Fiber Supplement?

[JamiD]

I'm lectin-free right now and could use some bulking fiber. I've tried Metamucil caps (psyllium husk) but I've read somewhere (maybe on the SCD) that it should be avoided. What's recommended?

Thanks.

[JennyC]

Guar gum is a soluable fiber, and can also be used in exchange for xanthan gum as a dough enhancer. I'm not sure what it is made of though.

[Guest laydirain]

I just bought Citrucel as i heard it is gluten-free. The metamucil is supposedly more likely to cause bloating and gas...

[Karen B.]

My optometrist was telling me about the great results he had with advice he received from one of his doc buddies for increasing fiber and lowering cholesterol.

1 Tbsp of whole flax seed, freshly ground and stirred into a serving of yogurt at least once a day.

We had a small coffee grinder we didn't use anymore so Hubby and I bought some whole flax seed and tried it. It did a great number on his cholesterol (mine was already good) and it was a great regulator. Best thing was it didn't cause me any tummy gurgles or crampy feelings and no gas. And it's cheap, a bag will last a long time.

I was warned not to buy the pre-ground because ground flax seed goes off quickly but the whole stays good a long while. If you can't have dairy, you might want to add it to something else.

It has a good nutty flavor (I add it to my breakfast muffins).

[Eriella]

Instead of getting fiber through a supplement, I try to get my 25 g/day through food. Some easy ways to get it are:

Apple (5)

Banana (4)

Blueberries (4)

Grapefruit (6 for 1/2 of it)

Raspberries (8)

Strawberries (4)

Avocado (12)

Broccoli (11)

Cooked carrots (6)

Corn (5)

Peas (9)

Sweet Potato (6)

Brown rice (8)

Almonds (4)

Black Beans (15)

flax seed (7)

Lima beans (13)

Soybeans (8)

So, to get all of the fiber is that I need, I eat a baggie of mixed berries in the morning (about 6 g) with high fiber muffins (4g). For my morning snack I'll have almonds (4) and a banana (4), then for lunch I'll have beans and rice (12) or a baked sweet potato (6). For a snack in the afternoon I'll grab an apple with peanut butter (5) or tortilla chips and guacamole (about 7). Then for dinner I normally grill some beef or chicken, and eat it with rice (8) and whatever veggies were on sale (9-11). Most importantly, I'll eat whatever the heck I want for dessert.

By the end of the day I will have 52+ grams of fiber, which is more than enough to convince my body to digest my food. It is just important to drink at least 64 oz of water, if not more, to make sure the fiber can do its job.

Interestingly enough, most of my co-workers have started eating this "diet" (with all-bran instead of muffins) and they have all lost around 2 lbs/week.

[lpellegr]

Metamucil caps are gluten-free. I take them every day. Fiber in large quantities can cause people to have intestinal disturbances if they're not used to fiber in the diet, but it should clear up as your body gets used to it. I found before I knew about celiac that the only thing that quelled my horrible gas and IBS (which I now know were celiac symptoms) was eating tons of fiber. I found that out by joining an organic farm co-op and having to eat massive amounts of salad to keep up with it and realizing that I wasn't blackening the air with my emissions. Ironic that the fibrous things that cause gas in other people actually stopped the gas for me. Take the Metamucil but add more veggies too.