FACTS ABOUT FIBER

A man walks into the emergency room around 2 in the morning and is in obvious distress. He is pale and in a cold sweat. He tells the triage nurse that he is having abdominal pain and that it started yesterday. His history is high blood pressure and obesity and admits that he started a low carb diet about one week ago. His primary nurse received the same story and on examination she notes that his abdomen is tender to touch.

The emergency room doctor enters and the man gasps and says, "I haven't pooped in 5 days." The man is given a strong laxative to take and an enema. He was also educated on the need for fiber in his diet and to drink plenty of fluids. The end result, about 2 hours later, was a large, difficult to pass stool and a large emergency room bill.

It is amazing how a simple food like fiber in your diet can keep your intestines from being "out of order". Not only can it prevent you from having constipation (which frequently occurs in a low carb diet) but it can do so many other things like help you to feel fuller longer, lower blood sugars and cholesterol, and aid in weight loss. My personal favorite as far as fibers are concerned is psyllium powder. I use one teaspoon of HEB sugar free orange psyllium in 8 ounces of cold water almost daily. After stirring it well I drink it rather rapidly as it has a tendency to thicken quickly. (please check with your pharmacy as there are some medications that cannot be taken at the same time).

There are two basic types of dietary fiber and even though both types are not absorbed by the body and do not count as calories, there is a difference. Soluble fiber forms a gel when it combines with water in the intestines. The wonderful thing about this is that is slows down digestion and gives you the feeling of fullness for a longer period of time. For those of you who are diabetics, it can also help reduce blood sugars. Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, passes through your intestines without too much change. As it does not absorb water, it helps your intestines stay in motion and makes trips to the bathroom a little smoother.

Other types of fiber include:

• nuts like almonds and pistachios

• seeds like chia and flax

• berries like blackberries and raspberries

• avocados

  
  

  For more information on fiber go to:

  www.healthline.com>nutrition 14 Healthy High Fiber, Low Carb Foods, or www.mountsinai.org>psyllum