A question for Harry if possible.... - Bowel Disorders Message Board

Sunlover · 03-12-2006, 03:59 PM

I'm addressing this to Harry since he knows a lot about fiber, etc! I was just wondering why the only time I will be regular and go nice and soft and 100% normal, is if I eat a lot of chocolate candy! If I go off chocolate (say I lose my taste for it for several months, or I give it up for Lent let's say) I get very constipated, I don't go for days and then when I do it's hard "deer" pellets! But about 3 days after I'm back on chocolate I am perfect. Is chocolate a source of fiber?? I know it's high in fat, maybe THAT is what does it?

Harry · 03-12-2006, 10:44 PM

Chocolate candy is not a fiber -- either soluble or insoluble type. It does have alot of oils that cause the gallbladder to secreate bile.

Chocoate candy can and does acts like a trigger food that causes digestive system to secreate digestive juices resulting in diarrhea for some people, loose stools for some and constipation for others. Your system tends to react normal for you to chocolate but that is certainly not true for everyone -- It is not healthy way to have BMs.

The consistency of chocolate may act similar to other foods and even drinks like coffee or steak/hamburger/ red meat--- your gallbladder secreates bile and your digestive system give up the required amount of stuff to digest it. I know a few people that use coffee to have normal BMs and It certainly is not the caffiene.

I will almost bet that you --- that your normal daily diet does not include the necessary intake of 25 to 35 grams of fiber every day for normal BMs and that includes 6 to 8 glasses of water you need daily.

It would be interesting to try drinking a cup of cocoa mixed with water and see what happens -- w/o the sugar or fats??

I would also like to know what a normal days diet is for you?

Also, having deer pellet type BMs means that you are not drinking enough water.

God Bless~~~Harry

Sunlover · 03-13-2006, 04:52 AM

Thanks for the reply

You are right, there is no way I get that much fiber a day because my diet is REALLY BAD - LOTS of fat, lots of carbs, etc. NO fruit... Yea, I guess you are right, I never thought of it like that (that the fats, etc are stimulating the bowel just like coffee - Dunkin Donuts coffee is something else that does it, but that is immediate and causes cramping, whereas the chocolate candy takes a few days and it's a normal urge.) What is good to eat for the 25 grms of fiber? Something Do-able, not like 5 pieces of fruit!

Harry · 03-13-2006, 08:26 AM

Sun,

The best thing to do is become educated about what foods contain fiber.
You can go to the top of this page and do a Google search -- dietary fiber--- on the WEB and there are alot of sites to read or copy about fiber.

I take a water soluble fiber supplement twice daily because I don't eat foods that contain alot of soluble fiber-- not every day. So, the supplement I use now is the Equate brand from Wal Mart-- I mix a heaping rounded teaspoon in a glass of water after breakfast and after supper. It adds about 7 to 8 grams of fiber every day. It's safe to take daily and makes me regular -- my wife take 3 psyllium capsules 2X daily from the Vitamin Shoppe. She eats more fruit than I do. I eat 1 sometime 2 pieces a day.

The Equate brand psyllium is inexpensive, it mixes well, it seem a little courser than Metamucil, That along with the diet I eat makes me regular. I have been doing this for about 23 years.

Alot of people eat bran cereals but I don't drink milk -- not daily. I do eat rice-- daily-- veggies and some form of nuts most days.

You just have to work out a diet that you are comfortable with and that works for you-- I know that you know -- it should not include alot of chocolate candy for normal BMs.

As you get older -- you will find out that a healthy digestive system WILL result in less illnesses , ailments of all kind--- you will be glad that you took the time solve your problem now --- in a few months I will be 73 years old --- so I been there and done that several times over -- having been married over 50 years!

I wish you well~~~Harry

Sunlover · 03-13-2006, 10:50 AM

Thank you so much! I will do that! I took a little health assesment one time with the visiting nurse association at our church and I came out with the highest risk of colon cancer! So I would really like to take care of this - and if you were doing it 23 years, you must have started at age 50... I'm 47 so it sounds it's about time to reverse any problems I could be causing! You're a sweetie!