon to take it out that had been used on other foods, I wasn't certain so put it in the fridge and then found that unexpected benefit -the scraping technique.

Wonkagirl

yeah i use scraping technique too and it's grand really..

PaddyJules

Thanks everyone for your advice. Will def try the coconut oil if I can get some. In the west of ireland - so can't get to the asia market. Has anyone bought it online and if so - from where?

Also - I have heard alot of good reviews of a tablet/liquid called Miralax. But have tried some pharmacies and they have never heard of it. Mainly its UK and USA sites that are taking about it. They reckon its not a laxative, but more of a stool softener. I take Lactose which may be similar, but just wondering if anyone has heard of it - Miralax.

LimeFruitGum

I add a tablespoon of bran on my Weetabix. Sometimes I'll add it to dishes where there's so much flavour that you wouldn't notice it. Try adding more beans as well (kidney beans, black eyed beans etc) into your meals.

ciagr297

PaddyJules wrote: »

Can anyone advise me on how to increase the fibre in my diet. I am eating all the proper foods at the moment and drinking buckets of water, but still having a problem with constipation. I know that you have to increase fibre in your diet slowly which I have done. But any advice on some extra 'high fibre' foods that I could eat?

My typical diet would be branflakes with sultanas for breakfast, a ham salad sandwich on brown bread for lunch and a baked potato with salad and salmon or chicken for dinner. In between I snack on bananas, yogurt mixed with liquidised prunes and fruit. Have a sweet tooth but have cut way back recently so just have a few plain biscuits with tea.

So what do I need to introduce or reduce on ??

Thanks

i'm quite surprised no one has mentioned it yet, but maybe its the types of fiber you are eating (see Nutrition 101 thread about soluable and insoluable fiber)

have you tried eating porridge instead of bran flakes? oats are more easily digested

maybe you need to introduce less harsh sources of fiber so your digestive system doesn't have to work as hard (and long)to get through it?

ciagr297

PaddyJules wrote: »

Also - I have heard alot of good reviews of a tablet/liquid called Miralax. But have tried some pharmacies and they have never heard of it. Mainly its UK and USA sites that are taking about it. They reckon its not a laxative, but more of a stool softener. I take Lactose which may be similar, but just wondering if anyone has heard of it - Miralax.

i'd be inclined to go back to looking at your sources of fiber and how you eat them (whether you are eating lots of insoluable fiber on an empty stomach/fruit first then meal/salads on empty stomach etc etc, it surprised me to understand that strategy is just as important as what you eat if you have a sensitive digestive system) rather than hitting the pills

***note - this is based on my own experience eating for IBS****

Sapsorrow

I'm pretty sure I remember us discussing all bran in college and how it actually promotes constipation and how it was ironic. I didn't pay much attention at the time so can't offer any more insight, but I'd say its too high in insoluble fibre. Fruit, veggies and oats are the way to go fibre wise, go easy on the wholegrains and add more veg instead. If all else fails the double espresso will never will

PaddyJules

Ok - so got some coconut oil and I love it !! Things arent 'moving' yet but no worries cos I am happily scrapping away at the coconut oil in the fridge. Lovely just off the spoon but its lovely if you have a teaspoon of coconut oil and a chocolate button - just like a bounty bar !!

Also got some psyllium husks. Really hard to take them and like previous threads said - you have to drink buckets of water otherwise you can feel that caught in your chest/stomach etc.

So between the 2 above and a few changes in my diet as suggested, I am hopefully for some positive results !