Some of my favorite links:
Mike (my husband)
39.38. That's today's total.
Here's something to chew on: I was at my bodyworker's place today, getting my monthly tune-up, and we were talking about nutrition and fiber. She knows a fair amount about this stuff, so I usually listen to what she has to say. We occasionally disagree, although not too often.Anyway, she says one must not use psyllium for the long term, that it eventually builds up stuff on the intestinal wall (it does gel pretty well...). Since she is NOT an IBSer, she doesn't really have intimate knowledge of the problems we encounter, thus she cannot possibly understand the TOTALY DIFFERENT kind of intestinal operation we are subject to.
However, I will allow her this - psyllium could have a long term detrimental effect, just as ANY supplement or drug, etc. might have a long term detrimental effect.On the other hand, the fiber supplement could have a long term positive effect, with minimal side effects.
Depends on the individual.We agreed that the individual must find her way. And that entails experimentation.
We also agreed that fiber grams, like calorie grams, should not simply be counted or added up. There is 'quality' fiber, just as there are quality calories. As there are 'empty' calories, I am sure some types of fiber are less effective than others at aiding motility in the intestines.
Now I must refine my quest for fiber info - to distinguish qualities of fiber.
Later!
posted by LST 11/3/2000 07:00:43 PM
2.11.00
It's Thursday. Total fiber today is 36. I'm losing fiber as the days go by! Yikes!!I was thinking about my grandfather, and his diet. He died young, and had all sorts of digestive problems, the most painful was diverticulitis. I know he had lots of stress, and I'm guessing he had IBS. He loved donuts. Ordinarily I'd say "who doesn't", but I recently tasted a donut, after several years of abstinance, and really disliked it. Pasty. Goopy. Icky texture. Foul taste altogether. I'll take apple crisp or blueberry compote over a donut any day.
Back to my grandfather's diet - I think his intake of fiber was almost non-existent. His favorite fruit was cantelope, known as one of the least fiber-bearing of fruits (at approx 0.8 grams per wedge, or just under 5 grams per medium fruit). And his favorite veggie was potato, mashed of course, lacking any substantial fiber after processing...
Too bad he didn't like figs.And exercise - grandpa didn't. Ever. Of course his generation didn't feel the need, or know the importance, for exercise.
I loved him more than anyone, other than my husband. I wish he had been healthier and more long-lived.
Oh well.Fiber, exercise, lo/no stress = minimal IBS symptoms? Now if only I could control the hormonal fluctuations...
posted by LST 11/2/2000 07:04:48 PM
I lost Tuesday. But Wednesday's fiber total is 37 ish, including psyllium supplement.I think Tuesday's was about the same 35-38 range.
How has this played out in terms of elimination? So far, no obvious changes.
Hmmmmmm.
posted by LST 11/2/2000 06:50:47 AM
30.10.00
Dinner fiber content comes in at 16 grams. Total for the day is 46.75, including psyllium supplement.
posted by LST 10/30/2000 07:36:05 PM
Today, breakfast counted for 17.75 grams of fiber. (Yesterday's was 19.5 g).
Lunch was 10.5 (Yesterday's was 8.3). Total so far = 28.25. That's just a bit more than yesterday's post lunch total of 27.75 g.Dinner will probably bring 12 - 15 g.
Hmmmm.
posted by LST 10/30/2000 02:49:48 PM
Here's the thing.
I am trying to figure out this fiber stuff. The USDA recommends a minimum, or an average, of 25-30 grams of fiber per day. Since we all know that the USDA is in the habit of recommending minimums, what would the true estimate be? 35-40 grams? 45-50?This IBSer thinks it is probably in the 50 gram range. (doubling USDA recommendations for fiber seems logical to me).
How do you count fiber grams? The info is scarce - took me days of searching to come up with the sources I posted last night.
From the Sante 7000, I managed to figure yesterday's accumulation of fiber. 44.73. Add a coupla grams for the psyllium boost and it ups to about 47. This is good, no? Well, I don't know. This is my first count. I think from here on in I will count every day, not changing my usual dietary habits, to see what I average. This could be a key to better IBS management...
And even though it is my own private study, not scientific by medical standards (or even by scientific reductionist ones), it could benefit those who read this blog, and who are interested in learning about their own intake.
Later.
posted by LST 10/30/2000 04:51:49 AM
29.10.00
Yo. I seem to be irresponsible about posting to this blog. I guess I can only handle so much IBS introspection, and definitely NOT on a daily basis.
I could try posting inane stuff every day, but it's really not my style.
OK, OK, I could also attempt posting various thoughts, IBS or not, because as we know, EVERYTHING relates to IBS.It's true. Ask anyone who has it. Ask me. I'll tell you that everything relates to, and revolves around, my IBS. If I were normal I could write about something else, like whether or not the earth is really round (it's not; it's eliptical). I could write about world trade issues or climate change or political jerrymandering...
Instead I write about a very local, personal issue that affects and is affected by everything I do.And all I have to say is YUK. I wish I were normal. I wouldn't wish this stuff on my worst enemy (well, OK, maybe on her, but I pity her, so I don't really consider her my worst enemy; I don't really consider anyone to be an enemy, therefore she isn't an enemy at all. Such logic!).
Since I last posted, there have been the usual IBS exasperations, such as ovulation and its accompanying days of intestinal shut-down. I am gaining a little on my quest for information on the relationship there. I have searched the Mayo clinic and Johns Hopkins, among other medical databases, and have found layers and layers of info, although have not yet found any definitive studies. I will keep going back until I do. And I will try to post updates and links in the process.
OOOH, OOOOH. I did find a couple of places that give the grams of fiber for all sorts of foods. The best is Sante 7000, which has a search form. You type in the food and it gives the nutritional values, such as vitamins and grams of fat, fiber, cholesterol, etc. Way cool. Also, you can get that info for a food in all its diverse forms, like frozen and canned and fresh and cooked.
Did you know, for example, that foods retain a fair amount of their fiber value if cooked nude (no sugars or fats)? I never knew that. Makes sense though; if one bakes an acorn squash with honey and butter it loses its fiber qualityin the process. I guess the fats and sugars break down the fiber quality in the cooking process. So, best to cook plain and add the accoutrements later.More on the fiber issue. I have been searching out more and more info on this, because I am anal about this (no pun intended), and because I have been taking fiber supplements for a month or two or three. I take one called FiberSMART, which is relatively expensive because it contains a mix of stuff, but mainly flax and borage seeds (powdered of course). This product does not irritate like psyllium. Lately, though, I have introduced psyllium, in small doses. One, I want to see if I can build a tolerance for it, and two it costs half as much as FiberSMART. The psyllium I take is powder form, from Yerba Prima. There is nothin' else in there (unlike the commercial brands such as Metamucil, which contain sugar).
So far, I have reacted to any amount of psyllium over 1/2 a teaspoon. Symptoms range from too much gas to severe pain at the small/large intestine juncture (I forget the name of that thing...). However, my doodies are lovely, and easily move out, so there is none of the elimination pain. I observe that the psyllium is more efficient at the easy elimination part, while the flax/borage mix is better tolerated by my system in general. BUT, the flax/borage does not bulk up as well as does the psyllium.
As of last week I have altered doses of each. I'll give that a month of trial to see what will come of it.
My goal is to stabilize as much as possible in order to feel confident about an herbal cleanse, something I've wanted to try but was afraid to b/c it might incapacitate me for weeks.To be continued very soon (maybe even tomorrow...).
posted by LST 10/29/2000 01:45:57 PM