HELP...hate the word, Constipation???What to do?

[MiSunderstood]

Yes, I also wish Nutritiontara would clarify the salt flush questions too. Is it every day for weeks? And lying on the side? Enquiring minds want to know. Also, is that too much sodium each day?

Thanks!

[lydialou]

BlessMS-You have gotten a lot of good advice in the previous posts. One thing to remember is if you do too much high fiber stuff at one time, you will be really bloated. You have to find what works for you and your GI tract. That means you may have to "devote" a lot of time to seeing what works for you and what does not. You may end up doing something for a while to give it time to do its thing in your system.

I am a whole grain kind of girl. I purchase wheat and grind it myself and make my own bread and muffins. That gives me a lot of fiber. I am also one of those people who love to cook the old fashioned oatmeal for breakfast. I throw in dried fruit(cranberries, prunes, blueberries) for a nice sweet taste. I eat yogurt several times a week. It's a great dessert for me. Sometimes I make smoothies and throw some benefiber in that, too. I drink a lot of water (and I also drink coffee and green tea). I find that Benefiber is a wonderful invention. I put it in my coffee and get extra fiber that way. I can't tell any difference in the taste. It's not gritty or thick.

I like foods like sweet potatoes, kale, collards and beans. I generally make a big crockpot of dried beans and then freeze the excess in smaller containers for a quick lunch fix. I like nothing better than a freshly roasted sweet potato (or two) or a bowl of beans for lunch. Great fiber there.

I like apples and oranges and grapefruits and bananas-good grief I have never met a fruit that I didn't like.

I walk and that helps the GI tract, too.

I have a friend who loves the Fiber brownies but they are about the worst thing I have ever put in my mouth (sorry folks-they are icky to me.)

I take magnesium every night (400 mg) for my GI tract, my bones and my old bladder. Magnesium is another wonderful thing to me.

Rarely do I have any GI problems. Knowing what works for me is conforting. As I get older, it is important for me to know my body and what will make it work better.

Good luck with finding the "magic" bullet for you!

lydialou

[nutritiontara]

Originally Posted by MiSunderstood

Yes, I also wish Nutritiontara would clarify the salt flush questions too. Is it every day for weeks? And lying on the side? Enquiring minds want to know. Also, is that too much sodium each day?

Thanks!

Okay here to clarify

1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt dissolved in 6-8 oz. water

Drink first thing in the morning, the whole glass

Lay on right side for ~15 minutes

Get up for your day

Do it everyday until you feel more regular
if you miss a day- do it the next morning.

It is NOT too much salt for the system.

The sodium is necessary for the bowel to hold water - which in turn then hydrates the feces.

[Redwings]

Since we don't know when Tara will be back again, I'll take a stab at some of these questions.

Originally Posted by RockysMom

Tara, is this similar to when I'm given NaCl (sodium chloride) intravenously in the hospital for dehydration?

The "recipe" that Tara gave of 1/2 teaspoon sea salt in 8 oz. of water has a little more sodium than the "normal saline" used for rehydrating by IV. The rationale is to put more sodium into the large intestine than is in the surrounding tissues (making a hypertonic solution). The higher concentration of sodium is what pulls water out of the surrounding intestine and into the feces to hydrate it and help relieve constipation.

Originally Posted by MiSunderstood

Yes, I also wish Nutritiontara would clarify the salt flush questions too. ... And lying on the side? ... Also, is that too much sodium each day?

Water content in the intestinal tract -- and how much is returned to the body -- is regulated in the large intestine. The large intestine continues off of the small intestine on the lower right side of the body and then rises (the [I]ascending[/I] colon), so that could be why Tara recommended lying on the right side -- to get the salt water solution to "puddle" at the start of the large intestine after passing through the small intestine so it can start working there.

I did the math, and the amount of sodium in 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt is about half the recommended maximum for a day's intake. So it's not too much, but it means having to be aware of how much sodium is being taken in from other sources during the day so the maximum isn't exceeded for too many days. For anyone who isn't sure about this and wants more reassurance about the amounts, all of the required numbers are available on the Internet and y'all can do the calculations for your own clarification.

[maitrimama]

That still sounds like a lot sodium. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that a heart healthy diet includes less than 1500 mg of sodium a day, 1/2 teaspoon salt has 1200 mg sodium so that just leaves 300 mg of sodium for the rest of the day. I would think that anyone with heart or blood pressures should talk to their doctor before doing something like this.

[rstowhee]

Originally Posted by maitrimama

That still sounds like a lot sodium. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that a heart healthy diet includes less than 1500 mg of sodium a day, 1/2 teaspoon salt has 1200 mg sodium so that just leaves 300 mg of sodium for the rest of the day. I would think that anyone with heart or blood pressures should talk to their doctor before doing something like this.

One must research 'sea' salt. HUGE difference from table salt, which is so over processed with additives to prevent it from clumping. 'Sea' salt is good for high blood pressure because it's salt as nature intended. Table salt shouldn't be on anyone's table....

[Sequoia]

Originally Posted by rstowhee

One must research 'sea' salt. HUGE difference from table salt, which is so over processed with additives to prevent it from clumping. 'Sea' salt is good for high blood pressure because it's salt as nature intended. Table salt shouldn't be on anyone's table....

I agree that sea salt is better for us than "regular" salt in a variety of ways...but it's still sodium, and my understanding is that sodium is [B]not[/B] good for high blood pressure no matter where it comes from. If you have documentation for your statement, I'd appreciate seeing it.

[Redwings]

Originally Posted by maitrimama

That still sounds like a lot sodium. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that a heart healthy diet includes less than 1500 mg of sodium a day, 1/2 teaspoon salt has 1200 mg sodium so that just leaves 300 mg of sodium for the rest of the day. I would think that anyone with heart or blood pressures should talk to their doctor before doing something like this.

That's an excellent point. The sodium in the saltwater flush is substantial. Whether it's "too much" depends on the desirable reference range for an individual. The Mayo Clinic says, "The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day — or 1,500 mg if you're age 51 or older, or if you are black, or if you have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease."

I think the critical point not to be missed or misinterpreted is that the flush should be used with awareness, in the proper context. I don't agree with Tara, here, that this is a solution to be used beyond the short term, because there's enough evidence that the amount of sodium can, over time, become problematic in the larger picture. I don't believe that broader science necessarily trumps nutritional "evidence," but neither does nutritional "evidence" trump broader science.

There's enough complexity to this that anyone who isn't confident about monitoring their sodium intake down to the milligram over the long term should probably manage their constipation in a different way.

[ClearBlueSky]

Yes, it must be sea salt in a salt water flush. Good quality sea salt. I used RealSalt from Utah. But I eat everything with sea salt from France. It is so good, though, it doesn't have iodine in it.

Now, I have low blood pressure and my chiro said sea salt should elevate it. I'll let you know how it goes when they check it again. RealSalt has 530 mg of sodium per 1/4 tsp, and the French stuff has 540mg. per 1/4 tsp.

[jersey-in-pa]

I use Sena Tea every day. I double bag the cup and let it steep for 15 minutes. I use it close to sleep and it's clear SAILING most mornings

[AnneLouise]

I did the sea salt water flush and it was marvelous!!

I'm pretty regular now, I thank the poop gods. I'd dance if I could.

For 3 weeks, the first thing in the morning was drink 8 ounces of warm water with 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. I usually laid on my right side, but some days I couldn't because of other appointments and what not.

Your stomach opens to the intestines on the right, hence, laying on the right moves concoction faster. Anyway, it helped. Thanks, Tara.

[Mamabug]

Didn't read all of the posts, so maybe this has been suggested. But, digestive enzymes can help with constipation.

~ Faith