Chronic Constipation
Things to avoid:
So, it starts with avoiding all the things I speak about all the time that TCM + nutrition just don’t like in general: -
dairy,
(red/all) meat/rich foods,
alcohol,
refined white carbs (white pasta/rice/bread)
fried food (including e.g. swapping fried to poached eggs).
Other things you might not have thought about to avoid:
foods with baking soda/powder
yeasted breads (bagels, challah, pretzels), instead go for wholegrain sourdough
NSAIDs (painkillers like ibuprofen) slow down the stools and cause us to produce less mucus in the gut in general (leaving it susceptible to damage)
Things to do:
Drink 1.5-2L room temp or above water (filtered preferably, NEVER COLD)
Have a hot breakfast/ hot food in general over cold
Exercise regularly
SOAKING EVERYTHING IS SO SO IMPORTANT IF YOU SUFFER WITH CHRONIC CONSTIPATION AND CAN BE A TOTAL GAME CHANGER FOR YOU
Chew more/better & generally eat more mindfully.
Separate out meals, less snacking - leave significant time between meals. The intermittent fasting I spoke about here may also help relieve constipation.
Additional therapies to try:
Flax seeds/flax-meal/ flax oil - soaked, (up to three tablespoons once/twice daily)
A bit of apple cider vinegar before each meal (as always, raw, unpasteurised, WITH the mother). Also a note that it’s high in histamine so if you have any allergies/hay fever maybe skip this one
Aloe vera works as a laxative (but its v.cooling so be careful)
Teas are a good idea, they up your liquid content if you’re bad at drinking water too:
Digestive herbs (can be had as teas, supplements or added to food): dandelion or liquorice root, oregano, dill, caraway, mint
Other good teas include carminative teas, which help with bloating/distension/constipation, these include: Anise, Fennel, Peppermint, Lemon balm, Chamomile, Rosemary, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Coriander, Cumin, Fenugreek, Orange peel.
In general we want to do three things with our nutrition:
Lubricate the intestines: spinach, banana, sesame seed/oil, honey, pear, prune, peach, apple, apricot, walnut, pine nuts, almonds, alfalfa sprouts, carrot, cauliflower, beets, okra, seaweed
Promote bowel movements: cabbage, papaya, peas, coconut, sweet potato, asparagus, figs, wheat/rice/oat bran
Replenish the gut microflora: i.e. all probiotic foods will help as already discussed (as long as no SIBO)
Constipation always takes us onto FIBRE. The recommended amount is 35g of fibre per day and you can see more about Fibre and where to get it here.