About the "C" word ....

[Janice]

Hey! I would love to hear what others do for CONSTIPATION.

I take a hefty tablespoon of sugar-free Metamucil every night before bed but I don't find it that effective, plus I think it's got like 2carbs per rounded teaspoon.

Any ideas? Yes, I drink plenty of water (3+ litres/day) and am taking all my supplements (including an essential fatty acid supplement, and a Greens supplement). I've also tried upping my vitamin C to no avail.

Anyone in the same boat? Anyone found anything that works really well?

Janice

[Ruth]

Originally posted by Janice
Hey! I would love to hear what others do for CONSTIPATION.

I take a hefty tablespoon of sugar-free Metamucil every night before bed but I don't find it that effective, plus I think it's got like 2carbs per rounded teaspoon.

Any ideas? Yes, I drink plenty of water (3+ litres/day) and am taking all my supplements (including an essential fatty acid supplement, and a Greens supplement). I've also tried upping my vitamin C to no avail.

Anyone in the same boat? Anyone found anything that works really well?

Janice

Do you drink 16 oz of water after/before the metamucil, in addition to the water you mix it in? If you don't, it can have the opposite effect. :mad:

I use plain psyllium sometimes. Eating lots of salad & veg with fiber, eg broccoli, green beans, spinach, cauliflower is the preferred method of keeping the GI tract going. Use www.fitday.com to check your daily menus, it'll give you a fiber count. I also buy calcium & magnesium in separate pills and tend to take slightly more mag to calcium. Magnesium loosens things up :). Approach this cautiously, other wise emergencies could occur ;)

[K-Louise]

I'm curious.. what is the recommended fibre count for a healthy system?

[Karen]

Right up at the top of the page in Low Carb Tips is a fabulous article by Doreen on the very subject! Intestinal Health!

Karen

[bakkedbren]

Hi There,
I have found what works great for me is every other night I drink a pot of cleansing tea. I recomend drinking a night as it has a really strong effect (if you know what I mean). You can buy it a drug store I use tea with senna leaf and rhubarb root and trust me your problem will be flushed away!!!! :D

[Janice]

Brenda; Which tea do you use? I have one made by Traditional Medicinals, Laxative blend. Is there another you'd recommend? Thanks everyone!

Janice

[Natrushka]

Originally posted by K-Louise
I'm curious.. what is the recommended fibre count for a healthy system?

For LCers it is lower than for non LCers. Someone eating a high carb diet with lots of gluey flour and the like, 25g of fiber is recommended. LCers usually get by with 10 - 15g and do just fine.

Nat

[JoAnnAtkin]

I began taking Magnesium pills! They certainly help with the constipation and I believe they are one of the vitamins Dr. Atkins prescribes along with the potassium and calcium, and a good one a day vitamin.
Hope this helps !
Jo Ann in TEXAS :wave:

[Janice]

Joanne and Ruth; thanks for the advise on the magnesium. How much do you take? How much calcium with it? Thanks!
Janice

[JoAnnAtkin]

............I have never been one to know exactly how much to take of anything. However, with the magnesium 250 mg. each, I take 3 at night . I found that I have to have 3 in order for it to work for me in the "C" area, which you were speaking of. Hope I am not overdosing.? :D

I also take 1200 mg. of calcium with Vit. D included.
My poatasium is 99 mg. and the bottle says one a day with a meal. I started taking that because I was getting cramps some in the back of my legs! :(

Hope this helps Janice!

Jo Ann in TEXAS

[Janice]

And many thanks to all of you who offered advise on this issue. I just got back from the grocery store with lots of spinach, broccoli, magnesium, potassium, and a new big canister of sugar-free Metamucil. Thanks again!!

Janice

[JoAnnAtkin]

It seems to me when I thought about buying the Sugar Free Metamucil.............in the listings, it stilled showed sugar or carbs. Did you check really good on the label? Be careful, some of those sugars could be hidden. I know the one I looked at did not list 0 Sugar and 0 carbs , even though it said no sugar added. Be sure to look before you start taking it.

Jo Ann in TEXAS :wave:

[sylvie p]

I find one tablespoon of flaxseed oil in a protein shake in the mornings does the trick for me to stay regular.