My GI has recommended I take fiber supplements such as Benefiber. My grocery store doesn't sell it (I shop at a farmer's market). So, I picked up Organic Clear Fiber by Renew Life. It is 100% acacia fiber which is 5g fiber per serving. Same idea as Benefiber...dissolves in food or drink. I have read good things about acacia fiber and was wondering if anyone else has used it. Naturally I am a bit nervous since high fiber foods usually cause me gas and cramping.
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Starting acacia fiber supplement today
- Thread starter teeny5
- Start date
Cat-a-Tonic
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I haven't heard of acacia fiber. Is it soluble fiber? I take psyllium husks which are soluble fiber, and that's done me a lot of good. I definitely still can't do insoluble fiber, that makes me feel much worse, but small amounts of soluble is okay. I did have a bit of extra gas and cramping for a couple weeks while my body was first adjusting to the psyllium, but after that there's been noticeably less cramping and gas. Hopefully this acacia stuff does good things for you - I'd say start with a small amount (I take 1 teaspoon of psyllium per day - the package says to take 2 tablespoons daily, but that amount would be way too much for me) and give it a few weeks at least to see if it helps at all. Good luck!
Fibers can interestingly treat both diarrhea and constipation.
Psyllium has done great for keeping me firm when I'm having issues but causes a lot of bloating in high doses.
I'm trying Optimum Nutrition's Fitness Fiber which is a blend of natural and artificial fibers in a finely ground powder that have prebiotic properties to try to feed my flora. It contains some psyllium as well, but not in the whole form I was taking.
I've come off the husks I was on and my BMs have stayed fairly solid and regular, though not perfect yet. I'm hoping I'll see improvement as I stick with it.
I've seen a lot of evidence on the important of prebiotic digestion resistant fibers and starches in growing healthy gut bacteria as well as protecting against harmful ones. I think avoiding fiber in the past is a large part of why my food intolerance has progressed so much.
Psyllium has done great for keeping me firm when I'm having issues but causes a lot of bloating in high doses.
I'm trying Optimum Nutrition's Fitness Fiber which is a blend of natural and artificial fibers in a finely ground powder that have prebiotic properties to try to feed my flora. It contains some psyllium as well, but not in the whole form I was taking.
I've come off the husks I was on and my BMs have stayed fairly solid and regular, though not perfect yet. I'm hoping I'll see improvement as I stick with it.
I've seen a lot of evidence on the important of prebiotic digestion resistant fibers and starches in growing healthy gut bacteria as well as protecting against harmful ones. I think avoiding fiber in the past is a large part of why my food intolerance has progressed so much.
Thanks Instantcoffee!
When not flaring he feels it is important to take in adequate fiber. It helps get waste and toxins out of the body, makes bowel movements easier to pass, can help with diarrhea, promotes good bacteria in the gut, and (a big one with my GI) helps prevent colon cancer. It does a lot of other things as well, but those were the ones he spoke to me about. He has always said I needed to try to be as healthy as possible since my body is always fighting the disease.
The other thing I am not great at is exercising regularly which he also tends to lecture me about.
Been taking the fiber supplement twice a day with no ill effects. Suppose to help me feel fuller so that should help with my weight. I dropped 40+ pounds with the onset of the disease, but then when I got better gained it all back with about 10 extra pounds! What can I say, I love food and when I was able to eat again...I ATE.
I have always been able to tolerate beans so I will be trying to add those into my diet more regularly. Will have to try peeling apples, unpeeled they give me issues. So hard when still (even in remission) so many of the healthy fruits and veggies give me issues. Tried adding cereal or oatmeal for breakfast, but that gave me cramps. Maybe too early in the day??? Not sure.
Any other suggestions for gently adding fiber are greatly appreciated.
When not flaring he feels it is important to take in adequate fiber. It helps get waste and toxins out of the body, makes bowel movements easier to pass, can help with diarrhea, promotes good bacteria in the gut, and (a big one with my GI) helps prevent colon cancer. It does a lot of other things as well, but those were the ones he spoke to me about. He has always said I needed to try to be as healthy as possible since my body is always fighting the disease.
The other thing I am not great at is exercising regularly which he also tends to lecture me about.
Been taking the fiber supplement twice a day with no ill effects. Suppose to help me feel fuller so that should help with my weight. I dropped 40+ pounds with the onset of the disease, but then when I got better gained it all back with about 10 extra pounds! What can I say, I love food and when I was able to eat again...I ATE.
I have always been able to tolerate beans so I will be trying to add those into my diet more regularly. Will have to try peeling apples, unpeeled they give me issues. So hard when still (even in remission) so many of the healthy fruits and veggies give me issues. Tried adding cereal or oatmeal for breakfast, but that gave me cramps. Maybe too early in the day??? Not sure.
Any other suggestions for gently adding fiber are greatly appreciated.
Are you gluten free? If so make sure you're using certified gluten free oats for oatmeal and instead of instant oatmeal try soaking it in milk overnight at room temperature it helps it to break down and is easier to digest, you can look up online there's a lot of benefits to soaking grains. I'm not sure if it will lose some of the resistant starches, but cooking will too and if you soak you don't have to cook.
Green bananas, potatoes (raw) and plantains are high in RS.
If you're NOT gluten free make sure you're eating whole grains breads instead of white bread.
Look online for foods high in inulin, resistant starch and fructooligosaccharides or FOS.
Carrots are great for Crohn's because of the vitamin A, I'm not sure how prebiotic their fiber is, but they do have fiber and most can tolerate them boiled, steamed or juiced if not raw.
Raw is always best for preserving RS, but if you have to cook it to tolerate it letting it cool will replenish some of what was lost in cooking.
Green bananas, potatoes (raw) and plantains are high in RS.
If you're NOT gluten free make sure you're eating whole grains breads instead of white bread.
Look online for foods high in inulin, resistant starch and fructooligosaccharides or FOS.
Carrots are great for Crohn's because of the vitamin A, I'm not sure how prebiotic their fiber is, but they do have fiber and most can tolerate them boiled, steamed or juiced if not raw.
Raw is always best for preserving RS, but if you have to cook it to tolerate it letting it cool will replenish some of what was lost in cooking.
Thanks for the tips!
I did have gluten free cereal, but not check the oats. I will look into soaking the oats next time. I try to eat gluten free, but do not eat only gluten free. In other words if I can find gluten free that is also a healthy alternative I will choose that. I try not to eat processed foods or anything full of preservatives. I eat most meals at home so it's easy for me to control. We only eat out 1-2 meals a week. Dairy gives me issues (specifically milk and ice cream) so I opt for almond milk.
I haven't tried carrots in a while so I will get some for sure. I just saw that artichokes have a lot of fiber...yum! I can eat nuts a couple of times a week without issues as well. Popcorn is iffy...sometimes it's ok, other times it's not. Veggies in general are good, if not I cook them down a bit.
Will need to start logging what I eat to keep track of how much fiber I am getting...never paid attention to it before.
I did have gluten free cereal, but not check the oats. I will look into soaking the oats next time. I try to eat gluten free, but do not eat only gluten free. In other words if I can find gluten free that is also a healthy alternative I will choose that. I try not to eat processed foods or anything full of preservatives. I eat most meals at home so it's easy for me to control. We only eat out 1-2 meals a week. Dairy gives me issues (specifically milk and ice cream) so I opt for almond milk.
I haven't tried carrots in a while so I will get some for sure. I just saw that artichokes have a lot of fiber...yum! I can eat nuts a couple of times a week without issues as well. Popcorn is iffy...sometimes it's ok, other times it's not. Veggies in general are good, if not I cook them down a bit.
Will need to start logging what I eat to keep track of how much fiber I am getting...never paid attention to it before.