Yesterday I was reminded of something that is very important on low carb diets- the role of fiber ! It is a very common misconception that low carb plans ignore fiber and are all about meat and cheese. Nothing could be further from the truth ! Even the Atkins plan states that you must get in 2 cups of green leafy vegetables a day. Even during Induction. The reason is simple- fiber keeps you satiated. Fiber also preforms several important functions in the body.
A big one is aid in elimination. Fiber keeps you regular. Fiber and water with some lubrication from fat keeps your colon happy, healthy and dancing in the streets. Well, not exactly dancing, but you get the idea. The amazing thing about fiber is that the lack of it in your diet will show up pretty quick. With different vitamin and mineral deficiencies your body seems to compensate for a long time, with the appearance, that all is for the most part well . Go a coupe of days without fiber and you feel the affects immediately. Constipation is the result. It kind of reminds me of a very crude joke about what part of the body is really the boss ! Constipation is uncomfortable, makes you feel miserable and will do not so nice thing to the scale .
Enter in my flaw. I eat green leafy veggies every day, but for some reason they do not have the "performance enhancing quality" on my colon that they do on most people. I have to rely on different fruits and things like flax meal and wheat bran for this. So while shifting to a low carb approach I remembered the greens, forgot the flax, went very low on fruit and experienced 4 days of discomfort. I was reading some blogs about low carb lifestyle, was reminded about flax, and all is love again.
Now to pin post it notes all over the house , reminding me to add flax and low sugar fruits to my diet every day. I started the day off right today with a bowl of flax meal cereal ( 1/4 c flax meal, 2 T peanut butter, 1/2 t cinnamon and 1/2 cup boiling water mixed together in a cup, let sit for a minute and eat). I am going to experiment with some flax meal crackers as well and remember to eat that apple a day !
4 comments:
I know what you mean!! I have to watch what i'm eating so that my ibs doesn't act up.
fiber one cereal is also good. A quarter cup gives quite a bit of fiber for relatively low cost in carbs.
Like you - leafy vegetables don't cut it for giving me fiber. I need high fiber cereal. Where do you find flax meal?
Mary - Thanks ! I was planing on looking at the carb stats for Fiber One this weekend at the store. Not only does it make a great cereal but you can use it in a lot of baked goods to up the fiber.
Leslie- Bob's Red Mill makes ground flaxmeal . I find mine in the baking section of the grocery store. It comes in a vacuum packed bag and once you open it you have to store it in the fridge or the oils in it break down. I buy6 it in the big bag. Sam's sells a big tub of golden flax meal in the section with the Dietary Bars and such. You can use it the same as plain flax meal , but it is supposedly superior in nutrition. I do not buy it at Sam's because it is really pricy, but if it is the only place you can find it and need it,it's kind of moot. Health food stores usually carry this as well.
Post a Comment