See, that's what gets me.

If nobody can or does eat 38 grams of fiber from whole produce, how do "they" come up with those numbers?

I guess there is a lot of fiber in beans which we (or at least I) am not eating, but it would seem like if the body 'needed' 38 grams of fiber, it should be fairly easy to get your hands on it in nature.

(By the way, I'm a former kimkin-er...that should explain my obsession with pooping regularly...uh, i mean...fiber. ha! I did lose 55 pounds though!)

Dave,
That's an excellent question. Mostly, I just want to be regular...but I also really like eating vegetables (a result of Kimkins actually...totally changed my appetite for veggies) and recently noticed how full they make me feel.

Diverticulitis runs in my family as well so I figured fiber can't hurt.

you?

When I started Atkins about 5 weeks ago I went from being very regular to blocked up - I was almost considering giving up based on just that. I felt bloated and fat for days. I tried a few things but in the end a serve of Metamucil a day keeps things ticking over. There is no way I could eat enough veges each day to achieve that. I just want to be regular too

Probably to promote grain and cereal consumption. Like the food pyramid, it's probably more about economics than about health. Many have pointed out that grain fiber inhibits the absorbsion of nutrients, while soluable vegetable fibers don't. I guess micronutrients are a secondary consideration to achieving some arbitrary mix of fat, protein, & carbs.


I am begining to think fiber is overrated. They say it fills you up. They say it prevents diabetes & heart disease. Those theories sound good, but my experience says otherwise.

In my low fat days, I ate plenty of "complex carbs" and plenty of fiber. It did keep me regular, but that's about it. It may have filled me up initially, but did nothing to curb my cravings. It certainly didn't help me avoid diabetes, which also puts you at risk for heart disease.

I get about 10 - 15 g per day from vegetables, low sugar fruits, and nuts & seeds (including flax seeds). I add a tablespoon of psyllium husks on most days. That keeps me regular, but I don't look for any other benefits. I buy psyllium husks in bulk from my grocery store. It's cheap with no other additives. You have to be careful with Metamucil and other fiber supplements as many of them contain added sugar.

Someone at Dr B's diabetes forum pointed out a site: The Fiber Menace.

http://www.fibermenace.com/

The site points out some fiber myths and allows you to order the author's book. I haven't ordered the book, but the site is thought provoking. If anyone has read the book, please let us know what you think.

He lost me when he said "A high fiber diet speeds food through the digestive track" is a myth.

I'm living proof that is NOT the case.

Interesting. I also am in the same boat. However, I did read somewhere in the past couple of days that too little fat in your diet can cause diarrhea. That is one of the things on my list to research. KK was horrible to me in that regard. After reading that, I decided to look into it since I'm going to continue the LC lifestyle. It would be nice to figure out what or what combination of things caused it. I think it may have been Jimmy that said it. I can't remember.

Wow Jowest,
I don't know whether I should congratulate first for the weight loss...or the cute girls in your family!

I use benefiber...but never got any "results." Then I read about the difference between soluable and insoluable fiber. If your supplementing with fiber to get some "action", metamucil (sp?) is a better choice than benefiber.