Constipation...continued Any advice or ideas
Remember my poll?? I really did that because I am SO frustrated.
I eat a 99% vegan diet. TONS of water nothing else expect peppermint tea. Rarely eat processed food...mostly fruits, veggies, tofu, eczekial tortillas. Rarely grains. Limited beans lately causing gas. Ground flaxseed, soy yogurt, raisins represent my diet.
I do eat low fat/oil...so I have been taking having a tbls of oil a day with ground flaxseed and sometimes pumpkin seeds..I do LOVE nayosaise dijon mayo which has sunflower oil ..trying to add avocado.
Problem is since I basically only go 1X a day I tend to feel full very quickly from eating since I'm not eliminating which is frustating cause I like ot eat.
My diet is naturally high fiber. I tried prune juice (bloated me), ground flaxseed (not sure if its making it worse?) eating all the foods that supposed to help.
Before swtiching to a vegan diet I used to have small hard pellets...which I still occasionally do.
I have been eating vegan for over a year and vegetarian for 3yr. This WAS a problem my whole life but my diet is so healthy now...really no junk!
My bf on the otherhand goes after EVERY meal and even though he eats a vegan diet I eat much more healthier than him...Who knew I could be jealous because of this?
I want to heal naturally...i already have done colonics, juice fasts,etc to no avail. Well actually my bm are longer but I KNOW I am not going enough.
I also suffer from eczema which I firmly believe is tied to constipation.
I am going to start juicing 2X a day beets, carrots, spinach and dandelion all good for constipation/liver. I'm also going to try triphala which is supposed to be good and possibly yellowdock.
Any ADVICE??? This has got me literally in tears! :'( :'(
I'm sorry to hear about your situation. You're probably frustrated. Maybe bananas might help.
Cheer up. :)
Are you on any medications that could be casuing this? One time I was on medication where I didn't poop for like 3 months--it was an anti depressant and I was so out of it I didn't even realize it was not happening!
It really does sound like you're doing everything you would do to have good BM's--I really hope everythin works out!
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u297/Popeye709/poop.gif
Just for a giggle!
No medications...nothing...Actually no aspirin in 3 yrs! Bananas made it worse..I think!
I did a lot of colonics and I was AMAZED what came out in a week...AMAZED!
I was told to take probiotics (vegan of course) to help grow the "good bacteria" that the colonics flushed out.
I am alos going to get digestive enzymes as well.
I never thought you would have to think about this...
A glass of warm apple juice will do the trick...
BRAT = Bananas, Rice, Apples and (unbuttered) Toast... these WON'T help you if you're constipated!! They are recommended if you have diarrhea! :o
Dried prunes or other dried fruit won't help either... but stewed prunes or apricots or raisins should help. I toss a few in a mug and add a 1/4 cup or so of water, then I nuke them for 2-5 minutes. Make sure there are no pits or they'll come out as hard as a rock. I puree this and add it to some soyogurt.
Is the water you drink super cold? Maybe try drinking warm or hot water? My Aunty always has a mug of warm water with lemon juice with her breakfast.
Worst case scenario, hit Starbucks for an expresso!
Things I know to avoid...The BRAT diet stands for bananas, rice, applesauce and toast and is suggested for those with diarrhea. Obviously not your problem!
If you feel bloated, you need to go. Some people are just not big poopers. What you are describing may be what is regular for you.
I get the way you describe a couple of times a year. I go the laxative route and I get bottle of magnesium citrate and I can only take about half the bottle before my stomach argues. It takes about 6 to 8 hours to work and I know I get completely cleaned out. It seems to reset things for me. I have never used any other kind of laxative, but on principle I think they are a bad idea (as do you I am sure). Mag citrate is what they use as a bowel prep before a colonoscopy and is not a laxative per se, but a roto rooter.
I do think that vegans get an extraordinary amount of fiber and that is supposed to bulk things up, but sometimes it is entirely too much of a good thing.
Going once a day is good to. If you feel full eat meals that are very light.
Have you tried Licorice root tea?
I'm sorry about your problem. I know how frustrating it is. The thing that works best for me is to grind up two big teaspoons of chia seeds in a coffee grinder and add them to a smoothie for breadfast. I just started doing this a few weeks ago and it works quite well. Good luck!
No I haven't tried licorice tea....is it good for that?
Going once a day in NOT good. (its not a lot either)
Sometimes I try to go a 2nd time and maybe a pebble goes out. I can "feel" it (sorry!).
I'll try cihia seeds.
I can clean myself out with colonics but it doesnt matter. I still get constipated afterwards dragonfly. I think I am going to completely cut out most wheat gluten as well. I heard wheat can slow you down.
I ONLY drink water at room temp.
SOMETIMES warm water drunk quickly (tea) works sometimes not.
K2 I like the idea of having stewed prunes with the soy yogurt! I have been eating raisins but not stewed.
I keel thinking whats wrong with me. I want to "go" naturally.
Please keep the good ideas coming!
You mentioned all the foods you eat, but I noticed you didn't say anything about water. You should be drinking at least 64oz of water daily (or more). Dehydration is one of the most common causes of constipation. Eating a high fiber diet isn't enough. You should be drinking lots of water, and I don't mean TEA. Water. 8)
You mentioned all the foods you eat, but I noticed you didn't say anything about water. You should be drinking at least 64oz of water daily (or more). Dehydration is one of the most common causes of constipation. Eating a high fiber diet isn't enough. You should be drinking lots of water, and I don't mean TEA. Water. 8)
Yes I did mention I drink TONS of pure room temp water. Probably over 90oz a day. Yeah tea isn't the same.
OK so it's not water and it's not fiber that you're missing. Your doctor said you were OK?
What about exercise? Sometimes that can "work" things out... hmm
I just found a website that recommended Guava (with seeds) and grapes. It also mentioned apples with skin, but that may have been about fiber.
Because you're veg*n, you're probably fine on this, but I've read that low magnesium can make you constipated too.
I exercise.... I walk at this point I can't run because I am recovering from a car accident (11 months ago!)
I even have a hard time passing gas (seriously) I feel it bubbling in my tummy and unless I jump up and down and from side to side it takes a long time to come out!!
I LOVE LOVE peanut butter...
I haven't tried the what the heck let me eat more fat approach. That could be fun...hmmm
When you said you had low abdominal pains is that a GOOD thing??
I have eaten lots of grapes...didn't help and felt very bloated afterwards.
Peanut butter helps?? I would think it would stick to you.....
Thanks for al the help...it is really frustrating and kind of puts you in a crappy mood.... :)
My bf eats pasta, wheat, more bread, good food too but he can just sit and not move all day and go and go and go.....
have you ever consulted a naturopath about the possibility of candida overgrowth? It can cause MAJOR upsets!
Dried prunes or other dried fruit won't help either... but stewed prunes or apricots or raisins should help.
after I had surgery last year, I couldn't go for like a week - something to do with the pain killers. I was ridiculously constipated, and stewed prunes helped. they really did.
I'm pretty sure this will help. Squeeze some lemon into your water, especially in the morning before you eat. If the water is hot, it might be even better, but it works either way. Good luck!
hmmm this theory most likely is wrong, BUT do you think maybe it has to do with the fact that you eat so healthy...like perhaps your body is absorbing all these wonderful nutrients so you really dont have that much to let go of?? I don't know....I've heard bulgar wheat was a bit of a diuretic, also cactus, and chlorophyll, just squirt a couple of tbsp into some water everyday and drink up!
Here's a site: http://www.naturessunshine.com/us/products/catalog/product/default.aspx?stocknum=1683
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