Constipation relief

(Graydon) #1

Hi Everyone,

Seems as though a lot of people are suffering from constipation, I have been on IF and keto now for a few months and although my bloating and heart burn have disappeared I still suffer with constipation. BM have gone from 2 BM every week pre keto to 1 BM.

I have noticed a few things and would like to know if anyone else has noticed it as well or could shed a little light on why this happens.

During keto my diet is really good lots of quality high fat, lots of vegetables and leafy grans no sugar and no bread pasta etc… But have the occasional sugar free drink in the evening and sparkling water as well as still water during the day. My BM is 1 a week if I’m lucky, and if I take a magnesium supplement like milk of magnesia or colosan I have 2 to 3 BM a week but very watery.

I have noticed that when I eat foods high in sugar my stomach works everyday without the need to supplement with magnesium, on a recent holiday for 5 days I ate and drank anything most of it was high In carbs and sugar and hardly a vegetable or magnesium high food in site and I had 1 to 2 BM a day.

Question I have is could the sugar help my digestion process or be a signal for my gal bladder and digestive enzymes to start working?
Or could the sweetener in my sugar free drink aspartame cause constipation?

(bulkbiker) #2

Your body is trying to get rid of the crap you are putting in as fast as possible when you are eating the sugar… when you are keto it is savouring the experience. Well that’s how I look at it anyway.
Short answer… less crap in less crap out, less often.

(LeeAnn Brooks) #3

Gallbladder process fat. Sugar wouldn’t signal anything to it.

The body will process sugar first as it’s a quick fuel source. It doesn’t have to work as hard to process it.
I suppose it could also produce bi-products (waste) faster as well.

***but remember, while your body is preoccupied with burning up the sugary carbs, any fat you’ve consumed is being stored on your body until you’ve used up all this quick energy source.

#4

I don’t know the answer to your question but I too was pooping less frequently when I first started Keto, however I didn’t feel constipated, literally just didn’t feel the urge or need to poop. Having said that it stressed me out but I ketoed on. Now six weeks in and I am pooping more regularly, I don’t know why as I haven’t changed my diet at all. I will solve this mystery one day, just not today.

(Graydon) #5

Thank you Annie for your reply, ill try and stop the sugar free drinks (artificial sweeteners) and see what happens.

(Graydon) #6

Hi crickette,
Did you have to supplement with magnesium or any other type digestive supplement to get things going?

I don’t feel the urge either some discomfort but more frustration and some worry that nothing happens for the amount of food I eat in the week.

#7

@Gray0123 Not really, I only supplement when I am extended fasting, but I have upped my salt due to the suggestions on the forum. Perhaps that has an impact (bad pun sorry). I don’t trust that it will stay this way though, I really have no idea what is going on with my body. I am just going with the flow taking notes as a go.

(Michelle) #8

I go a lot less as well. I kind of agree with what @MarkGossage said. Have you ever fed a dog/cat really good quality dog food (Blue Buffalo, Iams) and noticed that they poo a lot less than when you feed Ol’ Roy or Meow Mix which are full of fillers? Our bodies are using what we eat. We don’t have so many fillers in our digestive tracts.

(Adam Foard) #9

I’ll agree with the other posts regarding diet quality and less pooping.

Neglecting some other medical condition or medication for which constipation or diarrhea is a symptom/side effect of like 60% of them.

Things that might help:

  • adding a probiotic especially if you’ve taken a round of antibiotics in recent history. You shouldn’t have to take this forever, just whenever things are out of whack.

Fun fact: About 80% of the mass of poop is actually bacteria…

  • drinking enough water. The body will try to squeeze the last drops of water out of everything you eat if you aren’t adequately hydrated. This can lead to constipation/impaction. This has been an issue for my 74 y/o mother, she avoids drinking so she doesn’t have to pee as much, then gets painful constipation.

  • magnesium supliments were mentioned above

  • nothing wrong with a spoon full of psyllium husk in water, smoothie, or other cooking

(Hyperbole- best thing in the universe!) #10

I did a 8th grade science fair project about this. Got two kittens, litter mates, same original weight. Fed them different diets. The cat with better food not only grew bigger (not fatter,) but pooped a lot less. He was using his food efficiently.

(Michelle) #11

I worked at a vet clinic during college and we preached this same thing when people asked why our food was so expensive. They eat less and poop less.