Diabetes & Fibre (looking for advice)

[Sheffguy]

Hi there,
I would like to ask if anyone can suggest any none prescription fibre supplements that can help ease constipation without it impacting the blood sugars?
I know it's a below the belt topic but any idea's really WELCOMED!

 

[Paulbreen]

Movicol might work, I’ve used it in the past

 

[Sheffguy]

Movicol might work, I’ve used it in the past

Ah cheers for that suggestion!

 

[Paulbreen]

Normally takes a couple of sachets to get things going and not too explosive

 

[rebrascora]

I use psyllium husk in the form of Regucol from Holland and Barrett. Psyllium husk is the same stuff that is in the Fibogel which is given on prescription. The Regucol has an added probiotic I believe but you can buy ordinary psyllium husk online cheaper. I have tried both and find the Regucol works best for me. I used to have it mixed into a glass of juice but since diagnosis I don't drink juice so I mix a teaspoon into my yoghurt and seeds on a morning and have a glass of water with it. You can also use it in baking as a low carb binding agent which also makes your baking healthier because it adds fibre.

 

[Eddy Edson]

When I was looking to increase fibre I settled on chia seeds, rather than using a supplement. Huge amounts of fibre with minimal carbs, but also lots of protein, unsaturated fats, minerals, some of the vitamins, plus very convenient - just add them to anything, really.

 

[rebrascora]

Yes, I use chia seeds too. Aren't they high in omega 3 as well as all their other benefits?

 

[Eddy Edson]

Yes, I use chia seeds too. Aren't they high in omega 3 as well as all their other benefits?

They sure are! Higher than just about anything, I think.

 

[NotWorriedAtAll]

I eat my fibre as the main part of my food intake.
I eat psyllium husk, chia seeds, flax seeds (linseed), konjac fibre, oat fibre, bamboo fibre and I also have a reasonable amount of sweeteners that also have a laxative effect.

I've been eating so much fibre for so long now that my system has settled down to it all and I just have a nicely working digestive system.

Today I made spag bol with pumpkin strands and konjac and a loaf of keto bread which is made of vital wheat gluten, bamboo fibre and flax seeds.

I do have to make sure I drink plenty of liquids to keep everything moving along.

This is today's loaf from my bread machine.

 

[rebrascora]

@NotWorriedAtAll You are truly the "Queen of Fibre" and I very nearly tagged you for this thread when I sent my reply because I know that you are quite passionate about it..... in the nicest possible way!
Loaf looks amazing.... as did your Pizza in the "What did you eat yesterday?" thread.

 

[Eddy Edson]

I eat my fibre as the main part of my food intake.
I eat psyllium husk, chia seeds, flax seeds (linseed), konjac fibre, oat fibre, bamboo fibre and I also have a reasonable amount of sweeteners that also have a laxative effect.

I've been eating so much fibre for so long now that my system has settled down to it all and I just have a nicely working digestive system.

Today I made spag bol with pumpkin strands and konjac and a loaf of keto bread which is made of vital wheat gluten, bamboo fibre and flax seeds.

I do have to make sure I drink plenty of liquids to keep everything moving along.

This is today's loaf from my bread machine.

View attachment 15621

Love the loaf!

There was a gut microbiome study a while back which suggested you should try to eat more than 30 different kinds of fibre per week. I never get to more than about 18 at most, but looks like you've got it covered.

I usually do 70g-80g per day & it did take a while for my bod to adjust to that, but these days it seems to be very happy with things.

 

[rebrascora]

@NotWorriedAtAll I really think you should start up a business with your low carb baking. Many of us don't have the time (or inclination 🙄) to do what you do or are put off by the specialist ingredients and I so admire you and want to try your produce!

 

[NotWorriedAtAll]

@NotWorriedAtAll I really think you should start up a business with your low carb baking. Many of us don't have the time (or inclination 🙄) to do what you do or are put off by the specialist ingredients and I so admire you and want to try your produce!

I am thinking about it. I've tried some of the packet stuff that is out there for making keto bread and was very surprised at how 'meh' they were. I could certainly do a lot better. Most of them appear to have found a recipe online and then just reproduced it without any tweaking and all the online recipes have flaws and pitfalls. My perfectionist streak makes me want to 'fix' recipes and then put the best possible result out there. I think it is an aspect of being autistic - when something isn't quite 'right' with the texture or taste of food it deeply rankles with me.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Don't forget green leafy veg, broccoli, cauliflower and other veg too. 🙂

 

[pm133]

@NotWorriedAtAll I really think you should start up a business with your low carb baking. Many of us don't have the time (or inclination 🙄) to do what you do or are put off by the specialist ingredients and I so admire you and want to try your produce!

Actually, that is a brilliant idea providing there's a market for it. 4 million diabetics in the UK apparently. I don't recall seeing any low carb ready meals on the shelves.

 

[Ralph-YK]

Here's a thread from Feb about fiber https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/fiber-in-diet.85170/

 

[Annemarie]

@NotWorriedAtAll Your bread looks amazing, can you share the exact recipe please? I do have a bread maker but not used it for years so it might used at last

 

[rebrascora]

My bread maker has been redundant since I went low carb and I have even considered getting rid of it!
I really need to make more effort and try some low carb baking. @NotWorriedAtAll makes it look so amazing.
Like everything, I am sure that once you have all the stuff you need and get into the swing of it, it is probably much less daunting than it looks.
I am the same with cooking fish. Because I have very rarely cooked with fish and not really a fan of fish, I find it very hard to motivate myself to cook it, even though I know it is good for me. It's just a bit daunting and I don't have time to experiment or hunt out recipes and then buy special ingredients for it, especially if I think I might not like the end product. I just want to cook simple food that I know I will enjoy.
That said, I am pretty certain I would enjoy all of the fabulous baking that @NotWorriedAtAll produces and I love the fact that it is low carb and so high in fibre.

 

[Annemarie]

@NotWorriedAtAll I‘m sure I read somewhere that Bill Gates has Autism (Asperger) it sounds like you too have the genius streak. Hard work and effort also go into it and you seem to have both. If you don’t mind please share some of your ideas/ recipes

 

[NotWorriedAtAll]

I have some pretty exciting news.
I have produced my own recipe for a very low carb yeast bread that tastes and feels and behaves just like a good wholemeal bread but has around 64 calories a slice and around 3.4g of net carbs and that is if you slice the bread thick and get 18 slices a loaf. It is also low fat so you can enjoy the fat as tons of butter on top if you are on keto and be careful with it if you are not on keto and avoiding high fat!! It is a bit different from the recipes I've been using and I am pleased with this as I think it will satisfy most people who like real bread. It definitely isn't gluten free but there are plenty of gluten free recipes out there and very little for low carbers/diabetics who want a decent loaf without the damage.

Here's my first loaf using this recipe.
I am going to be putting together some packet mixes suitable for bread makers and sending them out to people in the next month or so to see how they go down with people and to make sure they are easy to use. Then I am going to see about actually selling the bread mix properly!!