C folks, how do you get your fiber?
#325615 - 02/27/08 08:25 AM
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Gosh, please help. I'm an alternating D and C, but mainly C. I'm having a very hard time getting fiber. I was able to eat frosted mini wheats for a time, but then I just got too crampy and bloated. What do you do to get things moving? I do have a sedentary desk job and I know that does not help. I've been using Acacia off and on. I sometimes wonder if it doesnt' make things worse though. I haven't increased the amount too much. So maybe I need to do that. Any help is appreciated. thanks!
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Hey Wendy,
Are you new to Heather's diet? I ask because I don't think Frosted Mini Wheats are a safe food for a couple of reasons. It's too high in insoluble fiber (IF) and it contains high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which is a problem if you're fructose-sensitive.
I'm a C, but I'm pretty stable right now. I've been following Heather's diet for about a year and a half. I eat oatmeal every morning for breakfast, which has an even ratio of soluble fiber (SF) to IF. My main source of SF is white rice, which I eat with steamed vegetables and/or beans for IF.
Have you started following Heather's diet closely yet, or are you still dabbling? I spent a lot of time ignoring her book on my bookshelf (and then I'm pretty sure I stuffed it under the bed) because I didn't want to deal with how complicated it all felt. Anyway, I ask because I don't think there's any easy quick-fix answer to get things moving, so to speak. If your gut is still being irritated by trigger foods, then ALL food -- even food that one day will be totally tolerable -- may give you cramps and C. At least that was my experience.
I use about 3 tsps of acacia a day. In order for it to be effective, I'd say you'd need to use it consistently. And drink TONS of water if you don't already. When you increase fiber you need to increase water or else the fiber is ineffective.
But anyway, I think stovetop oatmeal is great for fiber, for me. I stir in a little almond milk and a tsp and a half of acacia after it's cooled a bit.
I hope this helps.
Take care,
Jen
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I am IBS-A - so I get both C and D. I used to get C a minimum of once or twice a week, and for some reason almost always on the weekends. Once I started increasing my Acacia, it started to gradually get better. It took a few months, but now I haven't been C at all in over 3 weeks. I am up to 11 grams of Acacia per day, and I'm still trying to work up to 12 (an even 2 tbs per day) just because I still don't feel completely stable on the D side of things.  I also try to eat as much IF in my diet as possible - carefully, of course. I agree that Frosted Mini Wheats are no good - way too much IF. I eat Rice Krispies with about a tablespoon or so of wheat bran cereal mixed in (I seem to be able to tolerate this amount, especially when mixed with SF). With dinner I always make sure I have some IF with my meal - corn, peas, brocolli, tomatoes or tomato sauce, beans (which are perfect because they are actually both IF and SF), etc.
Give it some time. They say it usually takes longer for C to stabilize than D (although I seem to be the other way around). For me it took over 2 months of strictly following Heather's diet and steadily increasing Acacia.
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IBS-A since age 12, and fructose sensitive; with the exception of my pregnancy, have been following Heather's diet since Nov. 19, 2007.
Taking 12g of Acacia per day. Relatively stable since March 2008!
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Jen, thanks. No unfortunately I'm not new to Heather's diet, but I'm still cheating off and on. I'm pretty much to the point where everything, even safe foods are hurting me. I think it's due to stress, supposed to close on a house tomorrow. I don't like eating the mini wheats, but that seems to help move things along. But I usually do get crampy so I'd rather not use it. I'm only taking 1/4 tbls. of Acacia a day to build up. I usually forget to take it twice a day. I really need to just stick strictly to the diet. I think I'm hoping there's a secret formula out there and there's not. I need to stick to what Heather says. Her info is way better than the gastro docs who say, "Eat more fiber."
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Before I knew better, I ate Frosted Mini Wheats too!! Oh my gosh, they were horrible on me, and I know why after I learned everything from this site.
I take about 3 tablespoons of Acacia a day, and every other day I mix some Miralax in with that. I eat a lot of natural applesauce and peeled apples, which helps me personally. You say you take Acacia off and on. Well, to be honest, it took about 2 weeks CONSISTENTLY to see any results, and my body took some time getting used to it. Now, I've been stable for about 2 years and I don't miss a dosage of my Acacia!! Ever!!
I also used to eat Luna Bars which personally helped me with my C. I don't anymore just b/c I'm much more stable and follow Heathers food suggestions!! Have you learned all those? Its a lot to learn, but worth it.
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My gastro doc was a disaster for me. First, she told me to eat bran. When I tested negative for lactose-intolerance she said, "Well, good, now you don't have to avoid dairy anymore." When I cried in her office because everything I ate made me sick, she said, "Clearly this is making you very upset if you're crying about it."
Gee, Lady, ya think??? She was heartless and ignorant about dietary management of IBS. Bad, bad combination.
Anyway, yes, I think the best way to regulate is to avoid trigger foods for awhile. Have a good SF base with everything. And try starting the day with oatmeal instead of cold cereal. I also do a lot of cardio, which I'm sure keeps my bowels moving.
Good luck!
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Acacia, acacia, acacia. Three tablespoons/day with lots of water and/or peppermint/fennel tea. I also take stool softeners and may have to the rest of my life. I try to take the acacia about an hour before eating... seems to help, tho not always. But, it *does* help me go, that I can say, for sure. I also try to eat a little insoluble fiber, but not TOO much... enuf to push things along, but not enuf to clog up the works (which we C's need to worry about).
Fresh cherries are my magic fruit, but they aren't for everyone. They aren't usually recommended because of their thick skins, but for whatever reason(s), they are my No.1 fruit of choice. I also eat pears and cantaloupe.
My magic vegetable is lima beans. I cook them until VERY tender and eat about a cup (after having had my acacia).
You have to experiment to see what foods work best for you because everybody's body chemistry is so different, even tho we may suffer from the same problem.
In my personal experience, it would seem that soluble fiber is way more important for IBS-C, and tho we still need insoluble, too, we may require a lot less than the IBS-D folks.
Don't know what I'd do without my acacia!
** cheryl **
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Gosh, does your gastro have a husband who works up in Buffalo? My GI doctor said I should eat All-Bran every day for breakfast. When I told him this made me crampy and more constipated, he told me to eat more! When I tested negative for lactose intolerance I told him that I still get ill when I eat dairy and asked if he thought I could be casein intolerant. He actually laughed at me and told me that was rare, so it couldn't be my problem. 
Sorry I don't really have constructive advice to add to this question, but I'm still in the process of figuring it out myself! I too eat oatmeal every single day for breakfast, and I either chop up an apple to cook with it, or I throw in a handful of blueberries. This does not seem to bother me. However, I don't really seem to tolerate many other fruits or veggies at this point.
Has anybody tried Beano when eating (cooked) veggies? Any luck?
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IBS-C
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Quote:
When I cried in her office because everything I ate made me sick, she said, "Clearly this is making you very upset if you're crying about it."
Oh my gosh - I just read this. Your post sound like one of my experiences, but mine was more positive. I had been through 2 gastro's that just shoved pills in my red, blotchy, crying face, and told me to take them 'when i had pain'. The 3rd gastro, I went into his office, and just started bawling b/c no one seemed to be willing to help me. He put his hand on my shoulder and gently said, "we'll get you feeling better". I cried harder. No one had said that to me before. With his help and the info on this website, I'm doing great now for 5 years. Before, I would go home and lie in the fetal position with pain until I had to go to work the next day, my life was miserable. My life is great now! 
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