Atkins and Intestinal Problems

One complaint often heard from those who use the Atkins diet is the intestinal problems that may be associated with reducing carbohydrates.

These problems can include constipation or its opposite, diarrhoea. These symptoms can happen to anybody at some point, but those who follow a low-carb diet may be especially prone.

Dieters may commonaly experience diarrhoea during the early days of induction. This is a result of the body getting rid of excess carbohydrates. It also marks the beginning of the ketosis process. So in actuality, experiencing diarrhoea at the beginning of the diet is a good thing. It indicates that you are on the road to becoming a fat burning machine.

Constipation is a side effect of the lack of fibre in the low carb diet. Whole grains, legumes and fruit are the normal sources of dietary fibre and they are all restricted on the Atkins diet’s initial phases.

However, don't be scared off from the low-carb way of life because of these issues. There are simple solutions that can prevent and help with these symptoms and allow you to continue with staying on the diet plan.

The first tip is to make sure to include the proper amount of low-carb vegetables in your daily diet. In the induction phase, you can eat up to 20 grams of carbohydrates per day. This is roughly equal to 3 cups of salad vegetables.

Some people are tempted to use their carbohydrate grams on cheese or artificially sweetened soft drinks.

Don't!

Eating healthy and acceptable vegetables is a vital part of maintaining good intestinal health while following the Atkins plan. It's also important to drink sufficient water every day. The usual advice is to drink a minimum of about 2 litres of water per day, but your needs may be different and there is no one-size fits all solution to how much water you need. Just be aware that you need to drink water and let your body be your guide.

And don't forget to get some exercise. That plus drinking water can help with intestinal programs.

If you are experiencing constipation then there are many methods for relief. When you switch from a diet full of processed and refined sugar products your body will need some time to adjust to this new way of eating. You’ll need to make sure to increase your fibre intake. You could also try a fibre supplement - you'll find a range of products at places like Boots and Lloyds.

Make sure you are eating enough healthy fats and oils, too. Constipation can be a result of too little fat in your diet. Adding a tablespoon of olive oil or flax oil to salads or other vegetables can help your intestinal health.

Also, try to incorporate a variety of vegetables in your salad. Pale iceberg lettuce does not have much fibre in it. Try dark green lettuces or have a serving of dark green steamed veggies (broccoli, asparagus or spinach are good choices).

If these tips don’t work, try cutting out all salt from your diet for a couple of days. This includes pickles, mustard, diet pop, ham, bacon and bottled salad dressing. This will decrease your fluid retention and can sometimes helps with bowel movements.

Diarrhoea should not be a problem after the first week of the Induction plan. However, on rare occasion, it does persist longer. First, analyse your diet. If you are eating low carb protein bars or other sugar free products, eliminate them. They may contain sweeteners like glycerine, or sorbitol which have been known to cause diarrhoea.

If you are not used to eating raw vegetables everyday, this may be a cause of diarrhoea initially. Understand that your body will adjust to the vegetables and the intestinal side effects won’t last forever. Make sure you are chewing your raw vegetables thoroughly. Also, using lightly steamed vegetables rather than raw can be a solution to this problem.

Intestinal problems are common during the first portion of the Atkins diet. Keep in mind, however, that these problems should go away fairly quickly within the first few days of the new way of eating. If the problems persist, try the previously mentioned tips to get relief, but don't be afraid to check with your doctor to make sure it's nothing more serious.