I am having difficulty understanding something. As I understand it, we should take flaxseed, or psyllium husks to help our digestion. I was having a problem(constipation) and my husband bought some natural laxative (black something or other-I don't have the bottle with me.) Anyway, I read on the label that you should not take it for more than a week, so I only took it once. Last week, I bought some fiber in a container. It said it was orange flavored and made from psyllium husks. I thought..."ok, this is what they are talking about," and bought some. I have been taking it for five days, but I still have the same problem. Today, I was reading the container AGAIN.(It is full of information.) I noticed it said,DO NOT TAKE LAXATIVE PRODUCTS FOR MORE THAN A WEEK. I am concerned, because it says your body will become accostumed to it and not be able to process on its own. Am I taking the wrong stuff? Should I ignore the label? Where do I find the right stuff? I have looked in Walmart and food stores. All the fibers say the same thing - not to take for more than a week.

I know I should drink more water. I am up to 96 ounces and keep increasing. I am really trying on this one, since I hated water at first. I am proud that I am up to 96 ounces, and will continue to increase.

Thanks and Peace, Joanna
299/275/130

Hi Joanne,

I found a product at the HFS (health food store) called Colon Care Formula. You can use it everyday as long as desired. It contains Psyllium seed husks, soy fiber, oat bran, calcium carbonate, acacia gum, FOS probiotic growth complex, magnesium oxide, apple pectin extract, selenium amino acid chelate. Note: digestable carb is .5 gram per serving.

I have been eating raw brocolli dipped in ranch dressing w/each meal or w/snacks and this has helped too.

Hope this helps.


268/233/140

Joanna
What amount of vegetables and what kind are you eating daily? You can pretty much have as much leafy green stuff as you want (dark green lettuces, spinach) and that stuff is just full of fiber. Also, Kerry's suggestion is a good one: raw broccoli w/dip w/each meal or snacks...Not only gets your veggie quota in, but keeps you 'regular' as well By the way, I take flaxseed oil capsules daily, and that does help. Also helps to give you nice skin and really shiny hair! Bonus!


"Do, or do not. There is no 'try'."
- Yoda ('The Empire Strikes Back')
Start Atkins 9.1.03
225/198/130ish
Valentine's Day Goal: 180

Hi, Joanna:

Those labels are also intended for people for whom the product is working - you really shouldn't - er, blow out the system, that often.

Are you in induction? If not, try some of Maggie's cereal (recipe section). Loaded with fiber.

Jen
175/129/120

All three of you are so kind to answer....

Kerry- I will look for that colon care formula. I eat broccoli at least twice a week. I eat about two cups of veggies per day. I eat spinach, lettuces, string beans, kale, turnip greens etc.



Tara - I will check into the flaxseed oil capsules as well.


Jetsey - I will look up Maggie's cereal.


Thanks, Joanna

Thanks all three of you for responding!

Kerry - I will look for that Colon Care Formula. I eat broccoli at least twice a week. I eat about two cups of veggies a day. I eat spinach, lettuces, kale, green beans, cauliflower, turnip greens.


Tara - I will also check out the flaxseed oil capsules. Where do you find them?


Jetsey- Thanks for the info on Maggie's cereal.

Peace, Joanna

I like the idea of cereal, but I just wonder what we should have it with, considering that we can't use milk.

Started on 9/20/03
235-->190; 150 goal

Paladin, the flaxmeal cereal is like an oatmeal substitute. No need for milk. You could top it off with a little cream if you wanted.

Joanna, that was perhaps black walnut????? Or buckthorn, or senna???

There is a difference between fiber and laxatives. Fiber bulks up the stools, thus making it easier for the colon to do its peristalsic action in moving things along. Laxatives on the otherhand, stimulate the peristalsis. If you over do on laxatives, your colon kinda forgets how and then you become dependent on them. Fiber on the otherhand, does not mess with the mechanics of peristalsis. I always recommend that people who are having this problem eat the flaxmeal. You can find flaxmeal at Meijer's, Cub Foods, Jewel (I think), most of the grocery stores around here carry it. I get Bob's Redmill. I use it in Mock Danish as well as the flaxmeal cereal. It really keeps my plummin hummin. I do down a full eight ounces of water when I do flax. It is imperative to drink water with fiber, because it is a bulking agent only when it is taken with water. It also serves to lubricate the little fibery stuff so it will slide through the gut. It also helps to keep it wet by the time it reaches the colon, which is where the excess fluids are rung out of the, ahem, material for elimination. This extra water that has been transported to the colon via the fiber also helps with elimination. If fiber isn't lubricated enough, it will become a glue and gum up the whole works.

Thus concludes Elimination 101 class for tonight. See you next week and remember to do your homework. Read chapters 7-10. There will be a pop quiz on Thursday, but you didn't hear it from me.

Barb - 30 lbs gone FOREVER!
www.iwsgroupinc.com - website design and development


Atkins-3/14/03
174/144/135 5'2"
"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."
Knowledge is POWER

Joanna... the suggestions folks have made are good... especially the green leafy kind! I have flaxseed almost every morning. I have been told that the falxseed capsules are good for other things - but they do not do to the gastro system what you may need.

Flaxseed: you want the 'meal' not the whole flaxseeds - if you do buy the whole seeds (I do, actually) you can put them in a coffee grinder and make your own meal. I take a 1/4 cup of flaxseed meal, and 1/3 cup of hot water, I add either 1/2 pack of Splenda and or a little shot of DaVinci syrup (French vanilla flavor, tastes like maple syrup!?) - stir it up - pop it in the microwave for a minute. Once I take it out I stir (sometimes) in 1 T of heavy cream... a VERY yummy breakfast and your system will be so grateful... it's terrific stuff!

Remember to keep the unused meal in the fridge where it will last longer.

Hugs,
Rachel
165/145/128
Haec trutina errat. (Latin for,"There is something wrong with this scale".)

Joanna - you can get flaxseed capsules at most any place that sells vitamins and supplements, and it's relatively inexpensive. I would recommend keeping them in the fridge and not buying huge quantities at a time, as it can go rancid if kept too long (don't take a rancid flaxseed capsule, you'll 'go' whether you want to or not...ugh!) Vitaminworld.com has some good deals.

Paladin - If you're hankerin' for milk, try WestSoy's Soyslender soy milk. It's made with Splenda and comes in vanilla, chocolate, and cappucino flavors, all of which are pretty good. Heated up in microwave and doctored up a little with DaVinci's syrups...mmmmmmm (you can find this at a HFS or some grocery stores, in baking aisle with boxed milk products. It comes in a box) Did I mention the best part - 1g net carbs per cup!


"Do, or do not. There is no 'try'."
- Yoda ('The Empire Strikes Back')
Start Atkins 9.1.03
225/198/130ish
Valentine's Day Goal: 180

Also, If you have someplace that sells Carb Countdown milk by Hood, that's a good milk alternative.

Barb - 30 lbs gone FOREVER!
www.iwsgroupinc.com - website design and development


Atkins-3/14/03
174/144/135 5'2"
"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."
Knowledge is POWER

Tara and Barb,

It is ironic that you mention Carbcountdown and Westsoys soy milk, because last week I bought one of each. I tried the carb countdown once, and I liked it. I bought a few of the different flavors of soy milk, but have not tried them yet.

Barb, please don't quiz me on the difference between fiber and laxatives yet. I really wanted to buy a fiber and not a laxative because I wanted to use it daily. And the bottle says in huge letters FIBER natural orange flavored fiber - bulk forming laxative - dietary fiber supplement, 100% natural psyllium husk fiber. Then, reading the back label, it says not to use laxatives for more than a week in a warning box, after saying it can be used as a dietary supplement. OY VEY!!!

Rachel- I am going to the grocery store tomorrow and I am going to try the flaxseed meal drink you suggested. It sounds like a good idea.

Everyone talks about Davinci syrups. Where can I find them? I guess I really have to hit a health store. (Barb-maybe we should go on a field trip to a health store instead of lunch. Of course, that is after my quiz. LOL)

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate your help.
Peace, Joanna

LOL Joanna,

OK, no quiz yet.

Ilse would be the one to know where everything is in the Elgin area. But yeah, maybe we SHOULD go on a field trip on Monday. I'm sure Brenda knows where some places are aroung there too. Is there a Cost Plus World Market there in Rockford? I would think so. They carry the s/f Torani syrups which are just like the DaVinci syrups but cheaper. I go to one in St. Charles. It's my lifeline. That would be fun to go on a field trip,

Barb - 30 lbs gone FOREVER!
www.iwsgroupinc.com - website design and development


Atkins-3/14/03
174/144/135 5'2"
"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."
Knowledge is POWER

Barb,

No, we do not have a Cost plus World Market in Rockford. I have never seen Torani or Davinci syrups yet. There is a health food store at the mall. I have not been to the mall in years, but I would like to see what they have to offer. I would love to go on a field trip, shopping and lunch, perfect combination!

Peace, Joanna

PS- I read in another forum that you were a teacher. That figures!! LOL You are such a natural born teacher. I love that. Ciao

Joanna,

I finally found DaVinci syrups in the coffee isle in grocery store. (SuperWalmart for one)
People use them to flavor their coffee.