Constipation

[Audrey]

Hi everyone,

OK I need some input... I have been dealing wtih constipation off and on for a couple of years. About a year ago I finally linked it to dairy, and once I eliminated that, it was like "aaaahhhh the heavens have shone their light upon me hallelujah!" LOL But then in the last... I dunno, at least 3-4 months, it is back, off and on. I'm still off dairy (other than the occasional 1 tbsp of goat cheese in a salad, and 2 tbsp of half and half in my coffee no more than 1x per day, which didn't cause me problems when i first took dairy out of my diet, I still had those small amounts and had no problem).

At this point, I'm going only every 3rd day, and it's only small amount, and sometimes on the "thin" side, and I have to force it. You'd think I'd be in pain but I don't even experience the urge to go. There's no gassiness either. It's as if I dont need to, except I do feel a bit heavy down there. It's just sort of stagnant.

I'll share what I've been doing most recently to try to get things moving:
*been taking aloe vera in my morning smoothie
*started on metamucil about 6 days ago 1-2x a day
*ground flax in my morning smoothie
*prune juice occasionally

Here's what I've eaten in the past 2 days as an example of my daily diet:
*breakfast smoothies with the above, plus vega whole meal replacement, almond milk, 1/3 banana, 1/2 cup mixed berries, 1 tsp natural peanut butter
*morning "snack" - coffee with 2 tbsp half & half cream, 1/2 to 1 tsp sugar
*lunch yesterday - salmon with spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, and a salad with asparagus (same thing for dinner the night before but with broccoli & cauliflower in the salad)
*afternoon snack - apple with 2 tbsp roasted almonds
*dinner last night - whole grain pancakes made with quinoa flour, ground flax, hemp protein, blueberries and followed by a cup of prune juice
*lunch right now - salad with lettuce, 1 cup of brown rice, 1/2 cup chickpeas, 1/2 cup broccoli&cauliflower, carrot, 1/3 avocado, 2 tbsp annie's roasted red pepper dressing

I drink on average between 8 and 12 cups of water a day, and work out 4-6x a week.

I'm also taking a bunch of supplements - maybe one of these is known to trigger constipation and I'm not aware?
*EFA (3x/day)
*CLA (3x/day)
*L-arginine (2x/day)
*Vit D (1000mg 1x/day)
*B complex 75mg 1x/day
*Folic acid 1mg 1x/day
*probiotics (30billion 3x/day)
*just started wtih Vit C (1200mg 3x/day)

*I cut out my multi and Calcium for the time being to see if it was those, been off them for 2-4 weeks... minimal difference...

I've also started a liver cleanse about 5 or 6 days ago.

Does anyone have any ideas? Do you think I should see a doctor? I'm thinking I might need to do a good colon cleanse after the liver cleanse (or even during) but I want to figure out what the cause of this is, not just have to use stuff to make me go for the rest of my life.

Thanks in advance!

[Audrey]

Hi everyone,

Thought I'd give a wee update... I'm doing a little better with this, going more days than not now. Not always "easy" or significant but something! I have not had any results from my doctor yet as she was on vacation but I did the Basal Temperature test and found my average temperature over 10 days was 97.5 so just about 1 point below "normal" and right on the tip of what's considered low. I've been taking iodine drops 3x a day for the past week... I'll retest the temperature thing again maybe in a month and see what happens.

I've been paying closer attention to my movements and have found that in fact I'm kind of inconsistent. I actually had loose stool a couple of times last week. Maybe I've got a bit of IBS.... I dunno.

Re: the coffee - I had always read that coffee stimulates peristalsis and can HELP trigger a bowel movement. I'd be surprised if 1 cup a day is stopping me from going, but on the other hand, maybe if I'm allergic to it or something...

Anyway, that's the scoop on my poop! haha

[Randy McFarland]

Hi Audrey,

Have you ever done a natural cleanse of your colon, liver and intestines. In addition you might want to get on a fiber supplement. Check out my website if you are interested in getting more information about a couple products I have. www.marketamerica.com/sheran. Look under health and nutrition and find nutriclean product and fiber product.

[Cara]

A product that I LOVE is Ultimate Cleanse by Nature's Secret.
I have gotten so many peopl loving this product as well....everyone says I should work for them..LOL!
It is a 2 part system. So every morning you take 1 of the Ultimate Fiber & 1 Of the Ultimate Heb, on an empty stomach when you know you won't be eating for at least an hour or more. They say to take it twice a day on an empty stomach so you don't get gassy.
It helpsdetoxify your body, it helps your skin, hair, health, nails &b weight as well.

[Sara Bradford]

Hi. wow you've had many replies. obviously you've checked your thyroid, which would be my first suggestion. The big one would also be food allergies/sensitivities. Maybe continue a food journal. Or get tested. Wheat can also contribute to constipation.
Be careful with natural laxatives. They can still make your bowel dependent. And please stay away from phyllium. It often makes constipated people worse. It works better for the opposite problem.
You should look at doing colon cleanses before liver. There is no sense cleansing the liver when the toxins have no where to eliminate. (well, skin and pee, but through colon is very important.)
Also, be careful with Iodine. you don't want to go hyperthyroid. Kelp is a safer, gentler, as effective way of getting iodine. And you can hardly over do it.
also, are you working out too much? how are your adrenals? have you had them tested? that can make you constipated as well. so can stress!!!
i know personally a lot on this topic for a reason...

[vicky]

Hi Sara,
You seem very knowledgeable (sp.?) about a lot of things!! I would love to pick your brain.
You said you know a lot about this topic - would you mind sharing?
I also have constipation and very low energy. I am taking Iodine and wondering if that is what is making me constipated!! Also my energy during the day goes down hill fast - I eat a diet of lean protiens, veggies, fruit and whole grains. and work out 6 days a week! I just want to have energy and not have to worry about making it through the day. thank you,

[Brooke St.Pierre]

If you're still experiencing problems you may want to check this out.
I was in the same predicament and felt bloated and generally un-well for the most part. I was introduced to healthy chocolate 3 months ago. I eat a piece of this chocolate (yum!) three times a day and have gone from "once every 2-3 days" to "2-3 times DAILY" now! Healthy Chocolate is how I spell R-E-L-I-E-F!!

It has a myriad of other health benefits. Check out http://www.mydrchocolate.com and click on testimonials in the top right corner. Then check out http://HealthyChocolateFreak.com and let me know what you think!

Good luck and I look forward to hearing from you!

[Wendy Corkran]

Just my two cents at this late date - I can relate to many of the issues you have been experiencing dealing with thyroid and food sensitivity issues. Something that works for me on a daily basis is drinking two to three large glasses of purified water (not from the tap) right after I wake up. I've been taught that a person should drink half of their body weight in ounces for the day (hopefully I explained that correctly - i.e., 150 lbs. = 75 oz. water). I would suggest adding some fermented foods to your diet (you can read about that in Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz and Sally Fallon) and read into eating foods correct for your body type (Metabolic Typing by William Wolcott and Trish Fahey).

[Sacha Martin]

try going gluten free for a while, often dairy and gluten allergies go hand in hand.

also rater than the flax meal, try flax seed oil, 1 Tbsp per day

[Terilynn]

Hi there

Perhaps you need to have your intestines moved. I had mine put into place and I have had no problems. Good luck!!

See Specialized Kinesiology, Google it, then search for someone in your area.

[Amy Mahon & Garrett Head]

I have an idea; my son and I have both suffered with constipation. We tried EVERYTHING and with the amount of fiber and fluids in our diet, it was a mystery why we would experience such relenting constipation. I found a solution though. Some are prone to an acidic colon; try alkalizing it with CARROT JUICE. It works for both of us. Another food that has worked wonders for us is the new V-8 plus with prebiotics.

[Candis Loomans]

Hi there! I haven't read any of the replies so I am sorry if I duplicate!
Your dietary habits look great!!!
Sometime this can be an emotional thing, journaling can be helpful if you are holding onto things. Just let go ;)

Be careful with Metamucil, if it is phsyllium fiber it can be constipating because it does absorb and can dehydrayte your bowels. This fiber can easily constipate an average person so imagine what it can do if you have a problem. I worked in a health food store and I often watched people picking up physyllium fiber AND herbal laxitives!
My fav fiber supplement is FiberSmart by Renew Life. Salba or chia seed is good too, I put some in with my flax.

Magnesium is great as well it helps to hydrayte the bowels. CleanseMore by renew life is great as well it is a very gentle formula that doesn't have any harsh herbs that irritate your bowels.

Sorry if I sound like a sales person for renew life - I am not I just really like their products. They are a digestive care company and thats all they do so they do it good!

About the liver cleanse???!?!?!? I personally would never reccomend doing one unless your bowels are moving properly. Your liver would be eliminating toxins and if your bowels aren't moving regularily then they are going to be stuck.

Remember after 1 cup of coffee it is good to replace it with 3-4 cups of water to get you back to square one then you need to start your daily requirements. Some people go by drinking 1/2 your body weight in ounces so if you are 140 lbs then 70 oz of water.

With the dairy maybe try to gradually reduce it, even though you have cut down it is still in your daily diet. Honey instead of sugar is a great alternative.

Colon Hydrotherapy is amazing for constipation, as well as reflexology, hara massage and doing Castor oil packs on your abdomen. If you need more details on these message me.

Seeing a Holistic Health Practitioner or a Naturalpath would be beneficial as well.

If you have any questions message me, I hope this helps!

[123RAWgirl]

You may try a little chlorella or spirulina to your smoothies.
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