Gut health and constipation! Oh my! 😐

#1

My weight keeps going down two pounds and then increasing two pounds. I want my scale to move in the right direction. Not stagger.

Can someone recommend something I should be doing other than taking probiotics, my daily bowl of lettuce and magnesium at night?

I’m concerned with my gut health and really want to be less constipated! I’m constipated quite frequently and I’m not sure if cheese needs to be eliminated completely and if I should add any other natural laxatives such as psyllium etc? Really want to go to the bathroom more regularly!

Also any tips of foods I can eat to strengthen my gut health other than my pickle juice gut shot I take and fermented foods that I eat?

Also any foods that I can eat that might increase my metabolism? I know I need to exercise more but diet wise what can I do to speed this along? Spicy food? Etc?

(Thurston ) #2

Just an FYI, it took me a year to get past that constipation thing. All of a sudden it just happened.

Good luck, it can be quite frustrating. Some here will say to up your magnesium and salt intake, not a bad place to start.

(Christian) #3

Any fibrous vegetable like pumpkin could help. Another option is ~25g pure coconut oil in the morning 1 hour before eating anything else. If nothing helps, try magnesium sulfate.

#4

Hi, Happy Monday.

First, please know that fat loss in this lifestyle takes quite awhile—a lot longer than the media or our friends assure us it will. I do not know how long you’ve been consistently keto, but my advice is to forget the scale and weigh in less frequently—try monthly instead. Dial in your eating to protein, naturally occurring fats, and green leafy vegetables, and don’t sweat the scale.

It’s also quite normal for our weight to fluctuate +/-4 lbs at any given time for many physiological reasons. For more info on how our bodies respond to low-carb/keto, read The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living by Phinney and Volek.

If you are confident that you are consistent with salt, magnesium, and potassium (basic electrolyte supplementation), you may be one of those folks who could benefit from a digestive enzyme, available on Amazon.

(Mark) #5

Magnesium Cirate - morning AND night will do the trick! :slight_smile:

#6

Thanks I will do this twice a day (was only doing it at night)! :slight_smile:

(KCKO, KCFO) #7

Some people have found cutting back on the fiber, rather than adding more is helpful.

I need as much magnesium as I can stand almost daily 1200 mg. currently to stay regular, it is getting better the more I cut back on fiber. If the other ideas here don’t work try cutting back on the fiber. Remember, constipation is when there is discomfort not just missing a few bms here and there.

#8

My fiber isn’t enough. I know it should be more. It’s haed to eat more than two eggs wrapped in cheese and a big salad with some meat on it daily. The magnesium is helping but maybe I will up it to twice a day!

I just need to keep this normal because sometimes I only go to the bathroom twice a week and that’s what is making me bloating and the scale isn’t budging as a result. Just trying to drink more water and do all I can in this dept.

So far this has been one of my biggest struggles on keto!

(Scott) #9

I have been putting 10 ml in my Hydro Flask each time I fill it. It seems to be helping and it is not so much that it causes any problems. I can detect a slight taste but it is not overpowering.

#10

Yes I feel like I need a klonic at this point :laughing: do they have keto klonic clinics hahaha

(Sandra) #11

I have always suffered from bowel issues and not going regularly. I started to make my own sauerkraut at home and having a cup each night with my dinner. I found that I have been going regularly and it has helped with my bloating. It’s super easy to make and I make enough for 1 week each time. lots of natural probiotics :smile:

#12

My first question would be, are you really constipated or do you just not have to make a BM, because the two are not the same. Second, I wouldn’t say more fiber will help, it might actually make it worse.

I mean, if you’re desperate, there’s always the sugar-free gummy bear cleanse, that’ll be guaranteed colon-blow.

#13

Rofl this sounds like a good idea! Haha

No literally I’m always bloated lately despite eating properly I am not sure what it is! Maybe it’s the dairy!

I might just eliminate it for a week and see what happens!

('Jackie P') #14

Check out chia seed puddings and ‘flaxseed foccacia’. These 2 things were the turning point for me. Now constipation is a rare problem even when I don’t eat them daily
KCKO

(KCKO, KCFO) #15

From another thread about this issue:

('Jackie P') #16

Yes! I think the chia seeds and flaxseeds helped me over the transition towards gut health.
I still take a good probiotic (coconut biomel), but I no longer stress over fibre. Although I do enjoy my veg!

(Christiana) #17

I have found that adding fat is much more beneficial to my gut health than adding fiber. Are you eating enough fat?

#18

I was eating enough I believe but now I’m taking dairy out of the equation so definitely need to be more mindful of tracking my fat! :frowning:

(Jennifer) #19

I’m hoping that eventually keto and fasting will help regulate my gut microbiome, because I have suffered from IBS-C for-freakin-ever. Magnesium helps. Either through supplements or pink salt. Sometimes I sip hot pink salt water, and pretend it’s broth, lol. But it helps. I’m not completely regular yet, but I’m seeing improvements.

(Todd Allen) #20

Adding muscle increases metabolism. Strength training is the most effective form of exercise for building muscle. Cardio can improve muscle quality but can also inhibit muscle growth so do some strength training if you want a metabolic boost. Exercising and strengthening abdominal muscles can also reduce constipation. Try things like sit ups, crunches, squats, long walks and short hard sprints and you should find something that moves you…