# Soluble/Insoluble Fiber



## alwayspatsy (Mar 28, 2012)

Hi, all—this may be a silly question, but you all have been such a great resource. I was D-predominant for a while, and I found Heather's Help for IBS site useful in navigating a high-soluble-fiber diet that worked for me. But in the past few months I've been C-predominant with some alternation, and I can't quite figure out if I have more flexibility in terms of insoluble fiber, or if things like leafy greens, fruit skins, and whole wheat bread (all of which were D-triggers) will actually trigger a flare of IBS-C as well. Surely a salad can't trigger C, can it? Still, not even that will bring me any relief. Please help if you can. This is so frustrating—I thought I had a way of managing this all worked out. all best, ap


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Some people do find insoluble fiber helps with constipation, but you may have to play with it to see what balance works for you.Too much fiber sometimes can be an issue for the constipated (paradoxically) if they stool isn't wet enough to move easily. After all a large hard dry stool isn't any easier to move than a small hard dry stool.So you may need to look at how much water you drink, is it enough to keep from pulling too much water out of the stool. And you may need to think about adding an osmotic to keep the water in the stool if the soluble fiber you eat isn't enough to hold onto the water.Osmotics in foods are the -itols. They can increase gas, so may not work for everyone, but are in certain fruits especially stone fruits like peaches and plums and the apple/pear types of fruits. Magnesium salts (either sold as a laxative or even magnesium supplements) also hold the water are often are less gassy. Miralax and lactulose are the more artificial of these, and there are also stool softeners.Usually foods aren't as like to make everything come to a stop in the same way foods can make things speed up and dump out. So there isn't as much of a trigger food for constipation. It tends to be more of the balance, and some foods contribute more to each individual's needs more than others. So sometimes too much low fiber food, if you need higher fiber can be a "trigger", etc. Not because they make the colon go stop, but because they aren't helping things in your individual system.


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## jadjac (Jun 4, 2012)

I am also trying to follow Heather's guidelines, and while I FEEL much better, I do find that my C has become something that I have to actively manage now, on a very regular basis. I have found that if I start my day with a glass of Metamucil before I eat anything else, it is a good base for the rest of the food I eat for the rest of the day and my tummy doesn't gurgle so much. If I miss the Metamucil in the morning, I miss a BM and then I start having problems with gas, bloating, pain, etc. I also make sure to carry a 1L bottle of water with me everywhere and make an effort to drink one or two of those per day just to make sure I have enough water for the Metamucil to work with.I am really impressed with how it has worked out for me. I hope you find something that works for you too!


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## elm00 (Jun 18, 2012)

Do you guys only use Heathers diet and not the Fodmap at all?What does the Metamucil contain, is it some kind of fiber?


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## jadjac (Jun 4, 2012)

I have only followed Heather's guidelines. A friend gave me the book, "Eating for IBS" and I had success with it fairly quickly, based on her guidelines for diet and incorporating what I already know about my body. I haven't looked into the fodmap diet at all; maybe I should. Yeah, Metamucil is a psyllium hydrophilic mucilloid fibre powder that I mix with water every morning. I have the pink lemonade flavour, which is really good, but it does have aspartame in it, so next time I'll buy the orange flavour that doesn't contain artificial sweetener.


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## alwayspatsy (Mar 28, 2012)

jadjac said:


> I have only followed Heather's guidelines. A friend gave me the book, "Eating for IBS" and I had success with it fairly quickly, based on her guidelines for diet and incorporating what I already know about my body. I haven't looked into the fodmap diet at all; maybe I should. Yeah, Metamucil is a psyllium hydrophilic mucilloid fibre powder that I mix with water every morning. I have the pink lemonade flavour, which is really good, but it does have aspartame in it, so next time I'll buy the orange flavour that doesn't contain artificial sweetener.


Thank you so much for this! I drink psyllium husks at night before bed, but I wonder if I'd be better off trying it in the morning. I was doing great with Heather's guidelines for a while, but like you, C has become the main issue.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Have you seen this?Fiber 101:http://www.healthcastle.com/fiber-solubleinsoluble.shtml


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## jadjac (Jun 4, 2012)

Let me know how it works for you if you try switching to the morning!


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