# How I cured my constipation...using groceries. Not an ad.



## LilyX (Jan 17, 2015)

So this is my first post and I just want to share with you guys how I got relief from constipation. I don't get any profit from this post and I just hope that my experience might help someone because I know how painful it is to have chronic constipation.

A little background. I'm now 30 and have had constipation for 10+ years. I tried everything and nothing really worked. Recently I got a blender and I started making smoothie using yogurt and fruit because I thought the probiotic culture might help. Well it didn't help much. Then one day I saw some flaxseeds in my cupboard and threw a couple of spoons into the smoothie. And that's when miracle happened...In a week I got rid of constipation that bothered me for tens of years.

So this is what I did: put 2 cups of plain yogurt and two table spoons of flaxseeds into the blender, blend at high speed for a couple of minutes until the flaxseeds are shredded. Cut a couple of medium-sized fruit like apple, pear, or orange into pieces and throw into the blender to blend at low speed for a couple of minute and that's it! This usually results in 4 cups of smoothie and I drink ~2 cups everyday.

I have done this for several months and I never had constipation again. I'm not a doctor so I don't know exactly why this worked but I think it's the flaxseeds. I hate eating flaxseeds though because of the fishy taste, but yogurt+fruit cover the bad taste pretty well and the smoothie is tasty for me.

A few other things: for the yogurt, I used plain whole yogurt. I think plain fat free yogurt should be fine but I don't recommend flavored yogurt because it has too much sugar. I'm not sure if ground flaxseeds or flaxseed oil would work because I don't know exactly what component in the flaxseeds is working. You can try them out and maybe let me know.

I think this worths trying because the smoothie is safe and nutritious and if you have a blender it costs very little. I got my flaxseeds from wholefood at $2-3/lb.

If you have any questions I'll try my best to answer.


----------



## denisefl (Sep 20, 2013)

I will give this a try. I am so desperate it's unreal. Usually am constipated for about 3-4 days at a time and feel like there is a bowling ball in my gut. Gastro (I'm on 3rd one in 4 yrs) has been no help. Trying gluten free and no help there. I just want to feel normal.


----------



## mahimata (Jan 18, 2015)

That's wonderful that you found something that worked for you!

Denisefl-- I am sure you have tried many things, but I wanted to add a few things from Ayurveda- avoid all cold food and drink and nothing straight from the fridge! Instead sip on warm water, have warm, unctuous foods (cooked with a little bit of healthy oil like ghee or coconut), and warm vegetable soups for dinner. You can also try rubbing your tummy (in between meals) in clockwise circles using warm sesame oil, which can help to move the bowel. And avoid all beans except for split mung beans. Although many people say that the fiber in beans helps with constipation, in Ayurveda we understand that beans are astringent-- meaning they're too drying to help move the bowel.

I hope this may help you!


----------



## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

As soon as my soup runs out and I have the time I will try this, LilyX. IT might just be the additional bran from the flax seed and fruit, but maybe not. I'll give it a whirl in a week or two. Thanks for posting!


----------



## candicecunanan (Jan 20, 2015)

Everyone has probably heard this before, but a good probiotic is another great way to go. EndoMune Advanced Probiotic has 20 billion beneficial bacteria in each capsule compared to the 10 billion in Culturelle and 5 billion in Florastor. This probiotic is packed with beneficial bugs to help keep you regular. I know some people hate taking pills, but this pill can easily be broken and mixed in with your soups, yogurts, and shakes. Another great feature: the bottle has an innovative design that requires no refrigeration. You can purchase EndoMune Advanced Probiotic from: www.endomune.com for a two-month supply.


----------



## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

candicecunanan said:


> Everyone has probably heard this before, but a good probiotic is another great way to go. EndoMune Advanced Probiotic has 20 billion beneficial bacteria in each capsule compared to the 10 billion in Culturelle and 5 billion in Florastor. This probiotic is packed with beneficial bugs to help keep you regular. I know some people hate taking pills, but this pill can easily be broken and mixed in with your soups, yogurts, and shakes. Another great feature: the bottle has an innovative design that requires no refrigeration. You can purchase EndoMune Advanced Probiotic from: www.endomune.com for a two-month supply.


40 bucks for a two month supply, just in case anyone is wondering:

https://endomune.com/shop/


----------



## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

thanks, Flossy. i'm just wondering--is candicecunanan selling endomune? and apologies to her if i'm wrong but really--her post reads just like an ad. we've had several people here on the board selling things lately so i've become wary..


----------



## Corydalis Aurea (Dec 14, 2014)

I just was reading about methane production in the gut being associated with IBS-C, hydrogen production in IBS-D, and that one of the things that help this methane producing bacteria get balanced out is PREBIOTICS (different from PROBIOTICS) one of the foods listed in the prebiotic category was indeed flax. All new info for me, anyone else looked into this?

Yeah guys, any of you who give this recipe a try, post your results for us!

And thanks LillyX for the posts.


----------



## LilyX (Jan 17, 2015)

annie7 said:


> thanks, Flossy. i'm just wondering--is she selling endomune? and apologies to her if i'm wrong but really--her post reads just like an ad. we've had several people here on the board selling things lately so i've become wary..


I'm not trying to sell anything...and I've never heard of this EndoMune thing. However, I do know a little microbiology and I doubt very much if those beneficial bacteria can benefit human eventually. First, I'm not sure if those bacteria are still alive in a dry form. Second, I don't know how much bacteria can survive after passing through the stomach because the pH there is too low for them. I once heard on radio that what some scientists do is to take out some living culture directly out of somebody's gut, then immediately transfer into another's gut...I don't know how this is done but this makes more sense to me. I'm not an expert on probiotics so above is just my personal opinion.



candicecunanan said:


> Everyone has probably heard this before, but a good probiotic is another great way to go. EndoMune Advanced Probiotic has 20 billion beneficial bacteria in each capsule compared to the 10 billion in Culturelle and 5 billion in Florastor. This probiotic is packed with beneficial bugs to help keep you regular. I know some people hate taking pills, but this pill can easily be broken and mixed in with your soups, yogurts, and shakes. Another great feature: the bottle has an innovative design that requires no refrigeration. You can purchase EndoMune Advanced Probiotic from: www.endomune.com for a two-month supply.


also PLEASE DO NOT POST ADs IN THIS THREAD! I'm just trying to share my experience and not trying to sell anything here!


----------



## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

LilyX--oh I know you're not selling anything and thank you for your post about flax seeds.

I was referring to the poster (candicecuanan) who posted about Endomune--I thought that she is selling it. I apologize for any confusion. I was not referring to you at all. your post about flax seeds is very helpful. thanks!


----------



## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

Corydalis Aurea said:


> I just was reading about methane production in the gut being associated with IBS-C, hydrogen production in IBS-D, and that one of the things that help this methane producing bacteria get balanced out is PREBIOTICS (different from PROBIOTICS) one of the foods listed in the prebiotic category was indeed flax. All new info for me, anyone else looked into this?
> 
> Yeah guys, any of you who give this recipe a try, post your results for us!
> 
> And thanks LillyX for the posts.


I'll be tryin' this out real soon, hopefully this coming week. I'll post my results here.


----------



## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

I'm tryin' it out now.

First I filled my blender with about 25 to 30% water (from the bottom, it's not that much). I use some water because if you don't your mix will be too thick. Then I used two banana's, half a container of strawberries, about 1 pound of Yoplait yogurt (it's in a 2 pound container) and 4 overflowing tablespoons of 'Hodson Mill' milled flax seed.

I will drink two decent (large) sized cups a day, one in the morning and one before bed. I'm holding off on my usual daily soup, just to see if this works or not.

Note: This had nothing to do with this drink concoction, but for the first time in many months I actually had only one BM per day for two days straight. Me & my butt were so excited! lol! Usually I go and then about an hour later, have to go again. (Grrrrr!)


----------



## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

Flossy--thanks for posting your recipe.. fingers crossed it works well for you!

one question--when you make like this, does the blender grind up the flax seeds? or do they stay whole.

and congrats on the once-and-done BM--the holy grail of BM's


----------



## Nuffa (Sep 12, 2014)

Omg,look at us. Today, i also had one movement and i was done. Was so happy about it. I am telling you,only we understand what this means to us!


----------



## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

good for you, Nuffa!


----------



## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

Nuffa said:


> Omg,look at us. Today, i also had one movement and i was done. Was so happy about it. I am telling you,only we understand what this means to us!


It's the simple things in life - in this case VERY simple - that can make some of us happy! lol


----------



## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

So far with the flax seed smoothies? No change in my bowel movements. I will be trying different ingredients tomorrow, just to see if that is why.

I was skeptical that the flax seeds would make a difference in the first place, but you gotta try new things every so often. You know?


----------



## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

oh yes--it's very important to try new things. otherwise we'll never know if they help us or not.

years ago i spent quite a while trying flax seeds in all their various forms--whole,. ground, flax seed meal, mixed in food, smoothies, flax seed tea etc. didn't help me but that's me. they do help some people so they are definitely worth a try.


----------



## Gooby (May 11, 2013)

I've been battling IBS-C now for years, and one thing I have noticed is that nothing seems to work *by itself* for very long. It is almost as if the body tries to adapt to it and then the constipation returns.

I now take several different things, which seem to work fairly well, *when done together*.

I eat ground flaxseeds daily. These are a diabetic safe form of fiber, and they seem to work better for me than other forms of fiber.

I eat avocados (two at least) daily. I try to add at least one avocado per meal, when possible. These are nature's stool softeners.

I take a magnesium supplement daily. This has had mixed results for me, but I think it does help me when taken on a regular basis, up to the amount recommended on the bottle of pills.

I eat extra virgin olive oil with almost each meal for lubrication. This has been fairly helpful at times, but it cannot do it alone.

I now take the generic ("Equate" found at Walmart and other stores have their own generic versions also) version of MiraLax (because it is cheaper) daily or every other day (if it gives me the runs I skip a day, but I cannot skip too many days or the constipation will come right back). This took over a week for it to start working on a consistent basis for me, and I gave up on it too soon in the past, but when taken almost every day, it does seem to work well.

Probiotics and inulin fiber every 3 or 4 days, as needed. By themselves, they stopped working for me, and they seem to work better if I skip a few days in between taking them.

Prunes and prune juice from time to time. Suprisingly, they seem to lose their effectiveness if you eat them every day.

I stopped using stool softeners and other types of laxatives (other than the generic version of MiraLax) due to cramping and unexpected runs which were quite humiliating.

The main thing I have found on my journey through this is to be proactive, and if you don't go for a day, then step up the generic Miralax to get yourself going again before it gets a chance to go for too long without a bowel movement. I'm used to going once a day, and if I don't go for 3 days, it becomes a huge crisis for me to the point of straining so much that I end up with blood in the toilet. That's how bad it can become for me in just 3 days without a b.m.


----------



## Gooby (May 11, 2013)

I wanted to add that travel is very difficult for me. It gets me even more constipated than usual, so what I do now is as soon as I get to my destination, I immediately go into my hotel room and take a full dose of the generic form of MiraLax to get things moving again.

I am so tired of travel that these days I tell my relatives to come visit me instead most of the time. It is a shame, because I used to love to travel.


----------



## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

I did another smoothie mix with the flax seed again. It contains about 30% water, blended with a banana, a can of pineapples, half a container of strawberries, some parsley and 4 heaping scopes of flax seeds. IT TASTES GREAT, but I'm still constipated, so.....

I'll keep this experiment up for another few days, but so far this isn't helping one bit... In fact, it kinda makes me gassy (yikes)!


----------



## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

P.S. I forgot: Add some yogurt to that smoothie list up ^there^. (D'oh!)


----------



## Nuffa (Sep 12, 2014)

Be careful flossy,only ripe bananas are good for us. Other than that, they are constipating.


----------



## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

Nuffa said:


> Be careful flossy,only ripe bananas are good for us. Other than that, they are constipating.


Yes, I read the other day don't eat them until they are ripe or "on their way out." I think it's best to wait until they're going a little on the soft side myself.


----------



## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

Okay, after several days of trying this I'd have to say this was not good for me at all. To me, this was a sort of fruit & fiber smoothie. If it works for you, fantastic, you just needed some extra fiber in your diet. But for me? It was BAD. I had to spill the rest of it out this afternoon, as it was too rough on my system.

P.S. It even says on my box of flax seeds, "Good source of fiber." I should have known better.


----------



## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

Flossy--sorry it didn't work for you.

yes, you're right. that was my experience too. too much fiber is so not a good thing for some of us...

and yes, fiber can help those who are lacking in fiber and whose colons can handle it and can push it on through efficiently....

well, at least it was worth a try, that's what i always say... flax seeds are sure healthy little things to eat if one can handle them.


----------



## Corydalis Aurea (Dec 14, 2014)

The fiber issue, yes, have any of you guys been using pumpkin for fiber? Or sweet potato? Sweet potatoes were on the list of prebiotics mentioned for C in relation to the methane producing bacteria that we harbor. I have been making a simple pumpkin (or squash) pie, and having a piece once a day- morning, lunch or desert. I seem to be going a bit better of late...wondering if that might not be helping. I don't put a crust on it, just blend the canned milk, pumpkin or squash (which I am using my own garden squash and pumpkin for after I bake them-bake and freeze in 2 cup measurements-thaw as needed) spices, eggs, tbs flour (optional but does make the pie a little more velvety) brown sugar (tho' honey can be used-and is very good) and then bake! I top it with a couple spoons of yogurt or whip cream (real) but it is good on it's own if you like this kind of pie.

Pumpkin is pretty gentle fiber.

I have been trying to eat an apple every day now, but it never fails, I feel kind of icky afterward, I know it has to be the high fiber, so I am going to try peeling it, and see if that helps some.

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/canned-pumpkin-used-high-fiber-7152.html


----------



## LilyX (Jan 17, 2015)

flossy said:


> Okay, after several days of trying this I'd have to say this was not good for me at all. To me, this was a sort of fruit & fiber smoothie. If it works for you, fantastic, you just needed some extra fiber in your diet. But for me? It was BAD. I had to spill the rest of it out this afternoon, as it was too rough on my system.
> 
> P.S. It even says on my box of flax seeds, "Good source of fiber." I should have known better.


I'm really sorry it's not working for you  but I noticed that you used milled flaxseeds and I don't know if that's the problem. I used whole flaxseeds and when I blended them together with yogurt (I didn't add any water) at high speed they were ground into little bits and the yogurt became much thinner. This way everything in the flaxseeds went into my smoothie. I don't really know what component in the flaxseeds is the key but chances are it could get lost when it was milled. I've never tried banana or pineapple in my smoothie. Most of the time I just threw in dices of two fresh medium-sized apple. I use a very old Osterizer and blend in the apples at low only after the flaxsees are ground up. I'm not sure if it's the fiber that's helping because I used to take psyllium husk flakes and that never helped much. Also don't use flavored yogurt that has a lot of sugar! I heard that sugar enhances growth of those harmful bacteria in your guts.


----------



## LilyX (Jan 17, 2015)

annie7 said:


> LilyX--oh I know you're not selling anything and thank you for your post about flax seeds.
> 
> I was referring to the poster (candicecuanan) who posted about Endomune--I thought that she is selling it. I apologize for any confusion. I was not referring to you at all. your post about flax seeds is very helpful. thanks!


Not a problem at all^_^ I just don't want this thread to swell up with ads.


----------



## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

Corydalis--apples are high FODMAP (fructose, polyols) so maybe that's why they are bothering you...(or like you said, maybe it's the fiber)

I do eat sweet potatoes daily. every week I make a big pan of roasted vegetables--sweet potatoes, butternut squash, carrots, parsnips--add green beans and zucchini in season--and I eat the leftovers through the week. yum--nutritious and yes, it has fiber without overloading me with it.I have to eat my veggies well cooked--nothing raw.

your pumpkin pie sounds divine!


----------



## Gooby (May 11, 2013)

I like the pumpkin idea. I still have several cans of it leftover from the holidays, and will say this, eventhough I am not supposed to eat pumpkin pie due to diabetes, I did indulge over the holidays, and I noticed that eating pumpkin pie tended to eliminate constipation for me. And I remember in the past, eating too much pumpkin pie did tend to give the runs, so I will do a little experiment with some canned pumpkin and let you know the results.


----------



## lasdoe (Jan 28, 2015)

wow! I am surprised that the smoothie works well for so many! My GI actually told me to stay away from yogurt because it is binding, which naturally was sad because I love yogurt and smoothies so much. haha


----------



## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

yogurt isn't binding at all for me--it actually helps a bit I think.

it can be binding for people who are sensitive to sensitive to casein, a protein found in dairy products. but not everyone is sensitive to casein.


----------



## rewinj (Apr 19, 2012)

you guys might want to try the apples/pears recommended in the original post -- nature's laxative / FODMAP city

oh & i'll join in the chorus-- yogurt helps


----------



## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

I'd have to bet my money on it being the additional fiber in the fruit that helps some with their BM's.

For me? More fiber = more constipation. Fruit and veggie smoothies is what activated my IBS-C in the first place. Never had it before I tried eating a lot of raw foods.


----------

