Raw Food Forums

I have had severe constipation for a long time now and was wondering if any have any ideas on what i can do to remedy it. I have tried fibre however it just seems to bung everything up more. I realize that there is something fundamental with the chemistry in there. My belly is cold to the touch even when all else isnt, i dont go for very long periods and when i do go it is never a pretty picture. I know if i dont solve this soon it will kill me and in fact are surpised i arnt deat already at age 35 having had it for a good 15 or so years. I really would appreciate any advice. I think i would feel like superman if i could have a nice long poo a day
Cheers
Damian

Gosh you poor thing Damian!

You body is obviously totally out of whack.

What do you eat and drink; and how much do you exercise and sleep? 

THank you for being so sympathetic love spirit. It really is terrible. I tend to have a super smoothie each day made up of maca, cacao, goji, etc. Then a salad and misso for lunch, and fruit as a snack.
I am wondering now if i have a deficiency in potassium as before the constipation i always had sever diarhea (wow in the wars ha :)). The reason i wonder that is because i had an enema the other day and for the liquid i used organic parsley tea. Well i was real shocked to find myself experiencing something i hadnt for a long time which was the urge/muscle contraction in my bowel. It wasnt like taking cascara or similar they were normal spasms in the proper places.
I am ordering some potasium citrate and dolomite right now and will begin drinking an electrolyte solution made up of them. I have a hard time hydrating as well so maybe this will knock all my problems on the head. Please, please, please i hope it works.
I have tried allot of things to improve my health going raw being one however i know that if i dont solve my bowel problem I will never feel the kind of amazing i want to feel.
love and respect
Damian

Wow, Damian, I'm sorry but I dont know how much I can help other than with the basics. I presume this is long term damage that you are trying to reverse. I can only suggest the basics of heaps of water, heaps of colon cleansing and keep researching nutritional advice, as you are.

The only thing I can say that's more positive is that you clearly have a great attitude and you WILL heal this, sooner rather than later. :-)

Hopefully other RP will have more advice on the colon front. It's not my specialty ;-)

 

I agree with LS that you're rapidly moving in the right direction to a happy colon. I would recommend finding a really good, knowledgable colonic therapist who can monitor your progress. It sounds as though re-hydration is going to be the key. I found juice feasting so hydrating - do you do any juicing? And high fruit and greens is great in this respect.  My colonic therapist recommends adding a little flax oil to juices to really help with hydration. I haven't tried this, but might be worth a shot?

How is your food combining? Are you having your fruit before the cacao concoctions and miso or after? I would highly recommend having the fruit first - that should improve your digestion no end.

Have you done a candida test? A good course of probiotics might be in order as well - again, if you can find a sound colonic therapist, they can advise on this.

Mmmm, parsley tea! Haven't tried that. Add that to my list... :laugh:

ggxx

How does consuming flax oil help with hydration goji girl? :huh:

Steve

I'm not sure, to be honest, stevetabe. She did tell me, but I obviously did not fully digest the explanation (pardon the pun). She does know her stuff, so I'm sure there's some logic there. I'll ask again next time I see her. Sorry I can't shed more light on the issue at the mo.

ggxx

Damian,
if it was me, this is what I'd do:

Lots and lots of water, all day every day

Colonics/enemas

Loads of fruit, all day....Eat More Fruit - now where have I heard that before :)

Coconut oil - I've found adding 1/2 cup to smoothies cleans me out a bit too thoroughly

Bush Flower Remedies - Bottlebrush works on the large intestine like...well...like a big bottle brush LOL.  It also works on letting go emotionally (and physically). If you can't easily get hold of the individual essence, purifying essence contains bottlebrush and is in most health food shops.

I have a copy of the book "tissue cleansing through bowl management" by Bernard Jensen, complete with graphic photos.  I can lend it to you if you like

Thanks so much guys for all the care and love. I know i will get there and now armed with a little bit more information Im a little bit closer to fixing the darn thing. I post back here as to how the potassium and dolomite goes for others who like me who suffer.
Damian

Damian, I was bit horrified at reading teh reciope for supersmoothie - just the mix of powders.


I would recomend tio skip for teh time teh maccas and cocoa powders at all


also skipping any dried fruits, including any berries.


wise soul mentioned the rehydration...
in my experience the water on its own is just flusing teh pee pipe, not rehydratinbg the body, rehydrating liquid needs to have minerals and needs to have some basic fats.

The meachanism is too complicated here to talk about, it is based on cellular level, the composition of the cell membranes which are composed of the fats, the water surface tension and teh ability to be absorbed vie cell membranes etc.

People on the western duiet - margafrines burned oxidized damaged fats etc, do not have basic cell membrane building material of teh proper quality so ther cel mebranes are basicaly causin the cell embargo for nutrients water and oxygen and killing it - ageing it.

On tghe other had the change to fruit only diet si also not supplying enouggh quality of basic fat material, so teh cell membrane renovation could not happen. To get enough of the daily fats on fruit diet You need to force Yourself to 6000 fruit calories (and than have probs how to burn them after extracting the good fats) or be wise and eat teh proper fats (and not confesing to teh 811 church priest).


so from this You should see why the wise souls are advising on coconut oils flax oils etc...


in the folk medicine tegh saying is, that the poo needs to slide in the guts, and the slide is much easier when it is greased, so teh fat is used..

I have a chronicaly constipated friend, who does not eat any fat at all, thinks she is very healthy and fit, yet her skin looks much older that her birthcertificate is showing...


I also think that drinking tea - mainly green tea is much better than drinking water, since it is already somehow mineralized and teh sugar from honey or agave or maple etc does help to restore the guts order by few different mechanisms, initialy to get the thing going You might need perhaps 6-8 litres of Greet tea a day, but weak ones - 1 bag per litre not per cup.

The whole remineralization is easier with eating lots of cooked vegs - bioled etc with some fat, but again this is against being raw, but in my view supperts being healthy.


Learn nauly kryja from yoga

some more direct approach can be tried like mix half cup of olive oil with freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and drink it at once - it needs to be shaken to form the suspension like stuff, and or keep adding few grains of Epsom salt to the drinks...

some grand advice Rudes...

yup must rehydrate,less processed anything(inc superfoods the better) theres no water in them....fruits,veg juices water....steamed vegs are amazing......

ditch the supps and go whole foods through and through...correct food combining a plus too....

exercise exercise exercise...esp trampollining,running powerwalking...the five tibetans.....

anything that has the water removed isnt going to help

constipation is just awful for every cell of your body awful

waste=weight

Damian, I had sufferred from constipation all the way from my childhood till my twenties, when I radically changed my diet. Formerly, my diet was pretty low in fibre (stodgy Polish cooked food), and I went macrobiotic then. Specifically, I would eat only whole grains and also vegies. Cooked, true, but the change was radical nevertheless (no process stuff, no ready-made bought foods, only me grinding the grains myself etc, preparing everything from scratch). After about 4 days of the new regime, my body unblocked itself, and I couldn't beliveve the results. Before that, I used to think that going to the bathroom once in two days was OK. But wait, there was more to come, although it took me a fair while to get there. When I went raw 5 years ago, to my amazement I discovered that going to the bathroom once a day was not enough! What a joy lol!  :laugh: Then, I understood that one of the markers telling us why this raw food diet is so good, was that the food that we ate is not rotting inside us for days on end (and producing various carcenogenic etc toxins as a results), but passes thorugh our body in just enough time for the body to get the wondress nutrients out of it. Transition time on raw is very quick indeed, and these days I consider this to be the (healthy) norm, and not my old habits.

Some tips, I find apples very good. Once, when a cooked foodist, I tried eating nearly only apples for a few days, and this did get me going (after a couple of days). Ripe, juicy (preferably mono-style) fruit works wonders for me too!

Gosia

I have suffered this too for many years, even when i started raw. But when i did the green smoothies, im having regular bowel movements. It took atleast a month for my body to get used to the green smoothies and having regular movement. The natural oils in greens lubricate bowel movements. Not too mention you get a really good cleanout. Read Victoria Boutenko's green for life, you wont put it down its excellent.

Hi Gosia - thanks for the info. I've found that grated apple - oddly enough - stops diarrhea. Apples are amazing!

Also, thanks for info about food passing out of the system and not rotting in there as a sign of healthy eating. I didn't know this!

Best cheers, Niqi

Apples! I was going to suggest them too. Don Tolman calls them nature's broom. You can blend them and drink them too if that helps.

But my concern is that you have been constipated for so long that you have a big almost concrete type dried compacted lump of fecal matter in there. I'm worried that if you eat all of this stuff it might just squeeze it's way around the fecal matter and result in painful diahorrea at the other end.

I had a friend to who this happened and she used to have massages to break up the fecal matter and then a colonic.

I also recommend what Rudy said, cutting back on anything dehydrated. No powders for now. Even though I love them. Except maca which I can't stand the taste of. I think hydration is key. You can always go back to them when you are ready.

Juicing sounds great too. From what I've read it should enable to you get loads of cals in without adding to the mass that's already in there.

Gosh I hope this improves for you soon.

xoxxox

Flax seeds are an Ayurvedic recommedation for constipation.  Soak some in fruit juice and drink, you're after the slimey coating to coat everything in the bowel. Slippery Elm is also good, but you shouldn't use flax and slippery elm at the same time.  I think raw sensation has had a similar result with chia seeds in the past (though they've not had that effect on me). 

Massage, massage, massage - self massage is fine you can work at your own pace.  Your large colon goes from your right hip bone straight up to almost your ribs, then straight across, then down to your left hip bone, then out. Work from the left ribs down to the left hip, just stroking down, if that results in something coming out, work from your right rib, to left rib, to left hip, once that clears, work from your right hip up to the ribs, then across, then down to the left hip.  This might take a few days.  Most instructions will say rub your belly in a clockwise direction, but it's better to start towards the end and gradually work to doing the whole large intestine.  You can even use something like a cricket ball roll along around on your belly to get in there a bit more easily.  Other ways to massage your intenstine are things like yoga, anything with twisting - that can give you an internal massage, and other exercise, like RGG said, trampolining is good, that jiggles everything around for an internal massage.

And as everyone has said hydration, hydration (sounds like you need some tissue salts, so plain water probably not the best option, celery juice would be great) Apple cores are great for constipation, blend up a whole apple and drink it, you don't have to chew through an apple core :)

Epsom salt baths - you can absorb a lot of magnesium through your skin, though use a lot of epson salts in a bath, not just the handful the packet might say, at least 250g, though for really dramatic results, you need 1 or 2 kg per bath, staurated solution in the bath where so more salts will dissolve, and then it just soaks into the body through the skin in large quantities.  Epson salts has a much available form of magnesium than dolomite - really, dolomite tends to go through as a clay more than being of any nutritional benefit. Epson salts does dissolve and make the magnesium easily absorbed, either internally if you ingest it or through the skin in a bath, you can even absorb quite a bit from just having a saturated foot bath.

I have suffered on and off with constipation for years.

I actually feel it may have in some way contributed to my Ulcerative Colitis.

And now I have UC, the constipation has got worse.

In recent months I have discovered four things excellent things, which if combined on a daily basis, are fantastic ways to ease constipation.

I just wish I had made the connection years ago:

1) A 30 minute daily walk helps to kick-start your digestive system and really helps your bowels to eliminate waste with ease.

2) Put 2 or 3 tablespoons of Chia seeds into a glass of water, wait 10 minutes stirring occasionally and then add to a fresh vegetable juice and consume. Beetroot juice is particularly good for getting things moving.

Chia seeds help to sweep out old toxic and hardened matter in the bowels. Will take a good week to get into your system, so give it time. I have also found Chia seeds really good for the runs too, as they just bind everything together and keeps pushing it out.

3) Squatting over the toilet, rather than the traditional sitting method. 

4) Drink 1 – 2 litres of water everyday, as it helps to soften the stools and helps elimination.

I don’t know what percentage of raw you are (and at the risk of upsetting Rudolf) if you are still eating meat (especially red), flour and dairy, they can seriously bug up your bowels long-term too. So you may also want to consider what you are eating.

A low fat, high fibre, vegan diet (along with the 4 points listed above) has really helped me.

Shop brought tonics are really not good for you, so I hope you can solve your problem naturally.

Good luck

in the ideal situation, the number of meals per day should be the same as teh number of poo sessions per day
(not counting the little snacks),

this is pretty much where I got myself regradless if raw or cooked (there is a healthy cooked and unhealthy cooked,
as well as tehre is a healthy raw and unhealthy raw).


but following the idea - of 1 poo for 1 meal principle :

do not have any meal till the poo hapens, so turning the principle around, just keep liquids till the poo, than have a meal and wait with the next one till next poo session,


which might get You to juicing feasting for few days, or it might get Yopu to Tannya 16 hours fasting each day system etc,

simply if it is stuck somewhere down the track, do not put anything new on top of it.


See if there is a trafic block, the police does not allow the additional cars pilleup and diverts the trafic, till it clears up

dont know if that has been already said:

drinking ''good'' amounts of pure water helps immensely...
if your 'dehydrated' it will be easier for you to be 'constipated',
water is needed in the stomach to digest every meal (cause things get liquid down there LOL)...
if your having not enough water in the body your probably having troubles with digestion ---> resulting in troubles with the poo ..ie.. constipation...

drink 20-30 min. before and/or after every meal...!

RS... fruits are a great cleanser (high water-fiber content)...

i love the cleansing aspect of apples...

oh this is almost a guaranteed go~er...drinking warm water first thing....drink it until you feel the urge to go to the loo....its works a treat

yes apples are awesome too
soaked sultanas are also brilliant

rock melon smoothies are great

slippery elm bark powder works wonders too

peppermint tea is great

yes gentle self massage is also good..as is massaging the bottoms of your feet,and dry skin brushing...

having suffered from ulcerative colitis for years,and terrible digestive disorders...i have a list of what works as long as my arm~for me...so hopefully some of this will help you

trying to be as relaxed and destressed as much as possible

again i say...bounce on a trampoline until you need to go to the loo....it works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

once you stop irritating your bowel and feeding it calming foods...your constipation should ease...if my uc is flared up i will constipate immediately...once the irritation is gone,so is the constipation....simple equation for me!!

good luck buddy....

back massage also really really helps

oh def agree re the epsom salts baths...and will help you to sleep like a baby too

A salt water flush might help???  Its a bit like a DIY colonic irrigation. 

1. Get 2 glasses of filtered water, each around 400mls
2. Fill 1 with warm water,
3. put one dessert spoon of celtic sea salt in the other.  Add some boiling water and stir until the salt goes into the solution
4.  Drink the unsalted water first, wait a few minutes
5. Now drink the salted water.
6. Over the next 15 minutes drink 3 more glasses of warm water.  (2 litres total)
7. Don't go out, stay at home your bowels should get moving.  Keep drinking water to hydrate!

The book I got this from says to expect 3-5 bowel movements, generally I have found that I need to be near the bathroom for around 3 hours from start. You should do it first thing in the morning after getting up.  Weekends are definately better!

You can repeat this for up to 3 days in a row to cleanse.  It also recommends that you should take a probiotic for a 2 weeks after doing this. 

I suffer a lot from constipation and I find this works like a charm.  Hope it helps you out

J

Just a side note, the above should not be done if you have a history of high blood pressure or heart problems. 

I don't want anyone to damage themselves.

Regards

J

yep, water water water absolutely essential to cure constipation - minimum 3 litres per day.  I suffered constipation for years; I exercised, ate heaps of salads and veg and good foods but the onlything that unstuk the muck was fresh pure water and lots of it - go for it it feels great in the belly as well
regards
Frangipanni

Hi Damian,

I have lots of empathy for you on this, I know how awful and frustrating chronic constipation can be! Luckily there are so many ideas here you can experiment with, some of which will or won't work for you. 

I think that a constipated bowel is often caused by a constipated liver/gallbladder. The liver and gallbladder regulate the production and release of bile which is a natural laxative. So when your liver/gallbladder is clogged up this might cause you to become constipated.

If this is the case for you something that would be useful is taking bitter herbs which both improve digestion and stimulate bile production. You could take a herbal formula or if you want to go the food route lots of bitter greens might do the trick. Doing liver flushes had quite a noticable effect on my constipation, Rudy mentioned the olive oil and grapefruit juice formula.

You could also be deficient in magnesium, especially if you are stressed and tense a lot of the time. If you don't mind supplements, taking a magnesium supplement (magnesium oxide specf) can give you fast relief, it draws water into the bowel and relaxes your muscles.  You said the parsely juice enema really helped so maybe getting in more magnesium by drinking green juices will be an effective way to go for you.

Also if you aren't producing enough bile you might feel better reducing the fat in your diet or even just eating lighter fats eg. coconut oil.  I hestitate to mention it but I also found urine therapy good for constipation, whatever works right!  

Just some ideas to add to the mix, all the best  -_-

Gina

great infos here...

I read about this years ago and tried it, and it is FANTASTIC.

I've found using a cheap little children's stool for your feet whilst sitting on the loo has the same effect; just use it as a footstool, although I suppose a couple of phone books or a box would work just as well.

KittyK, this is a TREMENDOUS suggestion.

Cheers, Niqi

yep squating is great, if it does not pooo, than at least prepares You for teh winter downhill skiing season.

Rudy, your posts have made me giggle a few times tonight! Thank you.

Squatting is excellent. For those who don't know Brock was severly constipated and I'm really glad we caught it while he is really young. He had about four days worth backed up in his poor little bowel and when that started to move it was extremely painful for him.

I sat with him in the toilet (on the floor not actually in the toilet) as the spasms came and went while his body tried to push it out for around 40 minutes. Eventually I got him to squat with his feet on the toilet seat and out it came, virtually painless within a minute.

Lesson learned! We are getting one of those toilet squatter things.

And tramping has worked for me when I have been constipated.

And Brock was having pear juice and a friend of ours gave him some Chinese herbs as well.

xoxoxxo

Hi Damian,

I too used to have chronic constipation.
Hi Damian,


Some simple things never fail to keep me regular:

1. 2 litres of clean water - I drink Evian because it has lots of pure minerals.
    I suggest you find out how much water you should be drinking daily, according
    to your body weight.

2. Chewy raw food to stimulate the enzymes e.g. apples, carrots, broccoli. And chew well!

3. Eat chewy raw food before going to sleep at night.

4. Sleep - for me, it's about 10 hours per night.

5. Ideally walking for around 1 hour min. per day - I don't always do this!!

That's it!

Lots of luck,

Eve
http://www.NaturalLivingSecrets.com