Fiber or no fiber? Hemorrhoid problems.

[Dissident]

Well, after being fine on a low fiber diet (mostly raw meat, vegetable juices, eggs and a good amount of fruit) my hemorrhoids problems have resurged. After I woke up and drank my usual glass of water today, I've had severe 'deep' pain coming from my rectum/anus that wouldn't go away. There has been blood in my stools for many months also. There wasn't any visible blood in my stools today, but it hurt when trying to get them out and there was a little bit of blood on the toilet paper afterwards.

I decided to do some research on hemorrhoids afterwards and it is conventional knowledge that a low fiber diet is the main cause of hemorrhoids. Where do you guys stand on this topic? Most of you have a very low to no fiber diet right? Has anyone on raw paleo every experienced this problem? I am not completely raw paleo, as I still do eat some sprouted bread here in there and a decent amount of cooked food for social reasons. I also lead a sedentary lifestyle, having a desktop job and being on the computer 12 hours a day often times does not help.

I am definitely going to exercise more, but what I'm wondering is if I should try to get more fiber into my diet? Also, is there no fiber in meat at all?

[goodsamaritan]

Maybe you need to eat more raw fat? Need more hydration?

I try to take absolutely minimal fiber.

http://www.curemanual.com/blog/2008/10/exposing-the-fiber-myth-buy-the-book-fiber-menace/

I used to have constipation and some haemorrhoid problems but I colon cleansed and re-toned my colon with www.barefootherbalistmh.com LBB capsules. 

My observation is that it is hydrating fruit and raw fat that makes me move.

[Dissident]

Yes, Hydratation may be a problem. You see, I've been drinking Distilled water for close to a year now. I put some celtic sea salt in it, and have tried a panoply of different products to add-in but don't find the water to be hydrating no matter what. Also, organic fruit here is very expensive so I can't eat as much as you probably can in Thailand. Also don't have access to young coconuts. Raw fats is another problem. I do eat a decent amount of ground beef (500g a day on average), but don't have access to suet for example. The only organ from a grassfed animal that I have access to is bison or highland liver, but don't quite like the taste of it. How much raw fat should I consume a day? I eat some raw cheese but not on a daily basis... I don't think I have much raw fat in my diet at all, so it could definitely be something to experiment with.

As for colon cleansing, I've had a high quality colon cleansing kit on hand for a while now. I've been scared to fast on apple juice for 3 days though. I've never fasted, and generally feel quite weak when I don't eat for a while. I tend to eat 3 to 4 meals a day. I was also worried that all the good bacteria in my colon would just get flushed out. I decided I'd give it a try though because I've ate quite unhealthy when I was traveling and feel the need to cleanse it thoroughly right now. If it helps my hemorrhoid problems, all the better.

[TylerDurden]

All I can suggest is that you keep experimenting with your diet. For now try cutting out all cheese and cooked foods if possible, well, after the hydration experiment.

Hemorrhoids aren't reported on rawpalaeo despite the lack of fibre. At least I've only come across newbies complaining about having them from SAD diets.

[goodsamaritan]

How about water + lemon + a touch of raw honey + ice cubes as a refreshing hydrating drink?

Cheese is absolutely constipating for me.

You might also want to check on your sitting posture in the toilet.

semi squat or squat is the best.

[jessica]

avoid fiber or the cleanse diet/kit until you are properly hydrated
a lot of times if you eat fiber without the proper amount of water to flush it through the fiber will have to absorb moisture from your body to be digested and will and further your constipation...unless, like goodsamaritain said, its in the form of hydrating fruit, the best is watermellons as they will add a generous amount of fluid and a lower sugar content per cup then any other fruit, also good are cucumbers, and celery(chew it up and spit out the fiber, its a great source of natural minerals)

if you want to do an apple fast make sure its the whole apple(and a lot of water, a little
mineral salt and possibly oil since you do not have a good source of animal fat )not just the juice...the whole apple will be less detrimental to your blood sugar, keeping it more even, also the pectin in the skins is said to aid digestion...

i would suggest less meals per day as well, so your body is not constantly digesting....i have a feeling if you are eating this many meals you are mistaking thirst for hunger!  i often feel "hungry" 1.5-2hrs after my meal of the day, i make hot water and drink a few cups and feel better and also like it aids digestion

also be sure to check the cleanse to make sure it does not contain pysillium or another type of fiber or something like magnesium or senna, these will all dehydrate you further so you will have to be very aware of the need for extra water with mineral content so your electrolytes do not go out of balance, which can cause water retention in addition to constipation

cheese is constipating to almost everyone i know, unless they have intolerance, then it is explosive! 

jogging/jumping jacks can help tone the bowels by stimulating them with movement.  as well as stretching, there are great yoga posses that will help push turds around, you can find these on the internet. 

hydrate!!! hope any of this helps

[William]

Lay off the fruit & veg., and especially, evil bread. All poison
We who do raw zero carb need no fibre.

[klowcarb]

Lay off the fruit & veg., and especially, evil bread. All poison
We who do raw zero carb need no fibre.

Absolutely. I had only one hemmroid in my life, and that was when I was the High Fiber Vegetarian Queen!  Now on ZC I go very regularly, very cleanly and with no issues.

[roony]

avoid fiber or the cleanse diet/kit until you are properly hydrated
a lot of times if you eat fiber without the proper amount of water to flush it through the fiber will have to absorb moisture from your body to be digested and will and further your constipation...unless, like goodsamaritain said, its in the form of hydrating fruit, the best is watermellons as they will add a generous amount of fluid and a lower sugar content per cup then any other fruit, also good are cucumbers, and celery(chew it up and spit out the fiber, its a great source of natural minerals)

if you want to do an apple fast make sure its the whole apple(and a lot of water, a little
mineral salt and possibly oil since you do not have a good source of animal fat )not just the juice...the whole apple will be less detrimental to your blood sugar, keeping it more even, also the pectin in the skins is said to aid digestion...

i would suggest less meals per day as well, so your body is not constantly digesting....i have a feeling if you are eating this many meals you are mistaking thirst for hunger!  i often feel "hungry" 1.5-2hrs after my meal of the day, i make hot water and drink a few cups and feel better and also like it aids digestion

also be sure to check the cleanse to make sure it does not contain pysillium or another type of fiber or something like magnesium or senna, these will all dehydrate you further so you will have to be very aware of the need for extra water with mineral content so your electrolytes do not go out of balance, which can cause water retention in addition to constipation

cheese is constipating to almost everyone i know, unless they have intolerance, then it is explosive! 

jogging/jumping jacks can help tone the bowels by stimulating them with movement.  as well as stretching, there are great yoga posses that will help push turds around, you can find these on the internet. 

hydrate!!! hope any of this helps

kwl post

[Nation]

Absolutely. I had only one hemmroid in my life, and that was when I was the High Fiber Vegetarian Queen!  Now on ZC I go very regularly, very cleanly and with no issues.

Were you regular when you were cooked ZC?  I'm assuming you were cooked ZC since you used to post on ZIOH.

I'm asking because i wasn't regular at all when i was on cooked ZC, i'd go every 3-4 days, longer sometimes. I always wondered if that was normal or not. On raw ZC, i'm more regular.

i was browsing ZIOH last nite and saw that your account was deleted, what happened?

[Dissident]

Very good advice everyone. I will experiment with all of it and try to commit to a 100% raw paleo diet. I have a feeling this is going to help a lot. I have a rebounder also at home but never use it. I'm thinking it would help a lot, so I'll implement that daily.

Also, I eat a lot of sea salt. I put it in my water, on my meat, eat it with eggs, put it in vegetable juice... really eat a lot of it. Salt is dehydrating right? Should I try cutting it out?

[klowcarb]

Were you regular when you were cooked ZC?  I'm assuming you were cooked ZC since you used to post on ZIOH.

I'm asking because i wasn't regular at all when i was on cooked ZC, i'd go every 3-4 days, longer sometimes. I always wondered if that was normal or not. On raw ZC, i'm more regular.

i was browsing ZIOH last nite and saw that your account was deleted, what happened?

I was not as regular on cooked ZC, but my fat percentage was lower, so I attribute that to the lower fat, not the cooked. I am now blogging over at Active Low Carber. I am still ZC and never eat off plan, but I had personality conflicts over my ZC WOE at ZIOH. You can follow me at ALC if you wish. We have a vibrant carnivore community, though I am the only consistently raw ZCer.

[Nation]

I was not as regular on cooked ZC, but my fat percentage was lower, so I attribute that to the lower fat, not the cooked.

Are you 100% sure of that? When i was cooked ZC, i ate alot of medium ground pork which was extremely fatty and i wasn't regular at all. On a slightly less fatty raw ZC diet, i'm more regular. In my case, i'm convinced raw was key.

[klowcarb]

Yes. I've started eating a higher fat percentage which coincided with my going raw.

[raw]

my mom also gets hemorrhoid. after consuming raw meat for less than a week, she completely recovers from the pain. she cuts her all fiber intakes.

[William]

Also, I eat a lot of sea salt. I put it in my water, on my meat, eat it with eggs, put it in vegetable juice... really eat a lot of it. Salt is dehydrating right? Should I try cutting it out?

You will find that your taste for salt gets less as you eat more raw.
I can't stand it anymore on raw, but used to like it. Just eat to taste, don't need to force anything.

[miles]

I thought people die from drinking distilled water..?

[RawZi]

    Distilled water tastes disturbingly flat.  A vegan naturopath friend of mine swore by it.

    Raw cheese firms stools if anything for most people.  Supposedly raw cheese is not really constipating, even though it firms the stool.  It's supposed to be a cure for constipation from what I heard, by sopping up toxins off of the colon walls.

[Dissident]

Well, I didn't eat any fiber at all yesterday, and today when I woke up I had the toughest to pass stool I have ever had. Coincidentally it was the bloodiest I've ever had too. In my vegan days, I used to eat a lot of fiber from fruits and veggies as well as drink a lot of water, and didn't have problems with hemorrhoids. I think the smartest thing would be to re-implement fiber slowly and see how much is needed for me to be able to pass smooth stools that aren't bloody, and keep it to a strict minimum.

[RawZi]

    Who lives in Thailand? 

    Many ground beefs are lean.  Suet isn't the only raw animal fat.  There's grass grazed cultured butter, grass grazed beef marrow, hide or backfat, brain and a few more.  What is highland liver?  I think 80% of your calories should be fat. 

    Cheese is not a fat, unless it is made 100% of butter.  On the primal diet it is recommended to never eat cheese alone.  That you have to eat an equal size portion of fat with it.  Cheese is not considered a food in primal diet.  It is considered a supplement.  It is considered too dry and lacking in moisture to be a food.  Do not eat cheese without fat.

    I know I couldn't handle three cups of apple juice a day, not even one.  If you want to fast from food and heal that way, maybe you could try a green juice and raw egg fast.  I know either one of those foods makes me go to the bathroom and doesn't inflame nor rip anything.  Aajonus also recommends if you want to fast to use those two rather than fruit, water or fruit juices.  In my Living Food LifestyleTM training too, we were taught never to waterfast nor juice fast.  We also never went all fruit for more than a day per week.

 

I can't eat as much as you probably can in Thailand. Also don't have access to young coconuts. Raw fats is another problem. I do eat a decent amount of ground beef (500g a day on average), but don't have access to suet for example. The only organ from a grassfed animal that I have access to is bison or highland liver, but don't quite like the taste of it. How much raw fat should I consume a day? I eat some raw cheese but not on a daily basis... I don't think I have much raw fat in my diet at all, so it could definitely be something to experiment with.

As for colon cleansing, I've had a high quality colon cleansing kit on hand for a while now. I've been scared to fast on apple juice for 3 days though. I've never fasted, and generally feel quite weak when I don't eat for a while. I tend to eat 3 to 4 meals a day. I was also worried that all the good bacteria in my colon would just get flushed out. I decided I'd give it a try though because I've ate quite unhealthy when I was traveling and feel the need to cleanse it thoroughly right now.

[klowcarb]

Well, I didn't eat any fiber at all yesterday, and today when I woke up I had the toughest to pass stool I have ever had. Coincidentally it was the bloodiest I've ever had too. In my vegan days, I used to eat a lot of fiber from fruits and veggies as well as drink a lot of water, and didn't have problems with hemorrhoids. I think the smartest thing would be to re-implement fiber slowly and see how much is needed for me to be able to pass smooth stools that aren't bloody, and keep it to a strict minimum.

You need to give high fat zero carb a chance. You will not be passing big frequent poops like you are used to. But you will never adapt otherwise.

[roony]

You need to give high fat zero carb a chance. You will not be passing big frequent poops like you are used to. But you will never adapt otherwise.

You can use something like kefir or kombuchua to repopulate your intestinal tract rapidly, as a raw meat diet, for some reason needs something to kick start the colonies of bacteria in your colon

[RawZi]

You can use something like kefir or kombuchua to repopulate your intestinal tract rapidly, as a raw meat diet, for some reason needs something to kick start the colonies of bacteria in your colon

    I tried kombucha again after starting raw meat.  The kombucha made me feel all foggy.  I think it gave me an internal yeast infestation too.  Kickstart the bacteria with highmeats, or take an E.M. supplement.

    I think klowcarb may be right.  When you start this diet, you have to go very low carb, otherwise it won't work the same in the colon.  I know one small bit of carb with red meat sets my system off kilter for a little bit.  I've read this happening to other people too.  

    Maybe you should start instincto, not even thinking, just smell things till you find something your nose enjoys, then eat that alone until you are satisfied.  Then maybe your digestion won't be so confused.

    What are you eating now?  I ate a lot of fiber regularly before I started RAF.  I switched directly to 100% RAF (high fat grass grazed).  PRIOR to trying RAF I was constipated for years.  Following a strict RAF diet I have never experienced bowel problems again.    

    Raw grass grazed kefir is good when you need to heal your veg damaged gut.  Were you vegan for long?

    I remember a Rasta girl, strict veg, raw vegan, hadn't pooped in four months, and practically all she ate was super sweet fruit.  She finally had colonics.  It was difficult getting out all those "rocks" from her colon.  They cut her.  Eventually she turned to fish, and it worked much better for her health.

[roony]

Yes, high meats, & E.M would work even better, i wasnt too impressed with e.m couldve been the supplier tho, had no kick or any effect, just tasted like bland brown water

[jessica]

perhaps just give your intestines a rest and drink only water for a day or two.  whole leaf aloe juice is also a good option as it is thick and soothing to the digestive system
after you do this then reintroduce easier to digest things such as eggs, fat, liver, fish...with plenty of water...if you are eating too much salt it will definitely pull moisture from your body, try to find a better balance

kombucha is pretty wicked stuff, i am pretty sure it starts to live inside your body somewhat detrimentally and dont recommend it, it is a "symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast" which is why its apt to flair up yeast infections or something similar

i have used em from emamerica.com...for farming and eating purposes...i think the best way to insure you are getting the proper microorganisms from these substances is to referment them...you can do this by creating bokashi(pretty sure the process is googleable) and them making a tea from those(not hot tea just adding water so you dont have to ingest the plant matter), the same process can be used for soil building