Constipation and Fiber

Let’s face it — we all have from time to time. We just have to figure out what to do with it.  Constipation is a problem and it’s a growing problem in the United States. With our diets changing from sit-down meals to fast foods and now into more natural foods we tend to cause our own problems.  But there is hope for all of us.  Your body is pretty amazing. It will adapt and change so that it will function. 
Answer these questions:

• Are you eating red meat more than twice a week?
• Do you drink at least 16 ounces of water a day?
• Are you getting your 25-30 grams of fiber each day?

If your answers were no, let’s start changing it a little each day.  Cut down on the red meat, and if you are having it more than twice a week, reduce the portions by half.  Drink a glass of water before each meal.  Six to eight ounces would be a good start. If you don’t know how much fiber you get daily, try keeping track in our Fiber Intake Worksheet. Finally, you should consider adding a fiber supplement to your diet.  It will boost the fiber intake quicker and you can get to your goal. 

Constipation can be managed but you have to be willing to take the first step.

Want to read more? Check out http://www.medicinenet.com/fiber/page5.htm

 Have a great weekend.

 The fiber guy

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Tell a friend - CFO - Loch Ness

This will be a short one today.  It’s spotty rain here on the Eastern Shore of Maryland but then again some rain is always needed.  I have been thinking about what to say and I realized I forgot to tell everyone that we have added a new feature to our blog.  You are now able to send any fiber guy bulletin to a friend and hopefully help me spread the word.  Just look at the bottom of the of each posting for the “Email this post to a friend” link.  I have to thank Sanjida at Netty Gritty blog for helping me out with this feature. (And don’t worry - by using ’send to a friend,’ we don’t capture your email address. You won’t get any spam afterward.)

I also want to keep you up to date on the CFO and his bout of diverticulitis.  He is doing fine but, as he said, he has had to make some changes.  Next week I will post what he is doing with his diet to control his diverticular flare-ups. The only real change I see, is his taking Konsyl every day.  Konsyl is the only all-natural product manufactured with maximum psyllium.  Don’t let that scare you.  People have found out that by starting off slow with a reduced dose they can adjust the dosing to their needs.  Remember take it with juice and “Shake don’t stir.”

Switching topics… Have you seen Waterhorse? Could be a childrens’ movie but sometime I like a movie that I can just enjoy.  Oh course, at the beginning I was thinking my wife was a little off for renting it.  Anyway, I found it interesting because I had the opportunity to visit Scotland a few years ago.  There IS a Loch Ness Monster and below is the picture to prove it.  It is the one in the middle.

I will finish this tomorrow.

 

 

The fiber guy.

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Fiber and YOU

I just got an update from our CFO.  If you did not read about him last week, let’s just say he is dealing with a situation.  Anyway, after a couple of days on a clear diet he is back in good shape.  He has modified his eating habits and is taking Konsyl every day.  Amazingly, he has lost 5 pounds so this recent bout has changed his life. 

In our office, I just spotted a package of “Oreo Originals.”  Funny, because they are not the chocolate outside.  It seems that Original does not mean Original because these are Golden (same color as butter cookies).  It may be good but it is not the same.  Oh well, time marches on.

For the most part, you have come to our site because you are either trying to find a product that will add fiber to your diet or there is a condition you are managing or would like to manage using Konsyl fiber.  This is what most of our visitors say.  I hope you find your answer because if you are looking for adding fiber into your life “Nothing works better than KONSYL.”  It is just pure and simple the way Nature intended it to be.  It has no fillers, sugars, or dyes.  But for that reason, you have to know how to mix it.  Try shaking it in our shaker cup with your favorite juice.   Remember, one dose of Konsyl is 6 grams of fiber and all the other products which contain psyllium have only 3.5g per dose.   As some of our consumers say, “I take fiber because it works for me.”    These are things you like to hear.

As for cleansing one’s system, have you looked at the active ingredients in these detox products?  It’s mostly psyllium — and a whole bunch of other stuff.  They say it’s not a chemical stimulant laxative but read the label.  There are many natural stimulant ingredients which do the same thing. 

It’s your choice — you decide. But remember: For the past 75 years, Konsyl Original has been used by doctors for the management of constipation, hemorrhoids, diverticulitis, IBS and non-specific diarrhea.   If it has been trusted for that long, why not consider the benefits.  And why cleanse your system when you can take care of it daily? If you change your eating patterns, exercise, drink lots of fluids and take Konsyl, your engine will work fine. 

Those are my thoughts. What are yours?

 The fiber guy

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Fiber- a real treasure

Last night was the first time we celebrated Cinco de Mayo with a little party.  I was quite surprised by the number of people who had no idea of the history.  Some were quite informed about the history which led to this battle and its later outcome.  But there is more to the story.

In 1862, the United States was in the middle of a civil war.  The South was in the need of a strong exterior ally (France). If this partnership would have worked,it could have split the United States in half and therefore reduced its opportunity for expansion.  Prior to this, the United States saw this dangerous potential, so it defeated Mexico which leveled the Mexican Treasury and led to a financial disaster.  When  Mexico suspended payments to France, it changed France’s attention from aiding the South.  President Lincoln knew if Mexico could keep the army of France occupied, it might give the North time to defeat the South.  

There you have it.  A bit of history for free.

I have been looking at the visitors coming to our site and most of you are here because of a specific condition, such as constipation, IBS and diverticulitis.  I also listen every morning to a radio show which talks about cleansing your body.  People are looking for help when making a major decision in their life.  Over the next couple of days I will try to explain what Konsyl is all about and why I believe, if we provide you with some good information about fiber and our product, you can make the right choice.   So let’s start tomorrow.

 Have a good day,

The fiber guy 

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Cinco de Mayo

Well I really enjoyed Chicago  last week.  You can call it a big small city or a small big city.  Any way you say it, the people are nice and friendly and the shoreline is beautiful.  The reason I was in Chicago was to attend a physicians’ meeting.  I got up early on Saturday and walked around the downtown area. I was surprised about the lack of foliage.  It’s been cold up there so spring will take a while. 

I again have to apologize for putting off the fiber article but I will write something tomorrow.  I keep hearing about colon cleansing and laxatives.  It makes me crazy that these infommercals say all these things!  Anyway, tomorrow my opinion.

Cinco de Mayo is not the running of the bulls.  It is not that on the Titanic there were three special jars of mayonnaise which became famous when the ship went down — Sinka de Mayo.  You have to wonder about the people sending me this information. 

But Cinco de Mayo and the battle of Puebla is very interesting.  It was actually against the French.  How did they get there?  It seems that Mexico owed money to England, Spain and France.  When all three came to collect to was going to get ugly.  It seems that Spain and England reached an agreement and so the only one left to fight was France.  The French had a far superior army and so they went into battle.  The ending is clear because the Mexicans troops stood their ground, even though many were agricultural workers and the French were defeated.

A great victory for Mexico – but there is more to this story. 

I will finish it tomorrow.  Be careful at the party tonight.

The fiber guy

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The CFO comments

Today I thought I was going to talk about fiber and the different kinds but I see my CFO wants to get into this blogging thing. His response to yesterday’s post is pretty good so lend an ear. I will get back to you on fiber next week. I am off to Chicago to another medical meeting so have a good weekend.

The fiber guy

My CFO writes:

 

Thank you for the mention in your blog and for tying my woes in with a DUCK!! It is embarrassing to call in to the Fiber Guy and say, “I’m not coming into work today; I have diverticulitis.” I think the exact words from his lips were, “You have what!!??” I guess as a 30-something (yes, I do remember that show from the late 80’s) I felt I was immune to the more serious conditions. When I take my Konsyl each morning, my gastro issues seem to stay in check. Lately I have been focusing on other things than my health and it caught up with me.Well, I’m on a nearly regular diet (sorry chicken broth and jello) and two days back on my Konsyl. My flavor is Original Konsyl with orange juice. I am feeling better and ready to tackle this thing on a daily basis. I will have my colonoscopy after the antibiotics are done and will keep you posted on my progress (sorry, no Katie Couric Live Colonoscopy event!).I welcome any other 20, 30 or 40-somethings to share their story and how you have battled or tamed the big D. It’s definitely not an age-specific condition.

CFO

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The CFO and a Duck

Today I had a couple of morning appointments with local doctors. Konsyl is investigating some different products and it’s always good to bounce your ideas off someone in the field of medicine. While I was in one office, I saw a sheet on Diverticulosis. It read that 50% of all people over the age of 50 have this disease. I already know that there are about 100 million people in the U.S. over the age of 50, so that means there are 50,000,000 with this condition. That is incredible!!!!!!!!! Now, not all people with Diverticulosis will get Diverticulitis, which is the inflammation of the pockets and pouches of the intestines.

Why bring this up???

It seems that our CFO — who is in his 30’s, in good health — had a bout of diverticulitis. He was unaware of having this condition and so for three days he has been on a clear diet and then is supposed to start adding fiber to his diet. He has a great job, since he is now familiar with a product like Konsyl and I can get updates on his progress. You never know what can happen in life so its imperative to pay attention to your body.

Oh yeah, the duck. I do not know how it came up, but in a conversation one of the Konsyl team came out with “If the ocean was whiskey and I was a duck I would swim to the bottom and never come up.” What is the name of the song???

Tomorrow— What is with all the fibers???

The fiber guy

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The perfect day

Have you ever had a feeling in the morning when you woke up and you knew something was going to be different?  Well it happened to me last Sunday.   

Sunday started like any other Sunday.  My wife let me slept in and I woke up at 7:30 A.M.  It was not a bright and sunny day but it wasn’t raining so after reading the paper and saying good morning to Abbey (our Lab), I decided to go for a run.  I have been running for over 30 years but lately I have stopped because my knee has been sore. 

Anyway, on the way out the door I said to my lovely wife, ”No running today; I will ride my bike.”  It was  kind of a chilly day but riding was enjoyable and I was only gone for about 45 minutes.  As I always say, ”running or riding lets you look at the world a different way.”  It does not have to make sense, just accept it.  

Perfect moment number 1

My plan was to work outside and help my wife hang a few things in our bathroom. We just finished upgrading and painting it (you might remember our little hole-in-the-ceiling mishap).  Right before I started sweeping sand into our brick walkway, I was summoned to the bathroom.  “We need to hang this shadow box on the wall”  were the first instructions.  I looked at my wife and said, “You know, in 32 years of marriage, we have never been able hang anything without a fight.”  I just wanted to get that out of the way so we could move on. Well, we measured, and measured and measured and at one point we got real close to that argument stage. But after all was said and done, we did it.  The box was perfectly centered on the wall and level.  

Perfect moment number 2

After lunch I went back outside and finished up with the walkway. Then I decided to clean the car and garage.  I won’t bore you but when my wife came out, she stated the garage was perfect!!!!

Perfect moment number 3 

Things had been going so well that I decided to tempt the gods and run out to the golf course to play 9 holes of gold.  You have to understand that about 5 years ago I had a 5 handicap and loved the game. Then I became a David Duvall (he was a golfer who forgot how to play golf) and for some reason I now shoot about 105.  I enjoy the game a lot but I just finished my second shoulder surgery and I thought “why not?” Out to our local public course which has its executive course, I teed it up and my first swing went down the middle.  I do not normally end up there, so I put another one down and smacked it right next to the other ball.  I  picked up the bags started walking the course.  Fast forward - This is a par 32 course and I shot a 33 and missed 3 birdies.  A minor miracle.

Perfect moment number 4

The rest of the day was uneventful except my younger son Braden called. He wanted to let us know he was on the road coming back from his girlfriend’s house in New Jersey and just called to say everything was fine.  It made my wife very pleased he called.  Normally you hear when there is a problem.

Perfect moment number 5

Hope you enjoyed my day of small, but perfectly wonderful moments.  You know they don’t happen every day!

Tomorrow’s topic will be either: Why is my CFO off work? OR What is a duck doing in an ocean of whiskey?

 The fiber guy

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Oxford Day

Ever had one of those weeks?? Well, it is working out to be a month, so welcome to my world.

Last week, I was off to New York for a meeting at corporate offices.  Wednesday, I had to leave and take care of some business in Baltimore and Thursday was the catch-up day.  Just seems like it goes way too fast.  Anyway, Saturday was a great day because it was Oxford Day.  I live in Easton, a small town on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Just 9 miles away from us is a old seafaring town named Oxford.  I have never been involved or attended Oxford Day, but this year I was asked to be a traffic control person for the 5K walk.  I learned that it benefits breast cancer prevention – and not only is there a walk but a 10K run, 5K run, and a dog walk.   So I got up early and made my way to Oxford only to see my son Ron who is running in the 10K with his girlfriend.  Before I left the house my wife said ”see you there” only to find out she was walking in the dog walk with Abbey (our Yellow Lab).  

I was quite impressed with all the events in the town and the cooperation of all the people.  They had food available in many locations of the town along with a lot of different events.  They even had a parade!!!!!!!   

Just goes to show what happens when a group of people get together for a good cause.  Never been or heard of Oxford, Maryland?  Look it up on the web.  You will be surprised.

Tomorrow you’ll hear about my perfect Sunday.

 The fiber guy  

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Earth Day - Reducing and Reusing

It’s Earth Day!  Oh, hi, it’s me again, guest-blogger, Heather. I’m filling in while Mr. Flohr is away on business. For tree-hugger types like me, Earth Day is becoming like the new Christmas. 

 This Earth Day has not been as eventful as last year when my husband and I helped to build a strawbale house. The walls are straw bales (frame is timber & roof is whatever you like) which are then covered with an adobe-like mud. The walls provide excellent insulation. And if you think they aren’t sturdy, think about the cob cottages that still stand in England dating back to Shakespeare’s day.

This year I’m just concentrating on reducing and reusing. As you may recall, I’m expecting and I’m trying to furnish most baby necessities from gently used sources. I’ve collected a used stroller and pack & play. Still looking for a crib. (They go so fast at the thrift stores!) I even found some organic cotton onesies at the secondhand shop. But I also figured that maybe used clothing would have most of the pesticide residues already washed out. (And anyway, organic cotton is not as much about the poison in the clothing as it is about the poisons they use to grow the crops - which is literally tons.)

I ran across this great British website with ideas for reusing all kinds of stuff. http://www.recyclethis.co.uk/  I found a smart idea for a bagful of plastic shower curtain rings I found while cleaning out the bathroom this weekend. One person suggests using them to hold growing plants I onto the wire fence or cage that they are growing next to.  They will probably be more gentle on my peas and tomato than wire or twine.

Do you recycle your Konsyl canisters?  They are #2 HDPE plastic. That type is accepted by most recycling centers and curbside pickup. (And many things are #2 plastic, so look around the house. You can probably recycle your ketchup bottles, peanut butter jars and shampoo bottles.)

Or maybe re-use them! The screw cap is has a pretty nice, tight fit. Maybe you could use in the pantry to keep bugs out of your flour and sugar. Just make sure you somehow relabel them!!

Other ideas for repurposing your Konsyl container? Let’s chat about it in the comments.

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