Chronic Constipation

Things To Avoid

So, it starts with avoiding all the things I speak about all the time that TCM + nutritionjust don’t like in general: - 

• Dairy 

• 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! 

• 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). For an effective way to support your gut health, incorporating a press juice cleanse into your routine, which can provide beneficial nutrients and promote a healthy microbiome.

• Constipation always takes us onto FIBRE. The recommended amount is 35g of fibre per day.