Fantastic Fiber for LE Diet!
Updated 12-11-17
What is fiber?
Fiber is any type of dietary fiber supplement such as chitosan, Metamucil, or similar product that is marketed to help with regularity or weight loss. You are looking for JUST fiber without any added herbs or nutrients, and without stool softeners or laxatives unless you need these anyway (you can have them, you just don’t HAVE to have them)
Why does fiber work for pink?
We believe that fiber helps to absorb fats and fat soluble nutrients from the diet. This can both assist with weight loss and also help lower levels of sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen that may sway pink.
Note - our success rates with fiber have fallen recently to be closer to (but still higher than) the overall success rates of the site. We have seen good results with it at other times and I believe it does help a sway considerably. Plus, even if it does nothing, it certainly doesn’t sway blue and nor does it cut odds of conception for the average person (more about this below)
I am not constipated, do I need fiber?
Yes. Taking fiber for a pink sway does not have anything to do with regularity, it is because we are trying to absorb fats and nutrients from our diet.
How much? How often? Both DH and DW?
Since there are many different kinds of fiber, it is best to follow dosing guidelines on the products themselves. Do NOT use the very high amounts that are meant for people with chronic irregularity, start off with a low dose. It’s very likely that you will never need to take the max dose of any type of fiber.
Only use fiber before meals containing fat or fat soluble nutrients A, D, E, and K. These are present in meats, dairy, nuts, and darkly colored fruits and vegetables. If you aren’t eating any fat in your meal, you don’t need fiber with that meal. There is also no point in using fiber first thing in the morning or before bed if you aren’t even eating anything. Fiber is not a supplement in and of itself really, it’s meant to be used WITH foods. On its own all it does is make ya poop. :)
Both DH and DW can take fiber, although I believe it helps much more for DW than it does DH and since husbands can be kind of persnickety if you ask them to do or take tons of stuff, it may be one of those things to just let go in favor of his taking something more effective, such as licorice root or OLE.
How far in advance of sway?
Fiber seems to be safe for as far in advance of sway as is feasible. The exceptions to this are if you are very petite and have no weight to spare, or if you have a chronically short LP due to thinnness (NOT PCOS). We are finding that some people who are very thin and have a short LP because of this, need to leave out the fiber in order to ensure their body has enough usable fat to continue ovulating and making progesterone.
If you are eating very lower limits of fat (30g is the lowest amount of fat anyone should eat and I prefer you guys aim higher than that) I would use fiber sparingly, perhaps only with a big cheat meal. Your body needs SOME fat to continue ovulating and to maintain a healthy 2 week luteal phase, so care must be taken not to eliminate too much fat.
When breastfeeding?
Do not start using fiber until your breastfed baby is at least 6 months and I prefer 9-12 months. You will want to add in a separate vitamin drop for your nursing baby containing DHA and Vitamin D.
Do not cut fat intake too far when breastfeeding. You should be eating upper levels of calories (1800-2000 for most, 50-60 g protein, and 50-60 g fat) when you are breastfeeding.
Can fiber lower odds of conception?
Maybe. Over the course of time, if you deplete your body’s reserves of fat and fat soluble nutrients A, D, E, and K, you may not be able to make adequate amounts of sex hormones to continue ovulating and maintain a nice luteal phase.
If you have gone on 6 months without getting pregnant, OR at any point if you have been eating minimal amounts of fat, OR at any point if you notice strange changes in your menstrual cycle that can’t be logically explained any other way, cut back on fiber and/or increase fat intake. You may even want to drop it.
If you need to add in additional nutrients after having been on a sway diet for 3-6 months, be aware that fiber may block absorption of some nutrients (fat soluble ones) and if you need to supplement with these, you’ll have to take fiber at a different time of day than you take your supplements.. It is not supposed to block absorption of water soluble nutrients (B vitamins including folic acid and folate, Vit. C) or minerals, but it certainly doesn’t hurt anything to take fiber at a different time of day just to be cautious.
When do I stop fiber?
Fiber can just be dropped at BFP. If you have a lot of constipation during pregnancy, you may want to continue it at a lower dose but be aware sometimes fiber during pregnancy can actually exacerbate constipation for some people. If you continue taking fiber when pregnant, be sure you are taking it at a different time of day than when you take your prenatals and DHA supplements.
Dietary vs. Fiber supplements:
People have asked me about just increasing intake of whole grains and other natural sources of fiber when swaying. Originally, we started off under the assumption that whole grains, due to their higher nutrient content and ability to keep blood sugar higher longer after eating, would sway blue. However, some newer data seems to show that chemicals in whole grains may reduce fertility somewhat and may reduce nutrient absorption as well (in addition to the fiber content). This is one area where I can see both sides of the issue and I admit to being quite honestly unsure as to which direction whole grains sway. Thus, I have to put the ball back into your courts, ladies - if you like whole grains and prefer to eat them instead of taking fiber supps, that is fine. If you prefer to eat empty grains and take fiber instead, that is also fine.
Anyone with PCOS or insulin resistance needs to be eating whole grains, regardless. Empty, white grains - particularly wheat - are not going to be ok for you. We have had some success with dropping wheat all together and using white rice + fiber for people with PCOS, so if you hate whole grains, that’s ok too. Just drop wheat all together, go gluten free, and eat white rice while taking fiber. We do not know which is most successful and you should do what you think you’ll stick to, as the PCOS-type diets can be a bit harder to stick with than the standard LE, due to their more restrictive nature.
Warnings to be aware of:
If you have serious issues with your digestive tract such as Crohns’ Disease, IBS/IBD, diverticulitis, fiber supplements may not be right for you and you should consult your doctor before using them.
If you have shellfish allergies, Chitosan is based on shellfish and you mustn’t use them. Metamucil (psyllium) is also a common allergen that has affected a few people so if you develop hives and can’t figure out where they’re coming from, it may be the fiber.
When you start off with fiber, be sure you’re staying well hydrated. If you get very constipated, stop taking fiber until it clears up. Well meaning people, even doctors, will sometimes tell you to eat more fiber if you are constipated, but that is better left as a preventative measure...adding more fiber once you are already stopped up is going to cause you severe stomach issues. You can use a laxative, a rectal suppository, or in the US, you can drink some Alo Brand Aloe Vera drink - it is great at “rectifying” the situation, so to speak. If ever you are in extreme pain from constipation, you take laxatives or suppositories and they do not work, or you experience water coming from the rear without any further action, you need to seek medical help right away.
If fiber gives you diarrhea, reduce dose or even stop for a few days and ease in more slowly. Sometimes people have started many supps all at once and assumed it was fiber causing stomach upset when it was something else (chief offenders seem to be magnesium, artificial sweetener, and extra folic acid) so if you drop fiber and things don’t get any better, try dropping whatever else it was you started at the same time.
