- Cultivate the garden called bowel flora–by “seeding” with a high-potency probiotic, enthusiastic consumption of fermented foods, followed by “water and fertilizer” to nourish desired bacterial species with prebiotic fibers.
- Hydrate well.
- Supplement with magnesium. Ever notice that many laxatives are nothing more than forms of magnesium, such as milk of magnesia (magnesium hydroxide)? Virtually everyone begins with a magnesium deficiency that adds to disrupted intestinal motility. This is reversed by supplementing magnesium. However, the degree of stool loosening varies among the different preparations due to their variations in osmotic (water-imbibing) effects.
- Here is where choosing a less efficiently absorbed form of magnesium may be preferable. Such forms cause an osmotic effect, pulling water into the intestines, a benign process compared to irritative laxatives like phenolphthalein or senna that exert low-grade damage over time and are even associated with increased cancer risk. Magnesium water and magnesium malate are among our preferred forms, as they are least likely to generate loose stools while softly helping out with regularity. Magnesium citrate can be used if you do indeed need a bit more stool softening and regularity (which can be due to delayed recovery of intestinal motility after removing wheat and grains). Taking 400 milligrams of magnesium citrate two or three times per day is a good place to start. If nothing happens after 24 hours, one or more doses of 800 to 1,200 milligrams will usually do the trick; then back down to the 400-milligram dose two or three times per day.
- Supplement with fiber. For most people, prebiotic fibers are the only form of fiber you need. Adding fibers beyond prebiotic fibers is not necessary for the majority of people living the Wheat Belly/Undoctored lifestyle. Only a rare person needs to add fiber beyond the prebiotic fibers that we supplement to cultivate bowel flora. Just by adhering to the simple strategies of consuming nuts; seeds such as pumpkin, sesame, chia, flaxseed, and sunflower; eating plenty of vegetable with limited servings of fruit and legumes like chickpeas, you obtain plentiful quantities of cellulose and other fibers. If you are among those who do better with supplemental fiber for “bulk,” ground golden flaxseed, chia seed, and psyllium seed (e.g., 1 tablespoon added to foods) are benign forms.
Not all people practicing a grain free diet have issues with constipation. I have been grain free for three years and never had an issue with this. Almost daily I consume portions of fruit, avocado, nuts and seeds.
Deb wrote: «Not all people practicing a grain free diet have issues with constipation.»
Few do, which was a message of the article above. Or did you mean to say something different?
re: «I have been grain free for three years and never had an issue with this. Almost daily I consume portions of fruit, avocado, nuts and seeds.»
Yep. Most people promptly convert to smooth outcomes, but in a few, correcting the diet reveals latent problems requiring specific attention.
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I still have constipation after being grain free for 5 years. I eat meats, veggies, cheese and yogurt, nuts /seeds, eat chia, take inulin 3x/day, drink water and take probiotics and eat fermented foods (pickles, sauerkraut and kombucha). I still have small, pebbly stools. Very frustrating.
I also eat avocado. And some peanut butter.
Bellamouse wrote: «I got constipated after I eliminated wheat.»
For some context, which program are you following, and for how long? You didn’t mention supplements other than probiotics and a couple of prebiotics, so anyone with insight might need to know where you are on Mg, D3, DHA&EPA, thyroid(and iodine), etc., but Mg in particular (grams of elemental Mg & compound).
re: «…take probiotics…»
Which product?
re: «…use inulin 2-3 times a day … added chia seeds…»
How many grams of prebiotic fiber do you estimate per day? And until adding the chia, was is just inulin? The program recommends working up to 20g/day of mixed and varied (the may not be the issue, but is worth contemplating).
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