Is fiber your friend or foe?Constipation really is complicated, and there is no one fix cures all or an overnight magic formula. This weeks blog we are going talk about fiber…… is fiber your friend or foe when your bowels are not moving? You’ve probably heard it before that if you are constipated, but you should increase your fiber to get things moving . Yes, this can be the case for many people, but if your bowels are not emptying for other reasons, such as severe dry bowel/constipation, high levels of unmanaged stress, pelvic floor dysfunction, Small intestines bacteria overgrowth or perhaps disordered eating habits.If you are not emptying your bowel, and you are packing it with fiber, fiber can become the enemy. This is because the fiber that is not moving through the bowel converts into methane gas and methane gas slows down your bowel motility. This can make your constipation worse, which is so frustrating as all you hear is fiber will make your bowels move.What we need to do is get your bowels moving first and then use a diverse range of fiber (think the rainbow when eating) and water to keep the bowels moving. If your constipation is from the above conditions you need to address that but using an aids such a magnesium citrate at night (use slightly higher dose then recommended), at home enema kit or a course of colonic treatments can be really beneficial.When your bowels are moving more fiber is your best friend, and all the research is showing a wide range of diverse fiber in the diet is absolutely key for gut health and optimal overall health. I would highly recommend this book if you’d like to learn more about the impact of fiber on our health.Remember the importance of the brain gut connection and if you are not working on your stress levels your bowels may not feel safe to open. By Simply focusing on slowing down, doing some breathing exercises, or perhaps a guided meditation each morning can also help to keep your bowels happy.