RE: supplemental fiber - GREAT DR SEARS info on constipation

[Guest guest]

We use the unflavored benefiber mixed into my daughter’s

milk twice a day and then we use one pedia-lax fiber gummy per day, she is 2 ½. 

She drinks 3 8oz milks per day, and 2 4 oz juices.  I always give the benefiber

in her milk b/c I know she’ll drink the full 8 oz, and I always give the

fiber gummy right before a milk or a juice I know she loves and will drink

right down, because, it’s true you don’t want to increase fiber

without also increasing fluids.

Here is some great info from Dr. Sears in general:

The following is Dr. Sears' ten-step plan for treating constipation:

Drink to go. Not drinking enough fluids is also a

subtle contributor to problems with constipation, especially in the very

young and very old. The colon is your body's fluid regulator. If you're

not drinking enough, your colon steals water from the waste material and

gives it to the body, causing the stools to be water deprived or hard.

People eating high-fiber diets actually increase their risk of

constipation if they don't drink extra water along with fiber-rich foods,

since fiber needs water to do its intestinal sweeping job. More fluids in

your diet put more fluids in your bowels, lessening constipation.

Add more fiber foods to child's diet. Fiber softens

the stools by drawing water into them, making them bulkier and easier to

pass. Fiber foods for older babies are bran cereals, graham crackers,

whole-grain breads and crackers, and high-fiber vegetables such as peas,

broccoli, and beans. (For a fiber-rich diet, see fiber foods.)

Get moving. Exercise improves digestion and speeds

the passage of food through the intestines. A moving body gets the bowels

moving, too.

Ease the passage of stools. Your infant may need a

little outside help with a well-timed suppository. As they are going

through a phase of learning how to have a bowel movement, many babies in

their early months grunt and draw up their legs to push out a stool. But

the straining baby may appreciate a little outside help with a well-timed,

well-placed glycerin suppository. Available without prescription at your

pharmacy, these look like tiny rocket ships. If your baby is straining,

insert one as far into the rectum as you can and hold baby's buttocks

together for a few minutes to dissolve the glycerin. These are especially

helpful to lubricate the rectum if baby has a rectal tear or bleeding .

Don't use for more than a few days without your doctor's advice.

Wiggle it out. As soon as you insert the glycerin

suppository, wiggle it a bit, which stimulates the tense rectal muscles to

relax and eases the passage of the hard stools.

Insert liquid glycerin. Liquid glycerin (Babylax)

may be gently inserted by dropping it into baby's rectum, which often

stimulates a bowel movement.

Use natural laxatives. When using a laxative, try

the most natural first. Begin with diluted prune juice (with pulp), a

tablespoon or two for the six- month-old and as much as eight ounces for

the toddler. Try strained prunes or make a prune puree (stew your own or

buy commercial), either straight or disguised (mixed with a favorite

food), or spread it on a high-fiber cracker. Apricots and the four P's

– prunes, pears, plums, and peaches – usually exert a laxative

effect. If these seem insufficient, here are other ideas to try:

Psyllium husks (basically, very fine flakes of

psyllium bran, available at nutrition stores) are a natural-fiber stool

softener. This bland laxative is served sprinkled on cereal or combined

with a fruit-and-yogurt mixture.

Dosage of psyllium:

Adults: Begin with one teaspoon and increase to one tablespoon once a day as

needed.

Toddlers and children: Begin with one teaspoon a day and increase to two

teaspoons a day as needed.

Be sure to take psyllium with an eight-ounce glass of water.

For this concentrated fiber to work the intestines need lots of fluid;

otherwise, psyllium can " gum up " in the intestines and actually

increase the constipation. You can also mix psyllium powder in a smoothie.

Psyllium is also available over-the-counter as Metamucil.

Nonprescription laxatives, such as Malt-supex (a

malt-barley extract) or Metamucil (psyllium powder), may soften your

child's stools.

Flax oil is a favorite. A healthy alternative to

mineral oil is flax oil, which not only has laxative properties, but is a

valuable source of omega 3 fats as well. (Although you may hear that

mineral oil is a good oil to relieve constipation, because it is a

mixture of hydrocarbons dried from petroleum products, I have never been

convinced of its safety. And, unlike flax oil, it certainly has no

nutritional benefits.) Unlike mineral oil, which slides through the

intestines, possibly taking vitamins with it, flax oil is a nutrient that

facilitates absorption of the vitamins.

Dosage of flax oil:

Infants: one teaspoon a day

Toddlers: two teaspoons a day

Children and adults: one tablespoon a day

Flax seed meal (ground flax seeds) is an even a

better laxative than flax oil since it contains fiber. They look similar

to finely ground bran flakes and mix well with soupy cereal, or even

better, added to a high-fiber smoothie .

Dosage of flax seed meal:

Toddlers: one tablespoon a day

Older children and adults: two tablespoons a day

Stool-Ade - Make a smoothie. See Dr. Sears' School-Ade recipe

which also doubles as Stool-Ade. An easy way to get lots of fiber and

laxative foods into your child is by making a stool-softening smoothie

Over-the-counter suppositories. Besides glycerin

suppositories, try glycerin suppositories that also include a laxative

ingredient. These may be used periodically if the constipation is severe

and resistant to the above simpler measures.

Use an enema as a last resort. Baby Fleet may be

tried if your toddler is miserably constipated and nothing else is

working. It is available without prescription, and directions are on the

package insert.

Stool aide-

SCHOOL-ADE: A BREAKFAST-ON-THE-RUN

SMOOTHIE

Here is a Sears family recipe for a smoothie we give our

children and ourselves for a quick and nutritious breakfast as they are

hurrying off to school and we are rushing off to work.

3 cups milk or soy beverage

11/2 cups plain nonfat yogurt

1-2 servings Juice Plus+® Complete or similar

multinutrient supplement

one frozen banana

1 cup frozen blueberries

1/2 cup each of your favorite fruit, frozen (e.g., organic

strawberries, papaya, mango)

2 tbsp. flax oil or 1/2 cup flaxseed meal

4 ounces tofu

2 tbsp. peanut butter (optional)

Combine all the ingredients and blend until smooth. Serve

immediately after blending while the mixture still has a bubbly milkshake-like

consistency.

We formulated this recipe based on the principle of

" synergy. " The nutrients consumed together enhance each other's

benefits, so the whole nutritional effect is greater than the sum of its parts.

I have prescribed this recipe for several hundred school-children and their

parents, and we drink it ourselves four to five mornings a week. It's a

powerful performance booster for working parents and school-children.

Because fiber steadies the absorption of carbohydrates and

therefore contributes to a steadier blood sugar, we suggest using rich sources

of fiber, such as flaxseed meal (i.e. ground flax seeds, containing both the

oil and fiber), although flax oil has a more palatable consistency than

flaxseed meal. For additional fiber, if you don't mind a grainier texture, add

1 tbsp. or more of oat bran.

SCHOOL-ADE QUICK

2 cups of milk or soy or rice beverage, or 1 cup milk and

1 cup yogurt

1 serving Juice Plus+® Complete

2 tsp. flax oil

1 small frozen banana, cut up

1/2 cup each of your favorite fruit, frozen (e.g.,

blueberries strawberries, papaya)

2 ice cubes if fruit is not frozen or if you want a

lighter taste

Makes one 20-ounce serving. (approximately 550 calories).

From: miralax

[mailto:miralax ] On Behalf Of goodfountain@...

Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2010 1:41 PM

To: miralax

Subject: supplemental fiber

After doing some calculations on the foods my dd typically eats in a day, I

don't think she's getting enough fiber. And since her issue is around frequency

of movement, not difficulty in going, increasing her dietary fiber seems like a

good step.

I will do my best to get it in through food she eats, but I think I'd still

like to supplement with some fiber for awhile to see if it helps. Something

along the lines of Benefiber, but it has to be gluten free.

Any suggestions?

Also, I have read 2 different numbers on reco'd daily intake of fiber. One is

add +5 to the age of the child (she's 5, so 5+5 would be 10g dietary fiber per

day). Elsewhere I read 25 grams is the reco'd daily intake. That's a big

difference!

Does anyone have any knowledge?

Thanks!