Low Carbs And Infrequency

[OptimisticMom42]

Hello All,

I'm not sure how to put this politely so I'm just gonna put it out there. Should a person eating a low carb/grain free diet poop less often? The reason I ask is that the gastro had me using Miralax "everyday that you don't have a bm" for my "lazy bowel". Do I need to have a bm everyday? If not, when should I start to worry?

I had replaced the Miralax with magnesium supplements for about a week and was having very,very small daily bms when I had a reaction to something (soy in flovered coffee?) that caused pressure in my decending colon and on my bladder. I took the Miralax and then a dose of exlax. In the morning I still had the pressure and my extremities were swollen. I panicked and used a fleet which had an instant response. Lots of fluid and rest and I'm ok again except that I haven't had a bm and am beginning to feel the pressure in my left side again. So, should I buy more Miralax, start the magnesium again, just wait it out?

Thank you for any replies,

OptimisticMom42

[princesskill]

id suggest trying to up your fiber. ground flax seed can be added to smoothies, youghurt, on gluten-free cereal, in stews, spaghetti sauce etc. try high protien low carb grains like quonia. eat lots of vegetables and drink lots of water. beans and legumes are great too!

[OptimisticMom42]

id suggest trying to up your fiber. ground flax seed can be added to smoothies, youghurt, on gluten-free cereal, in stews, spaghetti sauce etc. try high protien low carb grains like quonia. eat lots of vegetables and drink lots of water. beans and legumes are great too!

Thank you Princesskill,

I do really like the idea of a food solution. And I really hated being called lazy even if it was just my bowel I do have some flax seed that I bought a long time ago. Does this stuff go stale? How much do you use and how often? What would a bad reaction to it look like? Flax seed,almond milk and berries would remain low carb. I don't handle carbs well yet, maybe as I heal this will get better.

thanks again,

OptimisticMom42

[foodiegurl]

I have issues with this as well. Walking and exercise is the one thing that works well for me, as well as prunes and lots of water.

[RiceGuy]

Yes, at least one bowel movement per day is expected. Many experts say a few more is still actually considered normal. When you think about it, if you eat three times a day, going just once means it would have to essentially consist of the total volume of a full day's worth of food. Otherwise, there'd be more going in than going out, and that's obviously not a good thing.

As for a grain to increase fiber without increasing carbs, I think you'll find teff a better choice than quinoa. And buckwheat is probably even better still. For something easy and delicious, try adding finely shredded coconut to your meals. Coconut flour is great for baking, or to add to stews and casseroles, hot cereals, etc. Your system may do better with one than with another, so keep that in mind. There are different kinds of fiber, and different kinds of carbs, and how well your body handles a particular food is dependent on various factors.

An easy way to get a lot of fiber is ordinary pea soup. Just put some peas into a blender with enough water to cover, and blend until smooth. Heat in the microwave, season to taste, and you're all set! One pound of peas makes about three cups of soup, with nearly 100% of the daily recommended amount of fiber. Tastes great with coconut added in too!

Magnesium is a healthy alternative to the fiber, especially for those who don't get the right response to fiber. Either way, start slowly, and work up to the optimal level over a period of a week or so. Using too much too soon can be very uncomfortable.

Flax seed does spoil after a while, so check the expiration date. It keeps better in the freezer or fridge.

[munkee41182]

Hm....maybe I have a lazy bowel as well....I'm lucky if I go once every other day, drink water and eat veggies like it's going out of style! I have an apponitment with my GI doc on Tuesday, I'll ask her about it then.

[princesskill]

Thank you Princesskill,

I do really like the idea of a food solution. And I really hated being called lazy even if it was just my bowel I do have some flax seed that I bought a long time ago. Does this stuff go stale? How much do you use and how often? What would a bad reaction to it look like? Flax seed,almond milk and berries would remain low carb. I don't handle carbs well yet, maybe as I heal this will get better.

thanks again,

OptimisticMom42

flax is pretty useless unless its ground up. otherwise it just passes through your digestive system. you can buy ground flax meal, it should be in the refrigerated section of your health food store and should be kept refrigerated. alternatively you can buy whole flax and grind it in a good food processor. id start small and increase flax slowly. i kind of got out of the habbit of using it but probably should start again, now that im not having D constantly im a bit constipated! flax made me gassy at first but got better as i got used to it. another thing you could try is hemp hearts. they're basically ground up hemp seeds and are really flavourful, especially on cereal or even in salad dressing.

i agree with the other poster about buckwheat and teff. anything high in fiber thats gluten free will do you good. maybe you should think about seeing a nutritionist or dietitian? they would have good ideas.

[uclangel422]

Increasing the fat in your diet through nuts or avocado, the good kind should help with the problem associated with this.

[OptimisticMom42]

Thank you for all your suggestions!

I will definitely do the pea soup and coconut. I believe you are correct about there being different carbs. I need to do some more reading about low blood sugar and good carbs/ bad carbs. Do you have a useful link or book suggestion on this?

Currently the cute little character on my WII fit is still telling me, "Ohh, you're overweight" so part of the low carb thing was to get her to say something nice!

[princesskill]

Thank you for all your suggestions!

I will definitely do the pea soup and coconut. I believe you are correct about there being different carbs. I need to do some more reading about low blood sugar and good carbs/ bad carbs. Do you have a useful link or book suggestion on this?

Currently the cute little character on my WII fit is still telling me, "Ohh, you're overweight" so part of the low carb thing was to get her to say something nice!

you could follow the south beach diet pretty easily, just substitute good gluten-free grains for the whole grains suggested.

[Nancym]

It depends on what you eat, a low carb diet can be pretty low in undigested residue. If you don't feel bloated or uncomfortable then you're fine if you don't go everyday.