Foods for constipation

[Guest guest]

What foods do you eat when you're constipated?

Although I seem to have less gas (uncontrollable releasing of gas was the main reason I started this diet to begin with) and feel more clear headed, I'm also more irregular since I've been on this diet. It's almost as though the grains and other starches I used to eat protected the inner lining of my intestines, and now there's nothing there to protect it. Maybe the villi in my gut have to relearn how to digest food like they once did and they're having trouble doing this? Does anyone else feel this way? Before starting SCD, I used to be able to eat cooked apples for breakfast with no problems, but now I have diarrhea within minutes afterwards and am just more sensitive to anything I eat for breakfast. On the other hand, I'm getting constipated more now as well. Also, with regard to my stools, I've been seeing more pellets, soft and hard. I don't understand soft pellets. Aren't

they supposed to be hard? I also see more liquid stools than before. It's odd. I'm sorry for the graphics, but I think "talking" about it is helping me understand this.

Thanks.

[Guest guest]

Laurie,

I am not sure about constipation remedies other than I have read others

recommending warm water with lemon juice in the mornings.

Regarding the inconsistent BMs, I would say that your gut is getting cleaned out

and is in the process of healing. I don't think the grains/starches were

protecting your lining as much as there was possibly a sludge of residue there

that is being removed now.

You didn't say if you did the intro or how long you have been on the diet.

Maybe you should trim back to intro type foods and slowly reintroduce foods

again. It is possible to develop sensitivities to foods for a bit, heal a bit,

then able to eat those foods again. If you find yourself reacting, wait a week

or two and try the food again in small amounts. Broth is very good and healing.

Blended soups are a good way of getting all you need in a gentle way too.

I can only recommend keeping a diary and experimenting a bit to see if something

makes a difference.

Amelia

Husband UC 9 years, SCD 18 months

LDN 3 mg

>

> What foods do you eat when you're constipated?  

>

> Although I seem to have less gas (uncontrollable releasing of gas was the main

reason I started this diet to begin with) and feel more clear headed, I'm also

more irregular since I've been on this diet.  It's almost as though the grains

and other starches I used to eat protected the inner lining of my intestines,

and now there's nothing there to protect it.  Maybe the villi in my gut have

to relearn how to digest food like they once did and they're having trouble

doing this?  Does anyone else feel this way?  Before starting SCD, I used to be

able to eat cooked apples for breakfast with no problems, but now I have

diarrhea within minutes afterwards and am just more sensitive to anything I eat

for breakfast.  On the other hand, I'm getting constipated more now as well. 

Also, with regard to my stools, I've been seeing more pellets, soft and hard.  I

don't understand soft pellets.  Aren't they supposed to be hard?  I also see

more liquid

> stools than before.  It's odd.  I'm sorry for the graphics, but I think

" talking " about it is helping me understand this. 

>

> Thanks.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Laurie,

It’s normal, at the beginning of the

diet, to have many changes in our bowel movements. I’ve been on the diet for 21 mths now and they still vary. I use to be extremely constipated, but less so

now. If you have a good diary and keep

track of everything you eat and how it affects you, you will soon be able to

see what works or not for you.

Cheers,

Foods for

constipation

What foods do you eat when you're

constipated?

Although I seem to have less gas (uncontrollable

releasing of gas was the main reason I started this diet to begin with)

and feel more clear headed, I'm also more irregular since I've been on this

diet. It's almost as though the grains and other starches I used to eat

protected the inner lining of my intestines, and now there's nothing there to

protect it. Maybe the villi in my gut have to relearn how to digest

food like they once did and they're having trouble doing this? Does

anyone else feel this way? Before starting SCD, I used to be able to

eat cooked apples for breakfast with no problems, but now I have diarrhea

within minutes afterwards and am just more sensitive to anything I eat for

breakfast. On the other hand, I'm getting constipated more now as

well. Also, with regard to my stools, I've been seeing more pellets, soft

and hard. I don't understand soft pellets. Aren't they

supposed to be hard? I also see more liquid stools than before. It's

odd. I'm sorry for the graphics, but I think " talking " about it

is helping me understand this.

Thanks.

[Guest guest]

Thanks and bhide.

Sludge of residue is what I was thinking, too-didn't know how to "say" it, though. I don't think my old diet was really protecting my gut, at least, not for me anyway. Maybe it's like a cut that hurts when you put alcohol or salt on it. In a nutshell, healing can hurt. I had forgotten about warm lemon water and will try that. I think more broth will help, too. This diet is hard as it's so different from the norm that I've been used to. I'm always trying to tweak it here and there.

bhide, I've been on the diet since mid-November of 2009. I did the intro for two days.

Thanks!

To: BTVC-SCD Sent: Sun, January 17, 2010 8:05:15 AMSubject: Re: Foods for constipation

Laurie,I am not sure about constipation remedies other than I have read others recommending warm water with lemon juice in the mornings. Regarding the inconsistent BMs, I would say that your gut is getting cleaned out and is in the process of healing. I don't think the grains/starches were protecting your lining as much as there was possibly a sludge of residue there that is being removed now. You didn't say if you did the intro or how long you have been on the diet. Maybe you should trim back to intro type foods and slowly reintroduce foods again. It is possible to develop sensitivities to foods for a bit, heal a bit, then able to eat those foods again. If you find yourself reacting, wait a week or two and try the food again in small amounts. Broth is very good and healing. Blended soups are a good way of getting all you need in a gentle way too. I can only recommend keeping a diary and experimenting a bit to see if

something makes a difference. AmeliaHusband UC 9 years, SCD 18 monthsLDN 3 mg>> What foods do you eat when you're constipated? > > Although I seem to have less gas (uncontrollable releasing of gas was the main reason I started this diet to begin with) and feel more clear headed, I'm also more irregular since I've been on this diet. It's almost as though the grains and other starches I used to eat protected the inner lining of my intestines, and now there's nothing there to protect it. Maybe the villi in my gut have to relearn how to digest food like they once did and they're having trouble doing this? Does anyone else feel this way? Before starting SCD,

I used to be able to eat cooked apples for breakfast with no problems, but now I have diarrhea within minutes afterwards and am just more sensitive to anything I eat for breakfast. On the other hand, I'm getting constipated more now as well. Also, with regard to my stools, I've been seeing more pellets, soft and hard. I don't understand soft pellets. Aren't they supposed to be hard? I also see more liquid> stools than before. It's odd. I'm sorry for the graphics, but I think "talking" about it is helping me understand this. > > Thanks.>

[Guest guest]

As I’m fairly new to the group, I don’t know if psyllium husks

has been discussed? I know for a lot of people this works and for some it doesn’t

but it is something Dr Bob Lawrence strongly recommends.

Jayne Crocker

www.LDNNow.com

Important! Please support our LDN petition to the European

Parliament by signing here

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tel: +44 (0) 7877 492 669

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From: BTVC-SCD

[mailto:BTVC-SCD ] On Behalf Of bhide_thehague

Sent: 17 January 2010 13:05

To: BTVC-SCD

Subject: Re: Foods for constipation

Laurie,

I am not sure about constipation remedies other than I have read others

recommending warm water with lemon juice in the mornings.

Regarding the inconsistent BMs, I would say that your gut is getting cleaned

out and is in the process of healing. I don't think the grains/starches were

protecting your lining as much as there was possibly a sludge of residue there

that is being removed now.

You didn't say if you did the intro or how long you have been on the diet.

Maybe you should trim back to intro type foods and slowly reintroduce foods

again. It is possible to develop sensitivities to foods for a bit, heal a bit,

then able to eat those foods again. If you find yourself reacting, wait a week

or two and try the food again in small amounts. Broth is very good and healing.

Blended soups are a good way of getting all you need in a gentle way too.

I can only recommend keeping a diary and experimenting a bit to see if

something makes a difference.

Amelia

Husband UC 9 years, SCD 18 months

LDN 3 mg

>

> What foods do you eat when you're constipated?

>

> Although I seem to have less gas (uncontrollable releasing of gas was the

main reason I started this diet to begin with) and feel more clear headed,

I'm also more irregular since I've been on this diet. It's almost as

though the grains and other starches I used to eat protected the inner lining

of my intestines, and now there's nothing there to protect it. Maybe the

villi in my gut have to relearn how to digest food like they once did

and they're having trouble doing this? Does anyone else feel this

way? Before starting SCD, I used to be able to eat cooked apples for

breakfast with no problems, but now I have diarrhea within minutes afterwards

and am just more sensitive to anything I eat for breakfast. On the other

hand, I'm getting constipated more now as well. Also, with regard to my

stools, I've been seeing more pellets, soft and hard. I don't

understand soft pellets. Aren't they supposed to be hard? I

also see more liquid

> stools than before. It's odd. I'm sorry for the graphics, but

I think " talking " about it is helping me understand this.

>

> Thanks.

>

[Guest guest]

At 09:04 AM 1/17/2010, you wrote:

As I’m fairly new to the group,

I don’t know if psyllium husks has been discussed? I know for a lot

of people this works and for some it doesn’t but it is something Dr Bob

Lawrence strongly recommends.

No, psyllium husks are not SCD-legal.

There's a list here

http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/legal/legal_illegal_a-c.htm

which tells all the legal and illegal items for SCD. Also, you should

have received a file with an introduction to the diet.

We recommend reading Breaking the Vicious Cycle, by Elaine

Gottschall -- that's the guide book for this diet.

—

Marilyn

New

Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Undiagnosed IBS since 1976, SCD since 2001

Darn Good SCD Cook

No Human Children

Shadow & Sunny Longhair Dachshund

[Guest guest]

Laurie,

So sorry for all your troubles! Can you tell us in a lot more detail

exactly what you are eating, and how long you've been on SCD, and did

you do Intro, and how did you progress as far as adding foods? Then

I think various people will be able to help you figure out how to

calm things down.

[Guest guest]

I deal with chronic constipation (C.) as part of my functional digestive disorders and deteriorating neurological system. Not fun, but things have improved the longer I've been on SCD. I found that during the first two years on SCD I had episodes of severe C. even while taking a motility medication and supplements, and wasn't eating anything different, so I concluded that this was partly due to my body going through detox and healing, and partly due to the cyclic nature of my neurological deterioration. In other words, the longer I've been on SCD the better my digestion works and my chronic C. is under good management so all I'm left with is dealing with the regular neurological "crashes." Which is something I can cope with [grin].

I've tried all the constipation protocols there are, things that are off-limits while on SCD (tried before I started SCD), and plenty of things that are OK while on SCD. Most didn't work for me for various reasons.

You will need to experiment a bit and discover what works best for you. I've found some foods trigger increased C. Too much almond flour will do me in, also anything high-carb or too dense.

To improve digestive motility, you want to stay hydrated, get plenty of good fats, and get some mild exercise such as walking. Some things that help are: an increase in vitamin C. -- the SCD prune protocol works for some people, or just eat more fruit if your digestion can tolerate them, and/or supplementing magnesium.

You can also use an osmotic laxative; Miralax is one, and is now OTC. Osmotic laxatives work by increasing the amount of water in the stool so things move more easily. They are safe to use over the long term unlike stimulant laxatives. This might be something you can use for a few months, until your digestion improves.

As long as you have had enough tests so you know you aren't dealing with an obstruction, and your pain levels aren't bad, you can assume the episodes of C. are due to food or healing or both. Experiment a bit and give things time to improve.

Digestive motility does improve the longer you're on SCD.

Kim M.

SCD 6 years