Everybody and their brother recommends eating a high fiber diet. And it's good advice. Fiber naturally regulates the motility of the gut. If the bowel is moving slowly, and you are constipated, fiber will increase the "flow of traffic." (Tim is writing this with me.) If, on the other hand, you have diarrhea, fiber will natuarally slow things down.
When starting OPTIFAST, our patients have noticed a range of bowel activity. But many have told us that taking a fiber supplement has been helpful in keeping things more normal!
While resources vary, many experts recommend 20-35 grams of fiber a day. Each OPTIFAST bar contains 4 grams of fiber. Knowing that you can use 2 bars per day, you need 12 more grams of fiber each day to get to the minimum requirement.
Benefiber is a 100% natural soluble dietary fiber that is taste-free and grit free. You can mix it with water, OPTIFAST soups and shakes; each serving contains 3 grams of fiber. So 4 servings a day of Benefiber will provide the 12 additional grams of fiber you need each day to make the minimum of 20 grams/day. You can purchase Benefiber in cannisters or individual packets at our clinic, and you can find it in many stores.
If you'd prefer, there are many other fiber supplements on the market: Metamucil, Citrucel, Fibercon, etc. Just make sure they are sugar free.
When transitioning to regular food, we encourage that you select foods that contain natural fiber - not only for your bowel regularity, but for its other health benefits as well (cholesterol lowering and reduction of diverticular disease, for example).
We're all in this together, and doing well!
Linda Gromko, MD
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I find that 3-4 Benefiber servings each day works well for me. But I encourage you to experiement and learn what is best for your own body.
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