I've always eaten a reasonably high fiber diet (plenty of fruits, veggies, and whole grains) But it seems like everyone was preaching to eat even more. Everything from yogurt, beverages, and cereal bars are being fortified with more and more fiber. High fiber diets are the prescription for lowering cholesterol, relieving constipation, and even losing weight.
I'm all for increasing my health when I can and started consuming more of these high fiber foods. However, I noticed that my weight was actually increasing and going to the bathroom was becoming errr... a bit of a problem. But fiber is supposed to relieve constipation, right? Everywhere I searched for constipation remedies told me so. Maybe my constipation was just as a result of getting older. I started eating prunes and taking Metamucil thinking those would help. Isn't getting older fun? Well, they didn't work, and I was getting cranky.
Then one day I came across a book called "Fiber Menace" by Konstantin Monastyrsky. His studies found that too much fiber can not only plug you up but be very damaging to your body. He claims that ailments not limited to IBS, diet failure, Crohn's Disease, Colon Cancer, and hemorrhoids are caused by a high fiber diet. At first I thought it was "kooky talk" but was willing to give it a try. Basically, he advises to eat no more than 15 grams of fiber each day. If I ate my normal fruits and veggies (and no additional fortified products) it was easy to do. I noticed a change in two days. No more constipation! And within a couple of weeks I even lost 2 pounds.
My recommendation to anyone feeling less than stellar, is to start tracking the grams of fiber you're eating. You may be eating way too many. For example, I used to eat a low carb tortilla with my eggs each morning that had 12 grams of fiber in it! Only 3 more grams and I'd be at my day's allotment. If you're eating more than 15 grams per day, start cutting back. You may be surprised how much better you look and feel. For more info check out "Fiber Menace" or the website www.GutSense.org
I'm all for increasing my health when I can and started consuming more of these high fiber foods. However, I noticed that my weight was actually increasing and going to the bathroom was becoming errr... a bit of a problem. But fiber is supposed to relieve constipation, right? Everywhere I searched for constipation remedies told me so. Maybe my constipation was just as a result of getting older. I started eating prunes and taking Metamucil thinking those would help. Isn't getting older fun? Well, they didn't work, and I was getting cranky.
Then one day I came across a book called "Fiber Menace" by Konstantin Monastyrsky. His studies found that too much fiber can not only plug you up but be very damaging to your body. He claims that ailments not limited to IBS, diet failure, Crohn's Disease, Colon Cancer, and hemorrhoids are caused by a high fiber diet. At first I thought it was "kooky talk" but was willing to give it a try. Basically, he advises to eat no more than 15 grams of fiber each day. If I ate my normal fruits and veggies (and no additional fortified products) it was easy to do. I noticed a change in two days. No more constipation! And within a couple of weeks I even lost 2 pounds.
My recommendation to anyone feeling less than stellar, is to start tracking the grams of fiber you're eating. You may be eating way too many. For example, I used to eat a low carb tortilla with my eggs each morning that had 12 grams of fiber in it! Only 3 more grams and I'd be at my day's allotment. If you're eating more than 15 grams per day, start cutting back. You may be surprised how much better you look and feel. For more info check out "Fiber Menace" or the website www.GutSense.org