Fiber

[WM]

DH is looking for an easy way to get some more fiber. So far he's tried taking psyllium husk and Benefiber. The psyllium wasn't pleasant, but he thinks it looks effective =) The Benefiber was easy to take but that makes him skeptical that it's any good.

Anyone know whether there's a difference in effectiveness between different fiber products? I know you're supposed to have both soluble and insoluble, but aside from that I'm pretty clueless.

 

[Moemg]

When I worked with the Gastric Doctors they all recommended Metamucil daily and a high fiber cereal . I have taken Metamucil and it is not bad if you mix it and drink it quickly .

 

[Westernskies]

When I worked with the Gastric Doctors they all recommended Metamucil daily and a high fiber cereal . I have taken Metamucil and it is not bad if you mix it and drink it quickly .

Mix it with what? Kahlua?

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Orange flavored stuff actually tastes good. Or you can buy the pills. More expensive but no taste.

 

[Moemg]

Mix it with what? Kahlua?

If you can chug Kahlua go for it ! I used to mix the lemon flavored in a large glass of water and drink it quickly .

 

[socca]

If he learns how to prepare some low-on-the-food-chain plant-based meals, he'll get plenty of fiber and a load of other good stuff as well. Low on the food chain means things that were yanked out of the ground or plucked off a bush or tree. Plant-based means no animals involved.

This isn't the easy path, but it's the best one. The idea that you can pop a pill to solve every nutritional problem is pushed by the nutraceutical industry but isn't backed up by either good science or common sense. Good luck!

 

[Nords]

I have taken Metamucil and it is not bad if you mix it and drink it quickly .

Here's a blast from the past:
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/showpost.php?p=470651&postcount=2

In TromboneAl's blog about their St. Louis road trip, he's also referred to something called "ElderTang". (California to St. Louis Car/Bike Trip: Bay Area to Sequoia) Despite the apparently straightforward name I don't know what's mixed in with the Metamucil-- he may be waiting for the patent & trademark applications to be approved or it may just be added to the vault with the Coke and "secret sauce" formulae.

 

[Sue J]

I used to take the Metamucil caplets, but I switched to WalMart's "Equate Fiber Therapy" store brand. They are now $4 for 160 caplets since WM lowered prices.

Years ago I used to take the stuff that you have to add to water and drink (quickly, before it turns to sludge), but I find the caplets easier to take.

High fiber makes the world go around.

 

[Orchidflower]

I bought some flax seed at the health food store, and throw a few tablespoons in salads. They are tiny and have a nutty flavor, so that's an easy way to get enough fiber.
Dr. Oz says to grab a handful of nuts everyday, too.

 

[Westernskies]

Dr. Oz says to grab a handful of nuts everyday, too.

 

[grumpy]

I have used Metamucil orange flavor, sugar free for many years with good effects. Just mix a teaspoonful in a large glass of water. Tastes pretty good. If you use too much in proportion to the water it gets unpleasantly thick. Also I recommend that you stir it frequently or it will tend to settle.

 

[freebird5825]

Started with real Metamucil orange flavored powder, changed to Wallyworld Equate brand for taste and...um...performance comparison.
Metamucil tastes better (a dead ringer for Tang) and performs much better per time interval between ingestion and exhaust events.
Don't ask for details...I have a bad habit of answering Q's very directly.
I suspect non-psyllium fiber filler in the Equate brand. It does not thicken up like the Metamucil.

 

[WM]

Thanks for the suggestions! DH does already eat a mostly vegetarian diet (including a fair amount of beans), but for some reason has recently decided that he might need more fiber. I figure it can't hurt.

I was wary of the orange flavored kinds, but they seem to be getting good reviews so maybe he'll want to try those next.

 

[Rambler]

Doc told me to get extra fiber due to a problem I had last year. Remember there are two kinds of fiber, soluble and insoluble. Metamucil is largely the soluble type, flax seed and wheat bran are insoluble. Both are helpful in "keeping the pipes clean". There are other fiber supplements like Fiber Choice and Fiber Sure that use inulin, which is also soluble. For heart health, I understand that the soluble is more helpful.

Personally I keep a bottle of Fiber Sure at work for when I don't have time to eat properly and only have time for a protein shake. Just mix in some Fiber Sure into it. I also keep a bottle of Fiber Choice sugar free chewable tablets at work for when my lunch has little or no fiber in it. After dinner, I take T-Al's ElderTang (metamucil) usually in the pink lemonade flavor since it seems to go best in plain water. I have to mix the orange and berry flavors with crystal light or something like it. I have found that the Fiber Sure and the Fiber Choice don't seem to help enough with keeping the plumbing clean, unless I have at least one dose of metamucil each day. On the other hand, things are usually just fine if I have the metamucil but don't take the others.

The one that does not seem to have ever done any good for me is Benefiber. Which, when I tried it anyway, was (I believe) made with wheat dextrin. It was absolutely no help in the plumbing department, although it may be beneficial for the heart.

My Dad has to have fiber like I do, and he has gone to the Equate brand of psylium and finds no problem with it, but mixes it with juice. I find it too gritty so I'm sticking with metamucil.

R

 

[chris2008]

DH had some digestion issues and Benefiber was recommended to him. Each morning he adds some spoonful to his cornflakes.
Works just fine.

 

[freebird5825]

...Dr. Oz says to grab a handful of nuts everyday, too.

I used to every day, but I had to stop myself before I got caught.
It would have been tough to convince dh2b to bail me out.
Ok, I'll be serious now.
My inernist told me nuts are OK for fiber unless you have diverticula in the tract. He referred to the combo of having diverticula inside you and eating nuts and large seeds as Russian roulette. Most of the time the chamber would be empty, but all it would take is one piece to get lodged and then the fun begins.

 

[tapper]

I grind two tablespoons of flax seed and have it with yogurt each morning. In addition to the fiber, flax seed possesses many other beneficial attributes. I buy the flax seed from the bulk bin at my grocery store and grind it with a coffee grinder each morning.

 

[tmm99]

Avocado (very high in fiber and good fat!), prunes, beans, yams/pumpkins, nuts...

I used to take Citricel when I had some digestive issues. Citricel is soluble fiber and very easy on the digestive system.

 

[W2R]

Quite a thread to read after finishing up a large quantity of beans and rice for dinner...

 

[LOL!]

I like Total Raisin Bran for breakfast. I can tell when I don't have it for breakfast while travelling.

 

[CoolChange]

I like Total Raisin Bran for breakfast. I can tell when I don't have it for breakfast while travelling.

I feel the same way about Quaker Oatmeal Squares. (This does not have quite as much fiber as most of those with bran in the name; but, it is the highest fiber cereal that tastes really good to me.)

 

[freebird5825]

Quite a thread to read after finishing up a large quantity of beans and rice for dinner...

Beans and beans are magical fruit
The more you eat, the more you
OR
Beans and beans are good for your heart
The more you eat, the more you ______

 

[Amethyst]

Having recently joined the ElderTang club, I was looking around for a discount/bulk (no pun intended) source of psyllium powder and incidentally found out something interesting: psyllium, in addition to its role in keeping the Back Trap Door clean, apparently also is a source of iron and calcium. Who'd a thunk it.

Get discount Psyllium Husk Powder natural fiber at the Wholesale Supplement Store.

 

[mountaintosea]

Add up the fiber in your foods. Try CalorieKing - Diet and weight loss. Calorie Counter and more input the food of choice it will give you all the info you need. They say 25-35 grams/day. It becomes second nature after a while.