Combat Constipation on Atkins

Constipation is a potential side effect of any low-carb diet, particularly during the early stages of the regimen, while learning how to get fiber. If bread, crackers, chips and other such carbohydrate snacks have been your main source of fiber, you may have trouble getting enough at first. In addition, you need to make sure you are getting plenty of water and essential fats/oils. Taking certain supplements and eating fiber rich, complex carbs will help you to combat constipation while you are on the Atkins Diet.

Steps

Getting Enough Fiber

1. Eat your vegetables. Though the Atkins Diet limits your intake of fruits and starchy vegetables, you can eat non-starchy vegetables, as long as you still count your carbohydrates. In fact, in the first phase, most of your carbohydrates should come from non-starchy vegetables, up to 20 grams of net carbohydrates a day. Vegetables are one of the best ways to get fiber into your diet.
   • You should try to construct half of your plate with vegetables.
   • Some non-starchy vegetables you can eat include broccoli, celery, pea pods, lettuce and other greens, mushrooms, radishes, and rutabagas.
2. Add wheat bran. Wheat bran is another good source of fiber. You can use this supplement by sprinkling on the top of salads. You can also add it in to whatever dish you're eating.
   • You should get at least 25 grams of fiber if you're an adult woman and 36 if you're an adult man, with adult being from age 19-50. However, more fiber will not negatively impact your health.
   • You can also get fiber from eating oats, wheat, and unmilled rice.

Getting Enough Water

1. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. The Atkins Diet recommends drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day to help maintain a regular regimen. Water helps with constipation by keeping stools looser.
   • The Institute of Medicine recommends that men drink at least 13 cups of water a day, while women should drink at least 9.
2. Don't drink too much caffeine. You can count caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea, and diet soda as part of your water intake. However, too much caffeine can make you crave sugar, which is off-limits on the Atkins Diet, so limit your intake of caffeinated beverages.
3. Eat non-starchy vegetables with high water intake. For instance, spinach and cucumbers are high in water, so they can help keep you hydrated. They're also non-starchy, so they're approved for the Atkins Diet.
4. Try flavored water. The Atkins Diet prefers that you skip fruits and starchy vegetables, especially for the first few weeks. However, you can add certain non-starchy vegetables to water to flavor it, such as slices of cucumber.
   • You can also use flavor packets sweetened with sucralose or saccharine. However, you do need to count these packets as a gram of carbohydrates because of the fillers in these types of sweeteners.

Using Other Methods

1. Exercise regularly. Getting enough exercise can help move things along in your digestive track. Try to exercise a little bit everyday, say 20 to 30 minutes at least.
   • In total, you should be getting about 150 minutes of exercise every week, including some strength exercises like lifting weights or abdominal exercises.
2. Ask your doctor before starting any supplement. In addition, she can help you determine how often you should take a supplement.
   • Try psyllium fiber. Psyllium fiber is made from the husks surrounding the psyllium seeds. It is soluble in water. Mix a tablespoon or so in a glass of water, and drink the mixture. You can drink this solution once a day. Be sure to get the ground kind so that it dissolves easily. You should be able to find this supplement at health food stores.
   • Use ground flaxseed. Ground flaxseed is an excellent source of fiber. You can add this supplement to any number of dishes. Try mixing it into a low-carbohydrate protein shake or mixing it into ground beef.
   • Use laxatives. If you only have constipation once in a while, you can take laxatives to help yourself go to the bathroom. You have your choice of several over-the-counter laxatives to help with your situation.
     • Use a stool softeners. These loosen up your feces by drawing more water into them. In turn, the looser feces make it easier for you to go to the bathroom. A couple of examples of this type of laxative are Colace and Surfak.
     • Another type of laxative is a lubricant. Mineral oil is an example of this type. Lubricants are just what they sound like; they coat your colon and enable feces to pass more easily.
     • You can also use milk of magnesia and lactulose, that are designed to help you pass feces by increasing liquid/moisture in your colon.
3. Try taking a probiotic in capsules that dissolve in the intestines (do not digest in the stomach which would kill active beneficial-bacteria). Studies have shown that probiotics can help decrease constipation. In fact, taking such a supplement can decrease how long it takes for food to go through your system. It also softens stools and will up the number of times you go to the bathroom per day to two or more -- adjust your supplements if it is too often or inconvenient.
   • Look for the probiotic supplement of L-plantarum (Lactobacillus-plantarum). It helps to maintain intestinal health. It suppresses flatulence by decreasing the growth of other kinds of bacterium producing gas in the intestines and may have benefit in some patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and colitis. Plantarum has been found in experiments to increase hippocampal brain derived neurotrophic factor which means L. plantarum may have a beneficial role in the treatment of depression. Antimicrobial property: The ability of L. plantarum to produce antimicrobial substances helps them survive in the gastro-intestinal tract of humans. The antimicrobial substances produced have shown significant effect on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Activity against HIV viral infection, the gut has been found to be a prime center of immune activity. L. plantarum is able to reduce and resolve inflammation, accelerating gut repair within hours.
   • Bifidobacterium, also tend to help.

Warnings

• While occasional constipation is fine, you should talk to your doctor if you are having constant constipation or have been constipated for more than 48 hours. You may need some medical intervention for the problem.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Add Legumes to Your Diet
• Avoid Fructose
• Snack During the Induction Phase of Atkins
• Lose Weight With a Simple Diet
• Become a Pescetarian
• Get the Most Effective Diet
• Go on a Raw Food Diet
• Fast for a Day
• Get Rid of Inner Thigh Fat
• Adopt an Intermittent Fasting Diet

Read more ...

What links here

• Avoid Constipation