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Hey everyone, it's Mikki here. You're listening to Mini Mikkipedia on a Monday and on the start date of Monday's Matter Christmas edition, I thought it could be beneficial to talk about something where a lot of people shy away from or they put a little alert saying TMI, too much information. And this is a digestive issues when you're undergoing a protein-sparing modified fast. So just to...

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Remind you, protein-sparing modified fast, the way that I do them, are protein-only days where you have your meals based around a very lean protein source and you have very little carbohydrate and fat, like less than 20 to 30 grams of fat, less than 20 to 30 grams of carbohydrate, ideally. And the thing is, is because a protein-sparing modified fast is extremely low in calories, fat, and carbohydrate, and usually limits fibrous vegetables, small portions,

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You can experience these drastic shifts and changes in bile flow, gut motility, and microbiome composition because remember your gut microbiome can change within a few days. It is very labile. The most common symptom with protein-sparing modified fast is constipation and it's a common early issue that can arise from reduced stool bulk,

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So there's less total food and fiber, meaning there's less material moving through the colon. From reduced bile flow and dietary fat, bile acids stimulate peristalsis, which is that evacuation process, and low fat can equate to a sluggish motility. Electrolyte imbalance and dehydration, so low insulin causes sodium and water loss, and that dries the stool out.

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altered microbiota, so reduced fermentable substrate. There are fewer short chain fatty acids produced in the gut and this can also lead to slower motility and even just calorie restriction itself. A low energy intake slows the gut reflexively. And I don't know if you guys are fans of Eric Helms, I bet you are as am I, and Brandon D'Cruz, again, so am I. And they on their most recent chat together actually talked about

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Eric's stage weight journey and how for him, he hadn't had a bowel motion for like four days. And this is what is usual for him for all of these reasons, but particularly the low, actually for him, it would be the low calorie and less food really just means that he's holding a lot of food in his colon. Now, diarrhea is less frequent, but it does appear.

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And this is due to a high protein load. So these unabsorbed amino acids may draw water into the colon. So it's like osmotic diarrhea. Protein powders and sweeteners. So sugar alcohols in whey isolates can irritate the gut, particularly if you've just upped the amount that you've had or you've had a shift or a change and you don't tolerate these.

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Electrolyte drinks, so too much magnesium, sodium, or potassium can loosen the stool. Microbiome change, so the rapid shift in bacterial populations in bile handling. Bile acid diarrhea, so low fat reduces bile reabsorption and that can irritate the colon. And most people do experience a transitional phase. So initial constipation followed by stabilization as motility and microbiota adapt or occasional transient diarrhea if protein powders or supplements are added.

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too quickly. There are some nutritional strategies though that can help offset some of these. So the nutritional strategies for constipation on a protein-spearing modified fast. The first one is hydration and electrolytes, which I talk a lot about in the program. So sodium is one, three to five grams a day total because low sodium impairs motility and with a reduction in insulin and we're no longer storing carbohydrate, which is where we also are able to store water and electrolytes.

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sodium drops pretty quickly. So adding in salt or an electrolyte supplement like mineral or element or elite or daily or ZODI, uh there are so many out there. Hydi might be another one. These can all assist with sodium.

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increase in sodium. Magnesium is another one. Magnesium citrate is great because it works not only to sort of draw water into the bowels and help with that gut motility, but it can also help with the muscles relaxing. Or you can hit it hard with a magnesium oxide. It's very poorly absorbed that one, so it does tend to affect the bowel much more. And in fact, one of its use cases is constipation. And I would say 300, 400 additional elemental magnesium daily, particularly if you are experiencing constipation.

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and you're taking magnesium up that dose. Definitely getting in water and making sure you're hydrated is absolutely key. So you want about 30 to 35 mL per kg of body weight daily as a minimum in addition to those electrolytes. And then also, even though my protein-spearing modified fast approach is one where we limit vegetables, vegetables aren't actually an issue. Like this is really just from a simplicity perspective. So maybe for you, we add back in some potassium-rich, low-carb.

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non-starchy vegetables like spinach, courgette, cucumber to support that smooth muscle contraction. And then this will also help bring in a little bit of bulking and a little bit of fiber. So low energy vegetables, my point that I just made there, mushrooms would be another one, that lettuce is another one. Psyllium husk or partially hydrogylized guagum, so one teaspoon daily will add some bulk with fewer carbs.

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chia seeds is another one. So one teaspoon of chia seeds of carbohydrate and fat allowance permits, or actually just put them in anyway to form a gel to aid passage. And let's not forget kiwifruit and kiwicrush. Honestly, you would be so much more comfortable if you added a kiwifruit to your morning smoothie in protein-spearing modified fasts that I advocate we do add additional carbohydrate for exercise. So potentially your choice of carbohydrate could be that kiwifruit.

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Bitters in bile stimulation can also help. So digestive bitters such as gentian, dandelion, and artichoke trigger the vagus nerve, boosting stomach acid, bile, and enzyme release. And this can be helpful when fat intake is low. So using half a teaspoon of liquid bitters in a small amount of water about 10 to 15 minutes before your main protein meal. Definitely avoid this if you've got any sort of reflux, gastritis, or...

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gall bladder removal because it's sort of like a sledgehammer if you like, but it can restore the bile trickle, it can lubricate the stool, and it may enhance that periostalsis. Vitamin C for osmotic support, high dose ascorbic acid or vitamin C acts like a mild laxative by pulling water into the bowel. You could start at two grams a day, quite a bit.

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and increased by 500mg until bell tolerance, i.e. you get loose stool, and then reduce that slightly. Most people's threshold is about 3-6g a day, potentially over split doses. Buffered forms like sodium or calcium ascorbate are gentler on the stomach and it might be effective as part of that electrolyte tool kit, particularly with magnesium.

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And then you've also got slippery elm. This is a demulcant that coats and softens stool using one teaspoon of powder stirred into warm water once or twice daily between meals, followed with another glass of water may help if you've got hard, dry stools or irritation from protein powders. So you could definitely try that. Just be mindful that you wanna take this outside of any medications or supplements by at least two hours, because slippery elm can bind them. And then when we...

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go to the microbiome, we've got fermented foods. Adding a small amount of sauerkraut juice or um sauerkraut itself can help with your meals, like I'm thinking a teaspoon to a couple of teaspoons. Bifidobacterium lactis, BB1-2 or Lactobacillus plantarum are both linked with improved motility. It would absolutely be worth trying MCT oil or coconut oil.

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half a teaspoon with a meal providing lubrication and mild stimulation. Like half a teaspoon in a meal is not a lot. We're only lifting fat grams by about seven and a half grams for a day total. Far less than what you would otherwise be getting if you weren't doing a protein-sparing modified fast day, which its main purpose from fat loss is to reduce calories. So you're still reducing down those calories by a ton. And also don't forget to move. Walking 10 to 15 minutes after a meal activates that gastro-cholic reflux.

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core relaxation work such as diaphragmatic breathing, gentle twists or squats. Ideally regular toilet timing like your body does get used to doing things in a certain way so try not to hold off if you need to go. And avoid prolonged sitting because this immobility dampens those bowel reflexes. So constipation on a protein-sparing day is usually a volume and electrolyte problem. So bitters can restart that digestive cascade

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Magnesium and vitamin C restore the hydration and movement, and slippery elm can provide comfort and lubrication. But what about diarrhea? So identify and remove those triggers. Sugar, alcohols, and artificial sweeteners are major culprits.

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Protein powders, maybe try reducing the dose and relying more on the sort of real food proteins or swap potentially to a collagen or egg white if whey does cause issues or a plant-based protein as well, being mindful of that quality protein and the requirement for leucine.

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And also electrolyte products. So do check electrolyte products for high magnesium and vitamin C content. And be mindful actually that too much salt can be an issue, particularly on an empty stomach. So you may want to reduce down the salt that I suggest. Every body is different, so figuring it out what works for you. So to support the gut bacteria, if you've got diarrhea, you want to add small amounts of soluble fiber, half a teaspoon of psyllium or partially hydrolyzed guagum.

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Zinc canicine or L-glutamine at about 3 5 grams can support that mucosal integrity. Bone broth or gelatin will supply glycine to calm that gut lining and potentially avoid caffeine, at least temporarily because this will increase motility. And then reintroduce moderate fat if the diarrhea is persistent. adding a

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teaspoon of olive or MCT or coconut oil to meals to help slow that gastric emptying and normalize bile flow. You might want to put a few non-starchy vegetables in there as well. If bile acid diarrhea is suspected, so you've got pale stools, urgency after eating, bitters may help regulate bile flow rather than overstimulate it. You do want to start low, 1 eighth of a teaspoon before a meal to help restore that normal secretion rhythm. Don't forget, like

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Rehydration mix or an oral rehydration mix, you do have dehydration, a liter of water with half a teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of potassium chloride, which is otherwise known as that low salt or light salt that you get from the supermarket, and a squeeze of lemon. So you are able to maintain those electrolytes without overdoing that magnesium. Do check your usual source of magnesium as well, if it's an oxide, for example. And, elm can be used for soothing, so using a teaspoon of warm water

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coat the gut lining and reduce irritation. This is particularly effective when diarrhea is from bile acids or supplement irritation. And the last thing I'll say is Saccharomyces bolaris is often a probiotic that is recommended for travelers' diarrhea. So that would be worth trying also. Now, this may all just be transitional. So during the first two to three weeks, you may swing between constipation and loose stools as the gut adapts.

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Things will then stabilize because electrolytes and hydration become consistent, digestive secretions are re-stimulated, and fiber volume is titrated to tolerance. If issues persist beyond three weeks or are accompanied by pain, mucus, or bloating, you want to rule out bile acid malabsorption, bacterial overgrowth, or supplement overload. So constipation, primarily a problem of low volume, low bile, and dehydration, best addressed with bitters.

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magnesium and vitamin C, slippery elm and consistent movement. Whereas diarrhea is usually due to too quickly uh periacalsis, malabsorption, supplement excess or bile imbalance. So we want to remove any irritants that you think you may be intolerant to, adding some gentle soluble fiber, modest fat to the amounts that I've suggested, you'll still make progress in soothing agents like slippery elm while rehydrating and balancing electrolytes.

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So team, hopefully this gives you something to work with and to allow you to do those protein-spearing modified fast days a little bit more comfortably. Any questions, any comments, what works for you, DM me, I'm @mikkiwilliden on X, Instagram and threads. I'm @mikkiwillidennutrition on Facebook. Can't DM me there though, I've shut that off. or head to my website mikkiwiliden.com, scroll right to the bottom, add your name to my email list. All right, team, you have the best week. See you later.