Fiber & Constipation

What is bran? You hear so much about fiber and bran lately. My grandmother used to tell us to eat roughage. Why? Does an apple a day really keep the doctor away? Bran is the brown, outer covering of cereal grains such as wheat, rye, oats, barley, corn, and rice. The body does not digest...

Where can I find a dietitian who works with people who want to eat more fiber or have problems with constipation? The Medical Nutrition and Nutrition Entrepreneurs dietetic practice groups of the American Dietetic Association provide medical nutrition therapy based on your diagnosis. Dietitians often have their own private practice nutrition counseling services in...

Our daughter, who is four, seems to have less than normal bowel movements sometimes going four to five days without. The last couple of bowel movements have been hard and we have seen traces of blood in the stool. Our pediatrician has prescribed Dulcolax, a stool softener, twice daily with no real success. The...

Is Psyllium Seed (in Metamucil) made of seaweed? If yes can it contain large amounts of iodine that may aggravate hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormones)? Psyllium seeds are soluble and insoluble sources of fiber from a plant (plantago ovata), not seaweed and to the best of my knowledge do not contain iodine. I could not find...

I recently read in a magazine about ProFibe. I am having a lot of difficulties locating it in the natural food stores. Can you give me any ideas on where to locate it? Thank you very much. Haven't a clue. My question is why do you want to use it? What are the reported benefits?...

I needed to lose some weight. So some friends and I went on a vegetable diet. I got such terrible cramps that I had to stop after 1-week. Why did I get such bad cramps? If your diet previous to the vegetable diet was low in fiber, your cramps may have been due to the...

Hi Thank you for your swift response. I am replying as requested. I was diagnosed with celiac disease a few years ago so I never consume anything with gluten. I eat 25-35 grams of fiber a day (been logging intake for the past few months). I drink plenty of water. Pee is light yellow, no...

I am currently working as an outpatient dietitian. I recently have had a few patients wanting to know if they could take Chitosol as a fiber supplement. I advised against it for a variety of reasons. I just wanted to get your opinion on this product. Thank you. I checked several over the counted medication...

I am a 58-year-old female who is a bit of a challenge, I have been diagnosed with acid reflux, IBS, lactose intolerant, and diverticulosis (the less severe one). What can I eat, NOT what I cannot eat? Any suggestions? My life is miserable. One thing or another causes problems. Your help would be appreciated! First...

I have read a few or your question and answers. You asked a couple of times "What are they going to eat when they get off of the high protein diet? Well, after having talked to my own doctor (who I thought was nuts for telling me to eat protein) it's not just a...