A couple of years ago, one of my doctors recommended that I take a daily fiber supplement and recommended Citrucel or Metamucil powder supplement. Going daily on Sugar-Free Citrucel powder, I was happy that it resolved most constipation issues, the internal plumbing was working great, and the orange-flavored powder tasted good; my only complaint was that I had to take several extra units of insulin each day to mitigate the otherwise rise in BG. I started on the 16.9 oz container and promptly graduated to the 32 oz container as, for some odd reason, they were almost the same price.
Fast-forward a couple of years, and Sugar Free Citrucel powder was going in and out of stock due to a shortage of Methylcellulose. Finally, it became unavailable in the 32-oz container and ridiculously expensive for the odd 16.9-oz container that could be found.
My stop-gap solution was to go to a similar product, Major Fiber Therapy, put out by Major Pharmaceuticals in 16-oz containers. This worked pretty much as well as Citrucel. However, it was not a Sugar-Free Powder, so it required even more insulin to keep my BG under control. The price was just slightly higher than Citrucel.
I found a sugar-free, low-carb powder at Target called Psyllium Fiber Supplement made by Up & Up, which I am testing now. The more I look, the more branded and private labeled Fiber Supplements I see available. Before spending the next year or two testing these all one by one to find the one that has the lowest effect on rising blood sugar, takes care of internal plumbing issues, and is available at a reasonable cost, I am asking for any recommendations from my fellow diabetics here. I am not the only one taking a Fiber Supplement here. Let’s share information. Please also let us know if you take your daily dose with water or include the fiber mixed into your food. I take mine each morning with two eight oz. glasses of soda water. – Thank you.
Since my intestines were insulted by my recent surgery I have be using NOW psyllium husk fiber unsweetened. I take it around 3PM in 12oz of water and another 4-6oz water afterwards. So far no effect on BG or insulin usage. The orange is more pleasant but I can not tolerate aspartame. It affects nerves in my legs. I’ve never heard anyone else with this issue, but I tend to be unique.
At any health food store they have plain psyllium husk powder you can mix with whatever you want. It comes in 12 oz containers and one company used to make a 32oz size. Health Plus makes a couple of flavored ones sweetened with stevia. Other companies might by now. Yerba Prima, Now, Solaray, Source Naturals all make pure psyllium husk powders. We used to have Health Plus and Solaray on deals all the time.
But if you get the plain, you can add it with what ever flavor pleases you at the moment. You could even use SweetLeaf Stevia drops in water for a fruit punch or chocolate flavor in water etc.
There appear to be two types of these drops. Some come in a 4oz bottle, while others in a 1.7oz bottle. I can’t tell the difference. Is it just size and flavors, or does one size have a particular advantage?
I love the Sweetleaf drops. The smaller size has slightly different ingredients and the flavors used to come in small variety trial sizes. I don’t remember them tasting different but it’s been a long time since I used them. I get the 2 oz bottles which have 288 servings of 5 drops. About 5 drops per 8 oz, or 7 per 8 oz of something in like soy milk to make chocolate milk. The 1.7 oz look like there aren’t as many servings per each one, 50?. The glass ones last way past their expiration date, I know because I have some odder flavors I use rarely like watermelon. But they have 18 flavors and do bring out new/temp ones off and on.
OK, I have been on the NOW psyllium husk fiber unsweetened for several weeks, and it does the job without affecting BG. My issue is that I have not found any way to make it taste less than disgusting. I have been using it with carbonated water and tried it with several flavors of Sweetleaf Stevia drops. Any ideas on how to make this more palatable?
Possible solution found. I have been mixing the fiber supplement into Califa coconut and almondmilk blend and it now tastes OK, not great but OK. No sugar or aspartame, however, it is a little more challenging to mix the fiber without lumps into the Califa vs water.
