Is a Low-Carb Diet Slowing You Down? 7 Tips for Healthy Bowels
Categories: Health, Healthy Eating, Hormone Diet
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Natasha Turner, N.D. is a Toronto-based naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of the Clear Medicine wellness boutique and author of the bestselling book The Hormone Diet. Each week in her column for That's Fit.ca, Dr. Turner advises readers on how to remedy common health issues as well as improve their overall health.
Carbohydrate restriction is a proven way to stimulate weight loss; removing foods like bread, pasta, cereals, rice, muffins and other grain products from your diet for a period of time assists with "retraining" and improving your body's response to insulin, the ultimate key to any effective weight loss plan.Keeping insulin levels low is the rationale behind being carb conscious (I prefer this over "low-carb") and the reason I recommend the Glyci-Med way of eating in my book, The Hormone Diet. But this lifestyle can have drawbacks. Some people feel a slight decrease in energy or in mood when they limit carbs, and because these foods are a source of fibre, removing them often causes a nasty case of constipation.
Why is constipation so bad?
If things are not "moving along" properly at least once (optimally, 2-3 times) per day it is tough to feel healthy, let alone slim. Obvious negative issues associated with constipation include feeling bloated, pain in the abdomen, occasional cramping and abdominal distention.
Not only is constipation unpleasant, it is not without repercussions on other aspects of your health. Simply stated, the longer waste remains in your large intestine, the longer undesirable byproducts of digestion and elimination will be permitted to reabsorb into your system. This can result in headaches, fatigue, increased menstrual pain and cramping, acne and other signs of toxicity. Chronic constipation can increase the risk of certain types of cancers; breast and colon cancer rates have been found to be higher in women with a history of chronic constipation. I encourage you to do something today if this is a pattern of constipation in your past or if you experience an acute response to reducing grains in your diet.
Why are laxatives not your best option?
In my opinion, it is always better to ease constipation without the use of laxatives, even avoiding herbal laxatives like senna and cascara if possible. Dependency on laxatives is common with chronic use and some laxatives can be irritating to the digestive tract lining. Laxatives can also act as a diuretic and cause loose stools. This leads to fluid and electrolyte loss, placing stress on the body's ability to maintain hydration and may result in muscle cramps as potassium and magnesium are depleted. Over time, dehydration and electrolyte imbalance results, putting stress on all the internal organs.
What can you do?
It is not always necessary to add more grains into your diet to correct the problem. There are highly effective ways to re-establish healthy bowel function while continuing your carbohydrate-conscious diet. Many supplements and foods have beneficial effects on the process of digestion as well as other aspects of your health, making them a great choice when you need a little extra "encouragement." These include:
1. Acidophilus: The friendly bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus lives in our digestive tract. Healthy bacterial balance in our digestive tract is easily affected by poor dietary habits and by the use of medications, such as birth control pills, corticosteroids and antibiotics. Everyone can benefit from the use of probiotics for healthy digestion, regular bowel function and immunity.
Acidophilus has also been found useful in the treatment and prevention of skin conditions such as eczema and also allergies. Studies have found that school children and adults who supplement with acidophilus get colds and the flu less often. Finally, healthy bacterial balance is essential for the breakdown and elimination of estrogen. If a bacterial imbalance is present, estrogen may not be properly broken down and removed from the body, resulting in symptoms like PMS and other hormonal imbalances. Look for a supplement with 10 to 15 billion cells per capsule and take it on rising, before breakfast.
2. Flaxseed: Add two to three tablespoons of ground flaxseed to your daily smoothie. It is a cheap and effective source of fibre and healthy oils. It is a potent protector against breast cancer because it contains lignands and also helps to prevent excess production of estrogen. Flaxseed acts like a natural aromatase inhibitor, the new class of drugs currently used in breast cancer treatment.
If you purchase ground flaxseed, ensure it is stored in a vacuum-sealed package and keep it in the freezer. Alternatively, you can grind it yourself with a coffee grinder. If you grind it yourself, prepare only enough to last a few days and keep it in the fridge. Once flaxseed is ground, the oils are exposed and may become rancid if not properly stored.
3. Essential fatty acids: Oils like fish oil, evening primrose oil, borage oil or hemp oil are great for healthy bowel function, natural anti-inflammatory protection, assisting with a healthy mind, memory, mood as well as smooth and supple skin. A tablespoon or three to four capsules per day may be all that is required.
Here's another tip: avocados can help protect against cancer due to their high levels of the antioxidant glutathione. Furthermore, researchers at Oxford University found that avocado extract inhibits glucose uptake by tumor cells by 25 to 75 percent and inhibits the growth rate of certain cancer cells. Try adding avocado to your salads or sandwiches for a dietary source of essential fatty acids.
4. Magnesium citrate: Magnesium is a natural muscle relaxant. It reduces sugar and chocolate cravings and is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body. Many people tend to hold tension and stress in the muscles of the abdomen and digestive tract. Taking magnesium (starting with a dose of 250 to 300mg twice per day) can reduce tension and cramping and may ease constipation without creating dependence. This is a much better choice than milk of magnesium.
5. Vitamin C: Vitamin C is absolutely crucial for a healthy immune system, collagen synthesis and repair, antioxidant protection and wound healing. It is also essential for support in times of stress. Taken in slightly higher amounts, it is a great natural laxative. The laxative effect of vitamin C will be reached in different people at different doses. Begin by taking 1,000 mg twice per day and increase the amount until you obtain the desired effects. It is best to take the vitamin C in divided doses throughout the day rather than all at once.
6. Consider a fibre supplement: Fibre not only promotes health, it can reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases like colon cancer, breast cancer as well as heart disease. Fibre may help lower LDL cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol) and total cholesterol and can help lower blood sugar, allowing better treatment and prevention of type 2 diabetes. It also may assist in weight loss. Insoluble fibre helps prevent constipation and promotes regular bowel movements. Foods like green beans, flaxseeds and cauliflower are high in insoluble fibre. A supplement of psyllium may also be helpful; it contains a mix of both insoluble and soluble fibre.
7. Water: Always drink two litres or more of water each day, between meals.
With any weight loss program it is always more important to concentrate on wellness rather than just a drop in the number on the scale. This means maintaining healthy bowel function; getting a balanced intake of protein, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates; exercising; getting optimal sleep and managing stress. Always remember that it is loss of fat that you desire-not muscle, our metabolically active tissue.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
jf 1-21-2010 @ 4:30PM
Being on a low carb diet is completly ignorant and dangerous. Do some proper reasearch and you will see why.
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jf 1-21-2010 @ 4:57PM
Being on a low carb diet is completly ignorant and dangerous. I find it funny how the lady who wrote this page with all her knowledge and qualifications does not explain why you should not be on a low carb diet. There is nothing wrong with carbs, infact your brain can only function with glucose, which is broken down from your so called "evil" carbs. The reason why you get constipated is because its a way of your body saying something is wrong. And something wrong doesn't always mean because youre doing something bad, it could be because you're lacking something, in this case...insoluble fiber!
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jf 1-21-2010 @ 4:58PM
Secondly, if you are on a low carb diet. Good luck with your work outs. Guess what your body burns as energy if you are low on glucose(carbs) and stored glycogen(carbs)... you guessed it; protein! And if you are training for long periods of time without the presence of glucose(carbs), you will be burning fat and producing a waste product known as ketone bodies. Ketones are toxic, and they alter the ph of the blood. High levels of ketones can dead to coma or death. Ketosis may occur in people who are on a high-protein, low carbohydrate diet. If you want to lose weight, the simplist things in life are usually the best. Eat a large-variety of fresh vegetables and fruits(did you know vegetables are concidered complex carbohydrates). Eat your complex carbohydrates and eat your lean proteins and good fats. If you dont know what good fats are, well do some reasearch. Because you have bad fats and good ones. The good ones are essential for good health. Make sure you do cardiovascular exercises and resistance training. If your main goal is to look thin and not so much to be healthy. Well then just eat smaller portions and lower your calorie intake per day. In the end, a low carb diet might get you skinnier, but is it worth sacraficing quality of life and your health in order to achieve this when you can "have your carbs and eat it too".
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CD 1-21-2010 @ 8:25PM
Thanks for the comments jf. Very informative :).
JD 1-26-2010 @ 9:18PM
JF-You misunderstand the definition of carbohydrate here. And the quantification of "low". Fruits and vegetables are carbohydrates. Low carb in the new generation of 'clean eating' diets and not as in old-school 'atkins' typically means: lots of veg, 2-3 servings of fruit, one or two servings of whole grain. What is is "low" are: refined grain products and excessive intake of whole grains.
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jf 1-27-2010 @ 9:28PM
"Carbohydrate restriction is a proven way to stimulate weight loss; 'REMOVING' foods like bread, pasta, cereals, rice, muffins and other grain products from your diet for a period of time assists with "retraining" and improving your body's response to insulin, the ultimate key to any effective weight loss plan".
--She is talking about removing not limiting--
Calotren 2-17-2010 @ 9:32AM
This is an interesting post. Calotren can be taken regularly along with plenty of fruits and vegetables. But the effects can be observed over a long period of time. It is pointless to expect the results to be obvious within a few days of taking the drug. The best thing about Calotren is that it makes fat-loss a completely natural process. You have to take healthy food and exercise a lot besides taking Calotren.
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scorpio 2-19-2010 @ 8:12PM
She is talking about a "carbohydrate-conscious diet" not a no carb ketogenic diet. Read it again.
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