During the HCG Diet, your body responds to losing weight in different ways. One of these ways might be with some not so welcome troubles in the bathroom. Constipation can be a common frustration for HCG Dieters, and it’s usually due to the dramatic change in their diets. While you can try Smooth Move tea to help get things moving, one of the best things you can do is to focus on eating more fiber on the HCG Diet.
Breaking Down Fiber on the HCG Diet
Fiber is something the body needs, and most plant-based foods contain a mixture of soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber turns to gel in the stomach and slows digestion, which helps to lower cholesterol and blood glucose. Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, remains unchanged all the way to the colon, making waste heavier and softer so it can move through the intestines more easily, making you more regular and not constipated.
Not getting your daily dose of fiber leads to constipation, which makes going to the bathroom painful and uncomfortable. Eating too little fiber can make it tough to control blood sugar and appetite because fiber regulates the speed of digestion and contributes to feeling full from your meals. Just do not over do it, too much of a good thing can still have consequences. Over consuming fiber can move food through the intestines too quickly, which means fewer minerals get absorbed from food. It can also result in gas, bloating, and cramping, especially when fiber intake is dramatically increased overnight.
So what’s the best amount for you? The Institute of Medicine recommends that men under 50 eat about 38 grams of fiber each day and women consume 25 grams. Adults over 50 require less fiber (30 grams for dudes and 21 grams for ladies) due to decreased food consumption. To help you understand how much that would be, a young man is supposed to eat the same amount of fiber found in 15 slices of whole-wheat bread per day. A good way to find the amount of fiber in foods is to read the ingredient labels or look up the nutrition label for an item online. Many people think that getting fiber on the HCG Diet isn’t possible because you aren’t eating whole grains, however, whole grains are not the only source of fiber around. There are plenty of fiber-rich foods that you can have on Phase 2 of the diet protocol.
There are a few vegetables on the HCG Diet protocol that contain whopping amounts of fiber. For instance 2 cups of Swiss chard and two cups of celery contain 16 grams! Broccoli contains 9 grams for 2 cups, and spinach and asparagus contain 7 grams. While you may be tempted to eat cucumber and tomato, we recommend sticking with fiber rich veggies if you’re having bathroom troubles on the HCG Diet.
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