Constipation Salvation
J And More ... Feel better! Salvation Amy J

You've tried the N.I.H. advice - no dice? Well... who ever said the doc's are always on target?
Especially if you're the stiff, creaky type, with acid-sensitivity/intolerance, these tips may help you.*
My sites are ongoingly updated as I discover experiential truths vs. the tidal wave of societal static.
* Note: This site is not intended for diabetics, hypoglycemics, those on special diets, nor for pedantic authoritarians
Doctors and nutritionists put alot of emphasis on fiber, liquids & laxatives, such as Metamucil, psyllium & bran. But fiber and liquid is not enough to avoid constipation in some people. See The Life Extension Foundation re: fiber   Unfortunately the professionals often fail to stress the value of these elements toward avoiding constipation:

SWEET AND HEAT... & OILY-LUBRICANTS (ALSO SWEET 'N SOUR)

  • Note that Maimonides prescribed honey and hot water for the elderly who have weak digestive systems

  • Some pediatricians prescribe sugar water for babies' constipation.

Fiber & Liquids You Say? Here's a better way of poeting it
If food solids and liquid you would not take separate
Then all of you might not become quite so desperate...
Warmed food + warmed lubricants - you gotta mix it
Mere drinks just won't cut it! Eat Fmush - that'll fix it!
Put high moisture content within food - that's best...
Your guts growl "Have mercy! Please give us some rest!"


HERE'S A CASE ARGUING FOR HIGH-MOISTURE CONTENT WITHIN FOOD:

I read of some biotech engineers who decided to experiment with potatoes to make them more fryable and thus more marketable to fast-food enterprises. Here's what they did: They altered the genes of the high-moisture potatoes, so they should have a higher starch content. Well, they soon learned that tampering with the wisdom built into nature is a bad idea. Because their so-called "improved" concentrated-starch potatoes proved toxic to arthritis sufferers.

Are you at your wits end? Try the Emergency Recipes (see above links)
Note: chocolate cake, with sweet drinks once helped me after a plane trip
when liquids, veggies, bran, senna tea (you name it) did NOT help.
It seems that sweet-chocolate worked the trick. Also, you might try:
Spearmint candies, Starburst fruity candies, or fruit rollups with warm water
I don't advise Magnesium Citrate Liquid. It gave me diarrhea spurts all day.
It's just a "glorified" mimic of sour-orange-juice mixed with saccharin!
WARNING: ABOVE LIST IS INTENDED FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY
BECAUSE THEY'RE ACID-FORMING, AND THUS TO BE MINIMIZED!
Confused about chocolate? See this, then scroll back up

Now, for those of you who aren't yet at their wit's end J
First, I'll list the magic stuff which helps my constipation (in brief)
Then, I'll list stuff which aggravates my constipation (in brief)
Then, I'll go into more details.

What helps my constipation?

With nutritious meals, I include "magic" elements from this list:
  1. magic Sweetness (sugar, syrup, molasses, seasoned salad, apple-juice, spearmint-tea, soothing licorice tea)
    Or try: sweet 'n sour stimulant - i.e. yogurt, ketchup on fries (Note, though: Potato can be inflammatory!
    Warning! Don't overdo the sweets & starches as they're acid-forming!
  2. magic Lubricants/liquids (oil, mayo, sauces, gel, yogurt, sour-cream, water) - added to meals
    Hint: Try making "mouth-watering, melt-in-the-mouth" types of meals. They're highly digestible!
  3. magic Bulk - Sweetened or chocolatey (i.e. fudge grahams, choco-chip granola, brownies...)
    Remember! don't overdo these acid-forming foods!
    As for fiber: Although the roughage of fiber is not so easily digestible for some people, nevertheless, bitter greens are important to balance your system so it shouldn't get too acidic. Try this: Tender cooked green beans & turnips with a sprinkling of sea salt.
  4. magic Heat (warmed or room-temp. meals & drinks). I.E. Lots of water per day isn't good enough. But lots of WARM water per day, especially first thing in morning, is much better!

What causes me constipation?

  1. Bland/dense/dry stuff (nuts, crackers, "gluey" bagels, bread, toast, chicken, salmon, hard-cheese, non-creamy-form of calcium such as almonds/Tums) unless from above magic is added
  2. stuff containing chalky-feeling elements (nuts, tea, non-coated pills) unless from above magic is added
  3. Cold water during substantial meals especially if I'm cold
  4. Stuff causing gas-pockets (seltzer, chewing gum). NOTE: Soda also causes me bad heartburn.
  5. Stress and nervousness
  6. Overeating to the point of bloatedness
  7. Failing to chew & salivate thoroughly until food becomes a soft mush inside my mouth
  8. Failing to relax awhile after meals (if reclining, lie on left side - facing toward right)
    followed by moderate exercise (such as vacuuming floors, etc.)
Rules of Thumb: Chew food well with saliva. Avoid large meals,
stress, chewing gum, seltzer, nuts & dry/chalky/bland/dense foods
Too much sweets is not good either, and can cause acid reaction
Chinese medicine aims for balance of sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent
When taking calcium, balance it with magnesium-citrate & Vitamin D3
After meals, relax a bit, then take brisk walk, or cook, or vacuum etc.
After meals, recline on your left side (not right side), to aid digestion
When sitting on toilet seat, bend forward (with head between knees)
Another option to try: Lift toilet seat & sit on toilet rim, hunched over

I SAY:
YES to adding oil/gel/mayo/cream to lubricate meals
YES to drinking non-acidic drinks such as decaf spearmint-tea with cake/cookies
NO to drinking acidic drinks or tart-tea with cake/cookies, or eating too-vinegary pasta
NO to drinking ice-water during substantial meals (yes warm drinks / nectars / decaf herbals)
SO-SO to nuts & plastic-textured skins (read further)

Do you have a child suffering with constipation? Here's some tips:
Fruit rollup snacks might help. BUT brush teeth well afterward!
Also note this should not be steady, merely for emergencies...
Breakfast: Try mixing 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp lemon juice & 1 tsp canola oil
Into 4 oz. of vanilla yogurt. Mix well, slice in banana, & give to child.
Then give him/her fudge grahams with sweet hot cocoa
(for a more detailed recipe, see my Emergency Recipes below)
Don't give child plain, bland milk, or plain hard cheese.
Rather, add sweet cereal, or tomato & whole-wheat bread respectively.
I used to hate being pumped with milk as a child. I remember insisting
that my mom warm the milk, whereupon I forced it down warm.
Again, REMEMBER! Make sure to brush child's teeth well afterward
And ALSO! Please do not overdo the sweets! For emergency only...

ALSO: Here's some flexible latitude on "no-no" foods:

     My Food Combination Chart (or back to top)
Must you avoid? Why? Avoid? Not necessarily, IF YOU:
Nuts Constipation, heartburn, tongue sores, or triggers heavy menses Avoid taking plain nuts.
INSTEAD:
Try taking them with a salad that's well-lubricated with oil, mayo or dressing
or in the form of peanut butter cookies or PB&Jelly on whole-wheat bread
AND wash down the above with a non-irritating herbal tea such as Sleepytime, Mint Magic (not strong), Cherry Berry (not strong), licorice, or mullein.
(WARNING: if nuts triggers menses, avoid during week you expect period, or avoid altogether)
Dairy, Fish, Chicken Constipation Dilute sour cream & cottage cheese with water and mix well.
Dairy Examples: Milk with mango juice. Sour cream & strawberries sprinkled with brownulated sugar. Cottage cheese & pineapple;
OR: Try taking dairy with sweet cereal, or with chocolate. Examples: Milk (or sour cream) with oat squares or choco-chip granola bars. Sweet hot-cocoa with not-too-sweet, moist chocolate cake. Note that sweets & cocoa products can be highly acidic and irritating, so don't overdo it!
Fish/Poultry Examples: Tender salmon with squeezed lemon & sugar. Tender chicken or chop-meat in sweet 'n sour form; also try the fish/poultry with a sweet/moist side dish such as apple pudding or canned peaches in syrup; & washed down with a sweet 'n sour drink, or decaf, non-irritating herbal tea.
Try always taking fish, poultry or meat tenderized and/or mixed with mayo or sauce, and washed down with a healthy drink, such as decaf, non-irritating herbal tea.
Potatoes, Instant Potatoes, or similar starches/grains Constipation Dilute with sufficient water and/or other lubricants, so it's liquidy enough. Note that potatoes and dense starches such as corn starch (a.k.a. "modified food starch), especially when non-diluted, can have an inflammatory effect, causing pain.
Citrus, Acid, Vinegar

Vitamin C may also be red flag (even "hypoallergenic"

Acid stomach, heartburn, or triggers heavy menses (citrus/kiwi/pineapple/C can cause tongue/genital sores, rash or acne - see this acne info.) Avoid taking with starch/cake
Avoid taking with tea or chocolate/caffeine products
Avoid taking any acids or hot water with any form of onion/garlic
Avoid too-vinegary pasta
INSTEAD:
try taking citrus with sugar and proteins such as creams/cheeses, tuna, chicken & meat; or take pasta with mayo or oil.
If Vitamin-C causes you problems, try Kirkman's Unflavored Buffered C(Powder) and take just a pinch mixed in water.
(WARNING: if acid triggers menses, irritations or acne, avoid during week you expect period, or avoid altogether)
Vegetable Salad Heartburn, Irritation Try taking the salad without raw onions, and less vinegar but more oil if you suffer heartburn
Try peeling tomatoes & seedless cucumbers if skins & seeds irritate you (though it's tricky peeling tomatoes, it's still possible)
Chocolate products Constipation
(uh... some people think so...
I strongly disagree. 		Try taking in a non-bitter, slightly-sweet, creamy form such as chocolate cake or choco-chip cookies together with decaf herbal teas. An even stronger laxative is York mint patties at end of meal.
(WARNING: if chocolate triggers menses, avoid during week you expect period, or avoid altogether)
   [ditto] Irritated colon or triggers heavy menses Try chocolate in the form of choco cake or choco-chip cookies (since cake is combined with eggs, and the eggs' lysine counteracts the cocoa's arginine.
AVOID taking with citrus, & avoid caustic bitter forms such as Oreo's or Cadbury's (& also avoid mint patties)
NOTE: If you're lactose intolerant, then dairy chocolate may be a problem, though note, you may actually be allergic to calcium rather than lactose.
You may want to avoid chocolate during week you expect your period (or avoid altogether)
Red Grapes Irritated Stomach, Acne Try taking with cheeses or oily proteins
If triggers acne, just avoid it...
Carbonated Drinks Gas, Bloating, Irritation, Heartburn Avoid taking on empty stomach (or you may have to avoid it altogether)
Cucumbers, Watermelon Gas, Bloating, Irritation Try taking with sour cream & cottage cheese as a meal by itself (& wait awhile before eating other stuff)
Mint Acid Reflux (heartburn) Avoid peppermint.
INSTEAD:
Try it in the form of milder spearmint or after-dinner mints. Note that Celestial Seasonings makes a delicious tea, Mint Magic, that has a combo of more spearmint than peppermint, and I find it's milder & good for my digestion.
Spicy food, horseradish, mustard & the like Heartburn, sores Try taking with mayo, creams & cheeses (see Bartoshuk on "hot peppers & dairy", though I don't understand why she recommends capsaicin for sores. Since spicy food, such as BBQ chips causes me tongue sores)
Apples Constipation, irritation, drying-out effect, heartburn Try taking at end of substantial meal (it acts as a binder & may help elimination); or, to avoid irritation, take with cheeses. Or try baked-apple;
or apple pie/pudding/sauce (I find that apple bars with less ratio of apples, cause less heartburn than, say, apple crisp)
(WARNING: if apple triggers menses, avoid during week you expect period, or avoid altogether)
Onion/Garlic Stomach irritation, nausea, nose & throat, mouth sores, etc. See: Garlic/Onion As Culprit Site
Also, try sauteeing it well first (in canola, not olive oil) with water and some sugar added during sauteeing. Sweet onions such as Vidalia may be less problematic.
Avoid combining any form of onion/garlic with any type of acid or hot water. I.E. onion-garlic chips with citric/malic acid in ingredients.
Spinach (& prunes? & Pau D'Arco tea? & canned food scraped from sides of can) Metallic taste in mouth Experiment & try cooking spinach with sugars and/or creams or eggs.
Conjecture: Might it be the oxallic acid or other acid combined with iron in some of these foods that, together, react to cause metallic taste? Same goes for acid-containing foods cooked in iron pans.
IN GENERAL:
  • Foods/drinks/supplements (e.g. spices, citrus, Vitamin C) which cause you tongue or throat sores, may very possibly cause similar conditions in the genital area as well.
  • Hot drinks tend to cause foods/supplements to become more potent. So, for example, a potent food such as citrus may be even more irritating when added to hot tea. On the other hand, the nerve relaxer, GABA, may become even more beneficial when crushed and mixed with hot water.
  • If you're usually cold, eat/drink lots of warm stuff, especially in cold weather.
  • If you're a dehydrated type, drink alot, & accompany dry foods with lubricants.
  • When eating sour foods, try to balance them with buffers such as lite cheeses, oils, bitters & a drop of sweetener.
  • Astringent foods such as grapes & apples can be balanced with lite cheeses & creams. And vice versa. Or eat them plain. Your choice.
  • When eating sugary junk food such as doughnuts, try accompanying them with bitterish herbal teas such as mullein, or follow up with green salads.
  • When eating veggies, try accompanying them with some lite oil and sea salt.
  • And let your common sense fill in (or omit) anything I may have (or should have) omitted!

Some Related Tips & Some "Not-So-Related" Trivia

MINERAL OIL MINISTRATION

For babies' constipation: If yucky gook remains stuck inside there, smear a finger liberally with mineral oil, and stick the finger far enough inside to spur the stuff to eject.

HEARTBURN / HIATUS HERNIA HELP

I have heartburn (officially called GERD - gastro esophagul reflux, often caused by hiatus hernia) which causes burny acid to back up my gullet when I'm lying down. Here's a tip I once read which never fails to help:
When lying in bed, instead of facing to the left, I turn over and lie on left side facing toward the RIGHT.

Strong foods such as too much vinegar, vinegary starch (pasta/potato salads), paprika, raw garlic, raw onions, peppermint candy, peppermint tea can cause me acid reflux and even allergies.
Note: Decaf spearmint tea is more mild, therefore good for me. Also, mildly vinegary, onion-free veggie salads with oil are O.K., though note that I recently realized that even the lite version of olive oil can be irritating to me

MOUTH SORES/ TONGUE SORES / SORE THROAT

Are you the type (like me) to be prone to dry mouth, mouth sores and sore throat? Try yogurt, or peach yogurt - it helps rejuvenate my mouth moisture and buffer irritants better than anything I've tried to date. Licorice-root tea/extract and a combo of mullein/mallow tea should also help. Also, I find that smearing Sensodyne on the tongue sores can give me temporary relief. I've also read about someone helped by opening a Vitamin-E oil capsule & smearing it on. Biotene products are good for dry mouth. As for foods to avoid? Try avoiding salty chips, or barbeque chips. Also, you may want to think twice before taking products that are too-lemony. Even lemon-cake with too much lemon extract added has caused me mouth sores, as has kiwi & raw-pineapple. Also, to avoid a long-lasting sore throat (& cold), think twice before taking products containing raw onions such as oniony-salads & herring, or raw garlic such as garlicky pickles; also avoid combining lemon with garlic-powder to season anything, since the lemon can cause the garlic-irritant to become more potent, and can trigger a bad sore-throat & cold. (Yogurt, mayonnaise, oil, creams and eggs have the effect of buffering the potency of foods such as spices, lemon, dark-chocolate & black-tea.) Also avoid potent menthol products such as red&white-striped peppermint candies, or mint jelly that contains potent mint-oil, but plain spearmint is OK, as it's not as potent as spearmint-oil. Note too, that hot water intensifies the potency of already-potent foods. For example, when I crush GABA, and mix it into warm-hot water, that really intensifies its relaxing effects.
Finally, here's an excellent Mouth Sore Site and also My Site For Heavy Bleeding & Sores.

DIARRHEA

Forget the BRAT diet, as I recently learned it does not have a basis. Instead, (though I myself have not yet tried this) I read that calcium carbonate helped a woman's severe diarrhea when nothing else would. I believe she said that the ingredients should be the same ingredients as those listed on the Caltrate product. You might also try chewing charcoal tablets thoroughly & mushing that in your mouth together with some cottage cheese, before swallowing. Also make sure to avoid citrus, acidic foods, excessive sweets, peppermint, chocolate, and sweet pastries, as all these can trigger irritation and diarrhea.

GAS

Sometimes I'm forced by family occasions to change my routine & diet, which results in IBS. For IBS-gas such as that which comes after straining toward a bowel movement, I find that if I eat a lightly-salted ricecake smeared with mayonnaise, followed by a few sips of pure water (or boiled water) to quench my thirst, it helps calm my stomach spasms.

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T-TIPS:

The Three "T"s of Taste, Texture & Temperature need to be taken into constant consideration. Some examples:

  • If you're prone to constipation, then an ideal combo of five Tastes as well as moist Texture as well as warm Temperature foods may be advisable
  • If you have a dry, tender throat or stomach, avoid rough Texture foods such as coarse breads, bran, and rough-kerneled popcorn. Likewise, avoid acidic Tasting or scalding Temperature foods.
  • If you're cold or constipated, avoid cold Temperature foods. On the other hand, if you have an irritated throat and stomach, then cool Temperature and mucuosy Texture foods such as ice cream, sweet mango, and fresh black cherries are very soothing.
Q-TIPS (Cute Tips):
  • Better-Than-Applesauce - Mix applesauce (from jar) with some boiled distilled water
  • Yogurt Mix - Mix Axelrod Plain, Non-fat, whey-containing yogurt with store-brand flavored yogurt, or with applesauce or mango puree, etc.
  • Be attuned to your own body. If you feel sorta stiff after eating something, think: Did it have dense fat? or calcium? Maybe you're allergic to calcium which caused inflammation? If you feel sore-throaty & headachy, might you have eaten hamburger containing non-sauteed onion or garlic? Maybe you're intolerant to onion/garlic causing inflammation? If you feel soreness & inflammation somewhere, or have acne: Maybe this was triggered by any citrus you ate?
  • Do you have a cute tip to offer? You're welcome to post it in the discussion or feedback areas.
HERE'S AN INTERESTING LINK:   TASTE BUDS


Some more personal trivia...
For years, I've been following the rules. Y'know the spiel: "By all means avoid too much sugar, stick to leafy greens, protein, fruit, ad nauseum..." Yet with all that, I suffered IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and constipation. And I STILL DO to some extent. However, I have found that this is the best format which helps me avoid constipation: And that's  x (besides avoiding too-much carbonated drinks, or chewing-gum which create gas pockets),  x I make sure to eat sufficient sweet stuff, not discounting choco-chip or fudge cookies, sweet-crunchy breakfast cereal, or the like - not too many sweets or one's system can become acid. The ideal is to have an alkaline system  x I also make sure to eat meals which are not dry, rather moistened. For example, I always make instant potatoes with MORE rather than less water, and I always make sure to add a lubricant to it such as oil or marg.  x I never take seeded-cukes or watermelon on an empty stomach ('twould create air-bubbles just as soda & gum does).  x I make sure to mix cukes with sour-cream/cottage, or oil & sprinkle on some salt x I also use sour-cream/cottage to buffer acidic fruit such as oranges. Speak of acidic fruit, both pineapple and kiwi, as well as citrus, cause me to get sores on my tongue, acne, and genital soreness.  x I try avoiding acidic citrus drinks, and if I do take citrus-drinks it's only diluted & only w/protein meals such as chicken, tuna, eggs or cheese (see author Richard Israel, who i.m.o. makes the most sense).  x I also try avoiding apple on an empty stomach, because it can have an abrasive effect on my stomach lining. It can also cause heartburn (see Food Combo chart)  x I try avoiding cold water during substantial meals, rather sticking to warm-drinks, or room-temp.  x IF EATING CAKE, the drink should be sweet or bitter-sweet, but not acidic. Most preferable & healthy is decaf herbal tea, such as spearmint, licorice, mullein, slippery elm, etc. IF EATING PROTEIN, the drink can be mildly sour, or sweet 'n sour. But ice-water during large, sedentary meal is bad news.  x I'd also try avoiding NUTS & PLASTIC-TEXTURED SKINS. For example, whenever I eat pepper or tomato, I try to peel them as best as I can (despite the difficulty in peeling them). I also peel cukes, apples & plums. As for peaches, grapes & grape tomatoes? What the heck, I don't bother peeling those. NUTS are the worst offenders i.m.o. unless perhaps they're baked inside oatmeal cookies, etc. or else eaten together with salad and sweetened-dressing. Even Babe Ruth or peanut brittle is better than plain, chalky peanuts, since the sugar in the former aids digestion. I think it's the dry, calcium-texture of nuts that causes them to dry the stools.


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Footnote... here's a post I saw from someone else that somewhat jives with mine. (Just so you read more than one opinion)

Re: Some ideas for how to break the vicious cycle of constipation
by rdhart (WebMD), 10/28/99 07:56:54

Hi everyone. I don't usually reply, I'm a reader! But I just couldn't pass this one by.

First, I have a son, 16, one on the way,& have been a daycare worker for many years. So, while I'm not a doctor, I have a lot of experience & have seen what works & what doesn't.

To get to the constipation topic, something that nobody has mentioned is that if you are going to use bran in a child's diet, or even an adults, to alleviate constipation, it won't do a bit of good unless the child drinks AT LEAST 6, eight ounce GLASSES of water a day. (NOT 8 ounces of water a day, as someone suggested!) This doen't include juices or milk. Bran can actually CAUSE constipation without the proper amount of water in the diet. Bran works by absorbing moisture in the intestines & adding that moisture to the bulk (poop). Mineral oil is not the only oil that can be used to lubricate the intestines. Have you ever tried to get a mouthful down? YUK!!! Why not try using other types oil more liberally in the diet of the child?

Most health conscious adults unknowingly cause constipation in their children because they have eliminated most of the fats in their diet. While this is neccessary for most adults, children need a certain amount of fat in their diet. Their little bodies are NOT the same as an adults.

If there is a problem with a dairy intolerence, which by the way is the most common cause of childhood chronic constipation, don't use butter or margarine. Use more healthy oils, like canola or extra virgin olive oil. Use them in place of butter to scramble an egg or saute those veggies.

Dairy products should be suspect first thing if your child has chronic constipation. Remove ALL dairy, (cow's milk), products from the diet for AT LEAST ONE MONTH. It can take this long for the body to adjust & for the child to learn to stop "holding it in" due to pain. Another area over looked, is that not all sweets are harmful to a child. In fact, sweets can aid in eliminating constipation. Use "natural" sugars every day. Applesauce, even the sweetened kind, will not harm a child, in moderation. Afterall, in infants, one of the "cures" for constipation is a few ounces of "sugar water" in the bottle.

Above all, avoid the following foods that are prescribed for loose bowel movements: BANANAS SPINACH RICE & TOAST to name a few.

[INTERRUPTION BY ME: I disagree with rdhart. First of all, I think that spinach, rice & toast are OK when given with proper combinations of accompanying foods. Secondly, I personally find even lite olive oil to be irritating, let alone virgin - I'm just raising a red flag for ultra-sensitive people. Thirdly, I don't see why bananas should be bad, because they're sweet & gel-like. I once read that they have both properties, helping for diarhea and constipation. Here is my recipe for children's constipation.]

[continuation of rdhart]: Also, the last thing to consider is, "Is my child getting TOO MUCH IRON?". Don't forget, iron is constipating. Avoid foods high in iron for a short time. Watch that multivitamin too. Try eliminating it or switching to one with a lower iron content, just for a short time.

Yes children need iron, however they also need to eliminate the waste in their bodies so they don't re-absorb the toxins that need to be eliminated. Reducing iron intake until the child's bowel problems clear up will not cause long term problems.

Use common sense. Yes prune juice may work, but it is high in iron & can cause cramping & very loose movements which can then be another problem in itself. You can get the child in a cycle of hard stool, watery stool, hard stool, etc.

And above all, keep in touch with your pediatrician, but don't rule out some of the natural remedies that your Mom or Grandmom may have used. While some of them are clearly outdated, others are full of common sense and work if modified to fit what we know today about good health & nutrition


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FOR BEST RESULTS, THESE "EMERGENCY" RECIPES SHOULD BE PRECEDED BY:
Drinking one to two cups of boiled distilled water (NOT scalding)

AND FOLLOWED BY:
1. Relaxing awhile (if reclining, do so on your left side for best digestion). THEN:
2. Taking a brisk walk or mild exercise, such as cooking, vacuuming etc. THEN:
3. Bending forward between knees while on toilet (Oriental-style "crouching" toilets are natural way!
    Another option to try: Lift toilet seat & sit on toilet rim, hunched over

Note: These recipes give non-instant results, but less cramps compared to commercial "instant relief".

FUDGE-GRAHAM EMERGENCY RECIPE
(Expect results - but not instant results!)

Preferably first thing in morning, drink hot water, then eat:
Two fudge grahams OR brownies
WITH
4-6 oz. vanilla yogurt OR sour cream
WASHED DOWN WITH
Celestial Seasonings Mint Magic Tea (but not pure peppermint tea)
OR delicious Celestial Amond Sunset Tea, or Licorice tea with some molasses added OR mullein tea OR ginseng green tea OR try other non-citrus tea (not too potent). Note that citrus can combine badly with fiber/starch, so stick to milder teas. Also note that certain harsher teas might be made tolerable by mixing in a licorice tea-bag

  • Experiment adding a tsp. of Lemon Juice AND/OR Canola Oil AND/OR molasses OR honey to the yogurt. You can add ripe-bananas, canned peaches, etc.
  • Experiment with substituting milk or buttermilk for the yogurt (though yogurt is healthiest of all)
  • Experiment with other fudgy cake products containing some chocolate and/or sweet-syrupy ingredients (but NO nuts in ingredients)
TRY THIS "GOO-GONE" EMERGENCY RECIPE (non-dairy)

1 tsp sugar
1/4 - 1/2 tsp lemon juice (if tolerable)
2 TB lite oil
Mix the above thoroughly & gulp down

FOLLOW THE ABOVE WITH:
Two fudge grahams OR brownies/choco cake

CHEW THOROUGHLY & EAT THEM WITH:

Honey-sweetened warm water
(NOTE: Molasses-hot-water may be better)

OR Celestial Seasonings Mint Magic Tea (but not peppermint tea) OR Celestial Cherry-Berry tea, Celestial Amond Sunset Tea, or Licorice tea OR mullein tea OR try other non-citrus tea (not too potent)

CHILD CONSTIPATION BREAKFAST RECIPE
(If this results in diarrhea, try eliminating some of the sweet stuff. Experiment to see what's best.)

1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp canola oil
MIX THE ABOVE THOROUGHLY INTO:
4 oz. vanilla yogurt
Slice in banana, or canned peaches
Give child to eat.

FOLLOW THAT WITH:

Two fudge grahams OR brownies/choco cake
OR waffles with jam or maple-syrup
CHEWED THOROUGHLY & EATEN WITH:
Sweet hot cocoa
OR ELSE, CHILD CAN EAT THEM WITH:
Warmed applejuice/water combo or with nectar

NOTES:
Don't give child plain milk. NO plain milk and NO plain hard cheese. Rather, add sweet cereal to the milk or feed child cheese together with sliced apple, or else give the cheese together with sliced cucumber or red pepper, or together with tomato on whole-wheat bread. Also, butter sandwiches should be with veggies on whole grain bread.

The following breakfast recipe caused me slight diarrhea, but I think it sorta cleaned me out:

4 oz. strawberry yogurt (mixed with some sour cream)
followed by Pau D'Arco tea (I imagine licorice tea or other decaf herbal tea may work as well)
followed by a tsp. lite oil
finished off with: 1/3 cup applejuice (microwaved for 15 seconds)

...AND FOR LUNCH OR DINNER, TRY THIS:
Warm, liquidy, meal which includes tender chicken nuggets or fish sticks. Their breading combined with their oiliness, helps motility, toward a bowel movement.

...AND FOR AN EASY DELICIOUS DESSERT, TRY THIS:
AppleSauce "Tea" - just add boiled distilled water to several TB applesauce. Mix, & Voila!

Anyone who has a good emergency recipe that works for their constipation, may contact me and I may add it to this list. Please include pen name you wish displayed with recipe (& if you'd like your email address displayed, you may include that too.)

HI SALVATION AMY:
I NAME IS G---- AND I HAVE BEEN A FOLLOWER OF CONSTIPATION SALVATION SINCE OCTOBER 2001. YOUR ARTICLES HAVE BEEN OF TREMENDOUS HELP AND INFORMATION. I FOUND AN ITEM THAT WILL BE OF INTEREST TO YOU. DANNON COMPANY HAS DEVELOPED A LOW FAT YOGURT CALLED ACTIVIA THAT CONTAINS A LIVE INTESTINAL BACTERIA CALLED BIFIDUS REGULARIS THAT THEY CLAIM WILL HELP REGULATE THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM BY REDUCING THE LONG INTESTINAL TRANSIT TIME. I FOUND THIS YOGURT TO BE VERY EFFECTIVE AFTER TAKING A SERVING OF IT AFTER ONLY 3 DAYS. IT IS DESCRIBED UNDER WWW.ACTIVIA.COM. IT IS AVAILABLE AT Wal-Mart AND COMES IN SEVERAL FAVORS.THE STOCK KEEPERS TELL ME THAT THIS YOGURT IS VERY POPULAR AND IT SELLS OUT FAST. HOPE THIS INFORMATION WILL BE OF INTEREST TO YOU.
BEST REGARDS,
GASFF
ANOTHER READER CONTRIBUTION:

My constipation salvation recipe is beets – lots of red beets, does it for me every time. I always make fresh, so I’m not sure if canned would have the same effect.

To cook beets:
Chop off the tops and tails and put the entire thing (unpeeled) in salted, simmering water
Cook until tender throughout (this make take a while)
Drain water and let beets cool to room temperature (or at least a temperature you can handle them at)
THEN, peel the skin from the beets – it will practically slide off the beet.

I usually slice or chop the beets and eat them with salad dressing. My favorite dressing recipe uses Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, a pinch of sugar & salt, a healthy dose of black pepper and fresh dill.
Also, since the cooking and cooling may take a while, I usually do the first two steps on one day and leave the last two for the next day.

Thanks for the site!
JanFran

 






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MY THEORY RE: SECONDARY CAUSES OF FIBROMYALGIA PAIN

Based on my experiences with pain, I discovered that:

Some computer monitors, especially when new, can contain toxic flame retardant chemicals that off-gas over time and create toxic dust that, when inhaled, can cause me a multitude of symptoms. This is borne out by the findings of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition. It's worse when viewed in poorly ventilated rooms. I also speculate that brighter screens may be worse, because maybe the heat generated from the brighter light can cause more off-gasing of the PBDE flame retardants. These are the symptoms I get from many newer monitors: Dizziness, migraine, muscle & tooth pain, accelerated metabolism, and urethral bleeding. NOTE: Some monitors are better than others. I've been in contact with some photosensitives who find Thinkpads less problematic, but frankly, I now think the crux of the issue is the PBDEs more than photosensitivity. I think the issues of "electromagnetic field sensitivity" and "photosensitivity" may be lesser issues than the PBDE issue.

Sitting for long stretches of time without stretching & exercising legs, have caused me prolonged pain for days in my thigh joints, and also lately in my knee. I suspect it's because my unabsorbed calcium crystals (or calcium-phosphates) collect in those joints. I suspect I have alot of fat & calcium clogging my bloodstream causing poor circulation (research Sarcopenia). Or it may be trapped energy, from my hyperactive nerves, that's causing the pain and wearing out my body tissues, just as some kundalini experimenters find.

Certain SATURATED DAIRY-FAT foods, and perhaps also SATURATED NON-DAIRY-FAT foods, cause me prolonged muscle pain for days after eating them. Among the former foods are: Ice-Cream, pizza, & milk-chocolate bars. I suspect it may be because the calcium-plus-fat combination causes blockage of blood flow to muscles. Perhaps saturated non-dairy fat also causes blockage. Note, too, that oily concentrated starches, such as potato chips, or oily onion rolls, cause me pain. Dense/starchy potatoes, especially if combined with oil (rather than water-logged) cause me pain. Licorice twists eaten excessively also cause me pain (note that it contains starch). Licorice also contains corn syrup which causes my muscle (and tooth) pain to flare - I'm wary of stuff with corn syrup listed among ingredients. And sometimes concentrated cereals, especially the ones which have dry milk in the ingredients, such as Quaker Honey Graham cereal - cause me pain.

Here are some links relating to this:
Fat-Pain Connection (Dr. Bic)
Fat-Migraine Connection

SOURCE-OF-PAIN EXPERIMENT:

You can experiment by seeing if any of these cause you pain, by experimenting with each of them approx. a week:

  • NON-FAT DAIRY (skim milk) - avoid saturated fats during week of experiment
  • NON-SUGARY DAIRY-FAT (hard cheeses) - avoid sugars/carbs during week of experiment
  • SUGARY NON-DAIRY-FAT (Hershey's Dark Chocolate) - avoid dairy and nuts during week of experiment (maybe "dairy" problems are in fact a calcium allergy! I read of a man and woman who had problems with lactaid & orange juice respectively, due to their being fortified with calcium!
  • SUGARY DAIRY-FAT (ice cream, milk chocolate)

For those fibromyalgics who don't mind browsing thru "medicalese", here are some informative links including cutting-edge PHOSPHOCITRATES research by Dr. Cheung, which sounds very promising in actually preventing (if not curing) calcification of joints:

E-Medicine: Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition Disease

Q: Is CPPD a.k.a. Chondrocalcinosis a.k.a. Pseudogout? I believe it is.
Q: How large a subgroup of FMers in actuality have CPPD? No statistics available.
Q: Does a subset of FMers have borderline hypercalcemia? No statistics available.
Intelihealth: Hypercalcemia Can Predispose to the Development of CPPD
Pubmed: Phosphocitrate as strategy for crystal deposition disease
Pubmed: Phosphocitrate blocks calcification of cartilage
Pubmed: High bone turnover in fibromyalgia
Pubmed: Calcium & Disease
Dr. Kingsley: tartar-control for joints - ANK gene



ELECTROSENSITIVE TO YOUR COMPUTER MONITOR? CONSIDER THIS:

The issue of EMF sensitivity (and photosensitivity?) to computer monitors and TV's may be a decoy, distracting from the worse issue as follows: Some computer monitors, especially when new, can contain toxic flame retardant chemicals that off-gas over time and create toxic dust that, when inhaled, can cause a multitude of symptoms, according to the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, and there's also a lawsuit in progress against Sharp Corp. with the object of the lawsuit being a TV which caused a guy's health to deteriorate. It's worse when viewed in poorly ventilated rooms. I also speculate that brighter screens may be worse, because maybe the heat generated from the brighter light can cause more off-gasing of the PBDE flame retardants? It's something to consider. Anyway, these are the symptoms I get from many newer monitors (no matter whether CRT or LCD): Dizziness, migraine, muscle & tooth pain, accelerated metabolism, and urethral bleeding. NOTE: Some monitors are better than others. I've been in contact with some photosensitives who find Thinkpads less problematic, but frankly, I now think the crux of the issue is the PBDEs more than photosensitivity. I think the issues of "electromagnetic field sensitivity" and "photosensitivity" may be the more minor ones as compared to the PBDE issue.


DO YOU HAVE CREAKY, CRACKING, NOISY JOINTS? CONSIDER THIS:

I have suffered noisy joints since my teens. The "official" line has always been that it's perfectly "normal" to have noisy joints. Well, never for one minute did I believe their ridiculous jargon. For one thing, I knew I was most limber as a child and during that period my joints didn't crack. In my teens, with the onset of various other health problems, that's when my joints began cracking. I also noticed that most peoples' joints did not make noise, but were rather rubbery and limber (including some exceptionally flexible people who are capable of voluntarily cracking their knuckles). Also, it's quite obvious that chronically ill geriatrics often have creaky joints. And finally, the strongest proof I have, is that the toes on my left foot snap-crackle-pop upon flexing them, but not the toes on my right foot. And guess what? My left big-toes periodically swell painfully, but my QUIET-JOINTED RIGHT-TOES DO NOT SWELL.

HEALTH LINKS:

Computer Monitor Pain
Harold Kristal, DDS - Calcium is not indicated for Oxidative Alkaline people
Calcium Needs to be Given Judiciously
Dr. Dean Re: Calcium Supplements
How Body Rots & Rusts
How Body Acid Displaces Minerals
Parasite Cleanse Useless Until Metals Removed
Digital Naturopath Re: Liver Detox
Digital Naturopath Coffee Enema
Food Properties (Chinese Medicine)
Warm Water + Exercise Activates Intestines, Kidneys, Liver
Garden of Life Products
Liquid Calcium/Magnesium (If you're calcium tolerant)
HypoAllergenic Vitamin C (If you're acid tolerant)
Vitamin C & Sulfur Intolerance Can Be Caused By Copper Deficiency
Facts On Various Oils (Note that some people are intolerant of virgin oil despite hype)
Mercury Poisoned
Vibrational Medicine
Energy Medicine
Frequency Machines Testimonial
Progesterone For Interstitial Cystitis?



CREDITS:

Thank you, Paul Lutus, for your generosity & empathic wisdom in creating the wonderfully user-friendly Arachnophilia HTML Editor!
Thank you, MisterPoll for your survey script, ExtremeTracking & TheCounter for your counters, & IconBazaar for your quality gifs!