fiber- a myth? page 5

[BestBetter]

Squatting is the answer.

Not for everyone!

I tried out this miraculous squatting position many years ago when I first started having constipation problems and it never made any difference...over the years I've revisted it, but I notice that my BM have zero to do with the position I'm in. Maybe it works for some folks (in theory, it does sound like a good idea) but in practice, for me, it was a dud.

[sbhikes]

The fiber in things like lettuce, fruit, broccoli seem to work well for me, or at least it's all agreeable to my digestion. The fiber in a bran muffin stops me up horribly. This is something I noticed a decade before going paleo, though.

[Drumroll]

The fiber in things like lettuce, fruit, broccoli seem to work well for me, or at least it's all agreeable to my digestion. The fiber in a bran muffin stops me up horribly. This is something I noticed a decade before going paleo, though.

This is probably due to the difference in fiber from most grains vs. veggies. Grains are mostly insoluble fiber which will add bulk to your stool and somewhat limits blood sugar spikes by slowing down the absorption of carbs and other substances. Veggies are mostly soluble fiber which serves a range of metabolic effects in the gut, most notably, as a prebiotic. The gut will actually ferment soluble fiber (so you actually get like one calorie per gram if I recall correctly) which feeds the gut flora in your intestine and assists in the production of fatty acids in the body including butyrate. This is why soluble fiber is often referred to as a PREbiotic. It doesn't provide gut bacteria directly, but it helps keep what you have healthy and functioning properly.

If you never ate ANY fiber, it'd be hard to feed those little buggers in your gut. The fact that you do better with one type over the other is probably a sign that your gut flora is utilizing it well.

[BestBetter]

Veggies are mostly soluble fiber which serves a range of metabolic effects in the gut, most notably, as a prebiotic. The gut will actually ferment soluble fiber

Couple of mistakes here:

The majority of vegetables are comprised of cellulose, which is INdigestible fiber. Indigestible fiber CANNOT be digested because humans lack the enzyme, cellulase, which digests it. The gut is forced to ferment INsoluble fiber since it can't be digested.

On the other hands, starches like peeled potatoes, white rice, oatmeal, and things like peeled/deseeded squashes and the pectin in peeled apples are examples of soluble fiber, which is digested. This is the type of fiber that feeds beneficial gut flora.

[Drumroll]

Any practicing paleo/primal eater is, by the very nature of the diet, most likely getting reduced intake of fiber. They can probably meet their entire need for soluble fiber from veggies alone anyway. Research seems to be baring out that we need soluble fiber for gut health, but not as much as we used to think and CW would tell us.

Besides, "there are a number of other vegetables that also contain high amounts of soluble fiber. Brussels sprouts are high in soluble fiber with 2.0 g per 1/2-cup cooked serving. A 1-cup serving of raw red cabbage contains 0.9 g of soluble fiber. Asparagus is also high in soluble fiber, with 1.7 g per 1/2-cup cooked serving. A 1/2 cup of cooked turnips contains 1.7 g of soluble fiber. A 1-cup serving of both raw chopped celery and raw chopped peppers contain 1.0 g of soluble fiber."

What Kind Of Vegetables Contain Soluble Fiber? | LIVESTRONG.COM

Keeping your veggie intake at decent levels will provide adequate soluble fiber in your diet.

Also, more food for thought: Medical Research Council*-*News*-*Leafy greens protect the gut’s immune system

It seems that a compound (indole-3-carbinol) typically found in leafy, green, and fibrous vegetable was found to be protective of immune cells in the gut and helped spur the formation and maitinance of healthy gut bacteria.

[MamaGrok]

5 pages, skimmed them, and I haven't found anyone talking about gut health?

I was constipated MY ENTIRE LIFE until I was about 30 and changed my diet and BAM it went away. Doesn't matter whether I eat tons of leafy greens or none at all; constipation is GONE now. Constipation is a sign of poor gut health, usually a gut bacteria imbalance, also usually food intolerances, biggest culprits being wheat, other grains, dairy, etc., in that order.

Squatting is a nice help, but not a cure. Magnesium is a nice help, but doesn't solve the root problem.

If you're constipated and bloated, you have a digestion problem, period. I strongly suggest saving up a bit and getting a test like Enterolabs' comprehensive food intolerance stool test, especially if you're already 100% grain-free and still having problems. Or Metametrix GI Effects, which will do a gut bacteria analysis. Or do the GAPS diet for six months, or just focus hard on no digestion-crippling foods (like grains & especially unfermented and/or pasteurized dairy) and lots of fermented foods & probiotics & bone broth.

[Drumroll]

5 pages, skimmed them, and I haven't found anyone talking about gut health?

I was constipated MY ENTIRE LIFE until I was about 30 and changed my diet and BAM it went away. Doesn't matter whether I eat tons of leafy greens or none at all; constipation is GONE now. Constipation is a sign of poor gut health, usually a gut bacteria imbalance, also usually food intolerances, biggest culprits being wheat, other grains, dairy, etc., in that order.

Squatting is a nice help, but not a cure. Magnesium is a nice help, but doesn't solve the root problem.

If you're constipated and bloated, you have a digestion problem, period. I strongly suggest saving up a bit and getting a test like Enterolabs' comprehensive food intolerance stool test, especially if you're already 100% grain-free and still having problems. Or Metametrix GI Effects, which will do a gut bacteria analysis. Or do the GAPS diet for six months, or just focus hard on no digestion-crippling foods (like grains & especially unfermented and/or pasteurized dairy) and lots of fermented foods & probiotics & bone broth.

If you must know about gut health, I find that mine are smaller and less frequent, but still fairly regular. I think the old CW myth of bigger being better (supposedly means you have lots of healthy gut bacteria since dead bacteria is what the majority of it is) doesn't really get the whole picture. I mean... You still have to wonder why you are shedding so much of the good bacteria. Obviously it's not living very long, which to me, indicates an issue of some sort.

I find that if I am REALLY constipated, I can up fiber for a day or two to get rid of it, but that doesn't happen much anymore, and doing it as a long term solution is likely to do more harm than good anyway. CW wisdom IS good at one thing, keeping you regular. But it's not so good for longer-term gut health.

Now, I have an interesting question I've been wondering about. I've always wondered if people who go less frequently might have a more efficient metabolism. I mean, they aren't accumulating a lot in their gut so it would seem that their body is utilizing more of the food they are consuming. This would seem to be a good thing as it increases nutrient absorption and means that more food is processed by the body instead of tossed out as "waste."

Or maybe it's the opposite? More waste means your body is efficiently getting rid of excess calories it doesn't need, which means more calories burned/shed, leaner mass, and therefore a higher metabolism? I mean, I'm no expert, but those both seem like interesting ways to look at hour our guts were designed to function.

[MamaGrok]

I think we're "supposed" to go anywhere from 2-3x/day to once every other day, *so long as* it's comfortable and comes out easily & cleanly, fairly formed, but neither hard nor mush. (I "EC" my babies, and by time they're toddlers, they can squat and go and it's so easy & clean they usually don't even need to be wiped.)

I think that's the human norm, and variance within it, so long as it's comfortable/etc., is normal.

[AMonkey]

Fibre seems to be irrelevant in good bowel habits for me, and seems to be overrated. Too much info may follow.

On an implicit keto diet I only have to crap every few days. There is sometimes constipation but its always comes out clean and fast to wipe up. Adding more salt seems to relieve constipation. When I eat lots of veggies I have to crap like every day, usually its more messy and clean up can take a while.

Frankly I prefer the low fibre option.

[AMonkey]

i DO feel cold a lot.... I exercise regularly- any other tips on improving metabolism? I seem to be in the same boat w/ the fiber- eating more seems to clog things up! At least when it comes to fiber supplements, grains etc....

Metabolism is pretty complicated and I do not like the statement "improving your metabolism also improves digestion. Do you feel cold all the time...?". If you do good exercise, with a healthy diet, your metabolism should be fine. If you are excessively cold it could be you aren't eating enough calories or it could be something like hypothyroidism or any other number of causes.

Focus on what is managable (exercise/diet) and worry about the minor points later.