Why does everyone go on about fiber and water?
Because pooping is a maths equation: Water + Fiber = Poop. Miss one and you get concrete.
Pooping is a maths equation. Water + Fiber = Poop. Fiber with no water makes concrete. Water with no fiber gives you nothing to sweep the system with.
Not all fiber behaves the same when your gut is running at dial-up speed. Insoluble fiber (raw kale, popcorn, tough veggie skins) can sit in a slow stomach like a pile of damp leaves and give you sulfur burps and bloating. Soluble fiber (oats, chia, psyllium husk) absorbs water, turns to gel, softens things and moves them along without a scene.
Add a daily probiotic on top. Fiber and probiotics are what keep the gut-brain axis talking.
None of this is medical advice. It is educational material drawn from FAT BITCH: Killing the Willpower Myth by Cat Clark, and it does not replace your prescriber, your pharmacist, or your actual doctor. If something here does not match what your care team told you, go with your care team and bring this along to the conversation.