Low Carb Relief For Constipation

Drastically changing your dietary habits can lead to changes in your bowel movements. If you have recently started following a low-carb diet, constipation is among the common side effects often experienced in the initial phase. As your body adjusts to your new way of eating, constipation will usually resolve over time. However, there are a few strategies that you can implement to be relieved and alleviate your constipation problem more quickly.

Drink Water

Constipation may simply be the results of dehydration, a common problem when restricting carbohydrates. Low-carb diets have a diuretic effect that help your body get rid of excess water. However, if you don't replenish some of the lost fluids, you may become dehydrated and have small, dry and hard-to-pass stools. Get relief by drinking at least 8 cups of water every day. Teas and herbal teas can also contribute to your fluid intake without adding carbohydrates to your diet.

Increase Non-Starchy Vegetables

A balanced low-carb diet should include a foundation of non-starchy vegetables. Broccoli, leafy greens, asparagus, cauliflower, red bell pepper, onions, mushrooms and zucchini are examples of low-starchy vegetables. In addition to having a very low-carb content and providing your body with important nutrients, non-starchy vegetables contain about 2 to 3 g of fiber per cup. Make sure each of your low-carb meals contain at least 1 to 2 cups of non-starchy vegetables, but also include the carbs contained in non-starchy vegetables in your daily carb count. Look up their nutritional information in a food composition table as their carb content varies, but is usually between 2 to 5 g of carbs per cup.

Add More FIber

If you feel like you need to further supplement your fiber intake, opt for concentrated sources of fiber that have a low-carb content. For example, wheat bran, oat bran, psyllium husks and ground flaxseed are good examples and each of them have less than 0.2 g of net carbs per tbsp. Start with a small dose and increase gradually. For example, you can start adding about 1 tsp. at each of your meals and slowly work your way up to up to 2 tbsp. per meal. Always take at least 8 oz. of water at the same time to ensure the fiber works properly and consult your pharmacist if taking medications as extra fiber, or fiber supplements, may affect the release of your medications.

Other Low-Carb, High-Fiber Foods

If your carb budget allows you to include small amounts of fruits, you will be able to increase your fiber intake by choosing the ones that have the lowest carb content and the highest fiber content. For example, 1 cup of strawberries provides 11.0 g of carbs and 2.9 g of fiber, 1 cup of blackberries contains 13.8 g of carbs and 7.6 g of fiber and 1 cup of raspberries has 14.7 g of carbs and 8.0 g of fiber.