Category: constipation

Constipation on a Ketosis Diet

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Important Notice: If you are suffering from severe constipation or stomach pain – see your medical adviser urgently. This post does NOT offer medical advice for urgent medical conditions.

Keto Constipation

The short answer to the question, “Does the keto diet cause constipation”, is yes, in some cases it can do so. If you are following a diet which is high in fats and low in carbohydrates, then you will be able to achieve significant weight loss  but constipation may occur as a result of what you are NOT eating!

Some of the foods which cause constipation are foods that are high in protein such as cheese, chicken, beef, eggs and fish. You will need to eat additional fiber and drink extra water along with these if you want to be able to lose weight in a healthy manner.

When trying to avoid foods which cause constipation, there are also a number of foods you should consider including. A good alternative would be to eat a lot of nuts and seeds such as sunflower seeds as well as your favorite vegetables, where these are allowed on the particular diet you are following.

While some people are able to control their constipation, other people have a hard time getting through the day with the constipating effects of a diet. It may be a combination of the above mentioned problems or just one thing to blame for constipation on a ketosis diet.

It is important for you to remember that your body is working on losing weight and that that may mean a lower amount of food going through your digestive system, so there is a smaller volume of material to push through what you ate yesterday or the day before.

Keep track of your fiber intake. If you don’t consume enough fiber, your body will not digest the food you are taking and will not break down the food. Fiber is not only important for breaking down fat, but it is also important for cleansing the digestive system. If you do not have enough fiber in your body, your digestive system will not be able to remove the excess waste, making you feel tired and bloated. If you think you may have constipation on a ketosis diet, try eating smaller meals each day instead of three large meals. Instead of having three large meals, have three smaller meals throughout the day. This way, if you feel tired or bloated, you will be able to snack throughout the day and still eat a substantial amount of healthy foods without worrying about having too much food or feeling bloated!

Constipation does not have to be a big deal as long as you are able to manage it and eat the right foods and make sure you get enough fiber!

Constipation can occur as a result of being dehydrated, a lack of fiber, or a poor diet. Constipation can be overcome by eating plenty of foods that contain fiber and drinking plenty of water. If you find that you are constipated you will also want to try changing your eating habits. Changing your eating habits is one of the best things you can do to stop constipation on a ketosis diet, as eating less of these high fiber foods can lead to a constipation problem.

How To Add Extra Fiber To Your Diet

The no-calorie version of extra insoluble fiber is psyllium husks, also known as Ispaghula. These have no nutritional value, however, they can be extremely useful in adding extra fiber and helping relieve constipation. It is VERY IMPORTANT to take enough water at the same time as taking any extra fiber. Fiber absorbs water and swells. This is what moves the digested food along your gut. Another alternative is to take Linseed or flax seed. I take this in soup. It goes well and the liquid in the soup helps with constipation too.

How To Chug Psyllium Husks


I have found the best way to take psyllium husks is to chug them down, that is, mix them with water and swallow quickly. My preferred method is to half fill a small glass or cup with cold water, add some hot water, to take off the chill and add a dash of lemon juice (or flavor of your choice) to disguise the taste, then stir in 2 teaspoons of dried psyllium husks and fill up the cup / glass and drink it straight down. I then take another glass of water, of the same size and drink that straight down too.  (Psyllium doesn’t have any particular taste, I just find it hard to take unless I add lemon juice. A teaspoon of lemon juice will add only a few calories, so will not knock you out of keto by itself.) It’s important to take enough water at the same time as the psyllium husks or they can block your gut! If you need more fiber, just repeat this later in the day. You need to try for yourself as to how much psyllium husk to use.

Linseed In Soup Relieves Constipation

Linseeds or flax seeds are high in insoluble fiber and very nutritious but unless cracked or milled, they tend to go through the digestive system unchanged. This makes them useful for preventing or relieving constipation without adding calories. Cracked or milled flaxseeds can still be used on a ketotic diet as they are low carb and can still help prevent constipation. They can be taken many ways, sprinkled on salad, mixed with cream cheese or scrambled egg but my favorite is in soup. I have tried them with many soups, green soup, vegetable broth, carrot soup, etc. They work well with them all, add a great nutty flavor and are easy to take. I add 2 ladlefuls of soup to a bowl and then sprinkle linseeds on top of that. The amount depends on how much you personally need. Try a bit at first and increase the amount next time, if necessary. You can use both linseed and ispaghula (psyllium) if necessary. Just take it easy and try a little more each day until you find the best balance for your body.

Other Sources Of Fiber and Soluble Fiber

Inulin and apple fiber. Soluble fiber.

Fiber and Prebiotics

Chicory Root is a good source of Inulin

Chicory Flower

I have already tried adding fiber to my diet, because both low calorie and low carb diets can be a bit, or even a lot, low on fiber for those, like me, who need a lot of the stuff! Since I wrote those articles, I have been looking in great depth into how I can get enough fiber into my diet, so I don’t have to take any laxatives or use any suppositories. I prefer to keep my intake natural as far as I possibly can!

Prebiotics

While I mentioned prebiotics in one of my previous articles, I have now found out a lot more about these and also found a source for adding extra to my diet, which I am currently trying out. This is inulin, which I had not heard of before I started researching natural ways of correcting constipation when on a diet. Inulin is a natural substance found in fruits and vegetables. It is a soluble fiber. This means it dissolves (soluble) in water, which bulks it up and also softens the stool. And just as important, it forms a food for the good bacteria that live in your intestine. These good bacteria, grow and multiply by fermenting the soluble fiber. They also form part of your stool and the more there are of them, the softer and easier your stool will be to pass. Increasing the numbers of the good guys also decreases the baddies!

Inulin

Inulin is found in lots of foods, such as onions, leeks and asparagus but one of the biggest sources is chicory root. I know that chicory was used for making faux or ersatz coffee during the second world war, when coffee beans couldn’t be got and has been used in this way for maybe 200 years. The taste of chicory root is similar to that of coffee, though it doesn’t have the caffeine, and some people got used to the taste and continued using it for their coffee drink, for instance in New Orleans, where cafe au lait is traditionally made with chicory. Apart from this, chicory appears mostly to be eaten as a salad leaf or a vegetable, rather than the root being eaten. Rather than try finding recipes for chicory root (although you can buy it on line), I decided to purchase the inulin powder ready prepared and see if it helped and whether it agreed with me. I bought a bag of inulin and added the recommended dose of 5 grams into my daily shakes.

Gas

It has the reputation of producing more intestinal gas. I found that to be true! But it did improve as my body got used to it. And it did help with the constipation, which was a big benefit.

 

 

When The Scales Won’t Move

Scales Are Stuck!

Do you feel the scales have “got it in for you”? Sometimes, the scales stay stuck in the same place or even go the wrong way, despite your best efforts! It can be hard not to get discouraged and to think “Why am I not losing weight” or “this is not working for me!”. It’s only a step away then to giving up the diet altogether and thinking “I just can’t do this!”.

Tips to Help

  1. Some people are slow movers, stick with it, it WILL work.
  2. It happens. Some weeks you lose a lot and others very little or you gain a bit. Try averaging it out, so if you lost 2 Kg the first week and none the second, well, that’s an average of 1 Kg a week, that’s 2 pounds a week, which is a good steady loss.
  3. Think about what else is happening with your body. For women, is it hormonal related? You may be retaining water and then you’ll have a bigger weight loss in a few days time. Are you stressed? Maybe you are constipated and holding onto a bowel movement?
  4. Are you weighing at the same time of day and wearing the same clothes? I don’t actually own a set of bathroom scales, I use my daughter’s and have no intention of stripping down to the buff in her bathroom to use them. I also don’t use the scales every day or at the same time, so I use the result as a guide. If it’s generally down over a few days, that’s fair enough.
  5. Check your body measurements. Sometimes, the weight may not go down, especially if you are also exercising, because you are building muscle, which “weighs more” (technically, is denser) than fat so you are getting slimmer, even if you weigh the same or a bit more. A quick check is to see whether your clothes are looser, if so, you are winning, even if the scales are not moving.
  6. If you think you are cheating, even a little bit, try drinking more water or eating a low calorie high fiber food, such as celery, when hunger pangs hit. “Just a little bit” DOES hurt. You can keep feeling full for longer by drinking hot drinks or making your own high fiber soup or even just making a hot savory drink with a stock cube in a pint of water or a low sodium bouillon base.
  7. Remember, while water has no calories it does have weight, so drinking a full glass of water just before you step on the scales, may affect the weight shown.

Stick With It

Sometimes our inner child gets fed up with the health kick and tries to get us to eat “just a tiny bit” or “once won’t hurt”. Remind that inner child of the health reasons you found for going on a diet or the treat you have planned when you reach your target weight or how you will feel going to an event in your new dudes!