4 of The Week's Nutrition Questions, Answered
Including: Alternatives to Metamucil, the lowdown on acai bowls, allergen-free protein bars, and the labs your doctor should really order every year.
When I can’t think of anything to write about, I find it easiest to look through recent questions I’ve received for inspiration. After all, if someone else is looking for guidance on how to meet their daily protein needs; navigate food guilt; and advocate for themself at the doctor’s office, chances are you may be as well.
Below, a mixed bag of questions I received from clients, friends, and followers this week, along with my answers to each.
01: What are your thoughts on Metamucil?
My answer: Metamucil contains psyllium husk, a soluble fiber that helps promote regular bowel movements and also lowers LDL cholesterol levels. While I’m a mega fan of psyllium husk, I don’t love Metamucil’s products.
In addition to psyllium husk, Metamucil’s original product contains 16 grams of added sugar in just 2 tablespoons. (For reference, most people should aim for less than 25 grams of added sugars daily, so this supplement accounts for roughly 2/3 of your daily sugar goal.)
Metamucil also contains Yellow 6, a food dye that’s accompanied by a warning label in the EU due to concerns about its safety.
While the brand does sell a sugar-free alternative, that option contains the artificial sweetener aspartame, artificial flavors, and that same questionable food dye.
Here’s what I recommend instead if you’re working on getting your cholesterol down or managing alternating diarrhea and constipation:
Bellway Super Fruit+Fiber supplement is a soluble fiber powder that you mix into water and then drink. You can buy it from Target. It’s affordable. And it is made with a natural sweetener (monk fruit) and is colored with real fruits and veggies, like purple carrot juice.
Organic India psyllium husk supplement, is another good option if you’re hard core and can handle drinking unflavored psyllium. ConsumerLab tests found that this brand of psyllium husk had the lowest concentrations of lead in 2021. Note: It thickens up fast, so expect a gelatinous bevvy and make sure you’re drinking a lot of water to stay well hydrated.
Tomorrow’s Nutrition Sunfiber is made from a different soluble fiber source called partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG). This is a good choice if you struggle with IBS or even SIBO. It’s certified low FODMAP, so it’s less likely to cause side effects like bloating and gas compared to other prebiotic fibers.
You can buy either Organic India psyllium or Sunfiber at a discounted price from my Fullscript dispensary here. (FYI — I earn a small commission on products purchased through this site.)
02: What’s your take on my go-to Playa Bowls order?
[Warning: This question is a specific one, but if you’re a fan of acai bowls, keep reading]
This person’s custom order: unsweetened acai base topped with berries, granola, and peanut butter and Nutella drizzles.
My answer: It could be better given your current health concerns. Let’s break it down.
I checked the Playa Bowls nutritional info online and found that this order delivered 770 calories and 99 grams of carbohydrates (including 47 grams of sugar). This was actually better than some of their other bowls. The Nutaya bowl, for example, serves up 870 calories and 157 grams of carbohydrates (including 102 grams of total sugar*).
Though the above may indicate otherwise, my goal is actually not to be the food police. In fact, this amount of calories and carbohydrates may be totally *necessary* for proper recovery after an intense workout in athletes or highly active individuals.
But this particular client is insulin resistant and working with me to improve their PCOS symptoms, so I offered some feedback on how to make this bowl more blood sugar-friendly.
I recommended they tweak their order by:
Sticking with their usual unsweetened acai base
Adding a protein powder to the base
Adding hemp seeds as a topping for extra plant-based protein and omega-3s
Sticking with their usual peanut butter drizzle but skipping the Nutella
These updates would cut the carbohydrate content in half, slash the added sugars, increase the amount of protein, and keep the healthy fat content high, all of which help yield a more stable blood sugar and insulin response.
Do hemp seeds taste as good as Nutella? Obviously not and you will never find me pretending they’re an even trade. But the tweaks above will prevent a massive blood glucose spike (and subsequent crash), while still allowing this person to enjoy their beloved acai.
*The Playa Bowls site only lists total sugars, which includes both natural sugars from fruit as well as added sugars from ingredients like sweetened granola or agave. It’s not clear how many of the 102 grams of sugar in that bowl are added vs. natural, but it’s safe to assume that the added sugars clock in higher than the daily recommendation of 25 grams or less.
03: What’s a good protein bar that I can bring to my nut-free school?
My answer: The brand 88 Acres makes allergen-friendly protein bars that are free from peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, wheat, gluten, and coconut.
04: Which labs should I ask my doctor to order?
My answer: Here’s a quick overview.
A primary care physician’s annual lab orders typically include:
A basic or comprehensive metabolic panel (which include key markers like fasting glucose, liver enzymes, and electrolytes like sodium and chloride)
A complete blood count (to check white and red blood cells)
A lipid panel (which measures various types of cholesterol and triglycerides)
These are all important and helpful, but they also leave much to be desired. Additional markers I always want to see include: fasting insulin, hemoglobin A1c, and vitamin D levels.
From there I will often recommend additional nutritionally-relevant tests depending on the symptoms you’re experiencing. Just a few examples:
We may want to look at B12 levels and a full iron panel (including ferritin) if you’re experiencing hair loss or low energy
We will also check B12 if you’re eating a vegan or vegetarian diet or taking certain medications (like the diabetes drug Metformin or an antacid, as both meds can deplete levels of this important nutrient)
We could check salivary cortisol or a full thyroid panel (not just TSH) for unexplained weight gain
We might look at inflammatory markers like homocysteine levels if you’re at moderate-high risk of heart disease
We may assess levels of nutrients like magnesium and zinc if you’re struggling with PCOS
And so on.
It’s also important to remember that normal and optimal are not synonyms. For example, a hemoglobin A1c of 5.6% may technically be normal, but since it’s 0.1% away from the pre-diabetic range, it’s not quite optimal.
Hungry for more? Schedule your free intro call here if you’re interested in working with Anthea and subscribe to the free ALIVE+WELL Nutrition newsletter for health wisdom you can actually use.