Poop
LunaTheFatCat
Posts: 237 Member
There. I said it.
I've been suffering with tummy troubles for the last 2-3 weeks. I just can't go.
I've started taking fiber supplements 3 times a day and upped my water intake (2 litres a day, plus my coffees and teas. I don't log no-calorie drinks should you check my food diary).
I've even resorted to a laxative tablet 3 times, which works a dream. But obviously that's not the answer.
What else can I do? Should I just ride this out, as it's only about a month since I'm back here and I've cut out a lot of sugar/crappy snacks.
It's not quite bad enough for me to go to a doctor yet.
I've been suffering with tummy troubles for the last 2-3 weeks. I just can't go.
I've started taking fiber supplements 3 times a day and upped my water intake (2 litres a day, plus my coffees and teas. I don't log no-calorie drinks should you check my food diary).
I've even resorted to a laxative tablet 3 times, which works a dream. But obviously that's not the answer.
What else can I do? Should I just ride this out, as it's only about a month since I'm back here and I've cut out a lot of sugar/crappy snacks.
It's not quite bad enough for me to go to a doctor yet.
3
Replies
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Oh I sympathise. I've been there and it's so uncomfortable. Some people find that fizzy (carbonated) water helps more than still water in this situation. Rather than a fibre supplement, how about eating actual fibre, such as oat bran, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, peas, fruits and vegetables? Have you tried probiotic yoghurt? (That really helps me.) Are you getting some exercise? Walking can help to get things moving. Good luck!4
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I agree with @charmmeth
In addition my personal experience -
The best Ayurvedic remedy that has worked for me is having a spoonful of ghee with hot water or hot milk as the last meal of the day...
Prunes have also helped me a lot...
Also one spoon of soaked sabja seeds provides 6g fiber without adding much to your carbs count...
Apart from this, you can try the complete squat pose from yoga, that helps too.1 -
Thanks. Yes it's annoying! I think my diet is fairly okay. I'm eating fruit and veg. Didn't think of seeds and I actually have a bag of "super seed mix", so will add that to my yogurt, thanks. I do plenty of walking and exercise.
Never heard of fizzy water, worth the try! I was also thinking maybe prune juice of something.0 -
Prune juice, yes: it works, but I just really dislike it.
Stewed apple with yoghurt tastes better in my view and helped me. (Just chop up a couple of apples and put them in a couple of tablespoons of water in a saucepan. Heat gently to 15-20 minutes to mush it down a bit; great with yoghurt. You can add raisins too.) Cranberry juice is good for UTIs and I sometimes wonder if it is effective for the gut too.
Also, do you know the book by Claudia Enders? It's very enlightening as to the position that is most effective to get things moving (yoga squats are exactly right).
It's here: https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Gut-by-Giulia-Enders-David-Shaw-translator/9781925228601.1 -
I checked your profile as I wondered if it might be hormonal. Peri menopause is notorious for causing gastric issues. Maybe you've got that joy coming up!0
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SnifterPug wrote: »I checked your profile as I wondered if it might be hormonal. Peri menopause is notorious for causing gastric issues. Maybe you've got that joy coming up!
Nooooooooooo! I refuse to believe that!
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Thanks @charmmeth and @tushitatravellogue I'll check that out too!0
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I like to eat prunes directly and it works fine..
Prune juice worked wonders for me baby when he had constipation around 6 months mark, at the start of solids.. and it really did solve the problem for him ..3 -
LunaTheFatCat wrote: »SnifterPug wrote: »I checked your profile as I wondered if it might be hormonal. Peri menopause is notorious for causing gastric issues. Maybe you've got that joy coming up!
Nooooooooooo! I refuse to believe that!
Haha .. looks like hormones never stop bothering women
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I've had the same problem for over a year now. Will ddfinitely try some of these.1
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Are you hydrated?1
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I have a sensitive system. I found a YouTube search for anti bloating workout, found a yoga routine that helped relieve some tummy issues.
But i find coffee works a treat. Lots of water and fruits and veggies.1 -
@IronIsMyTherapy I drink 5-7 cups of black coffee during the day and 1-3 cups of earl grey in the evening. In addition 2 litres of water. I really think that should be plenty.
Thanks @AliNouveau the yoga is mentioned a few times, I'll definitely look that up. I actually only recently started taking yoga classes in addition to my normal workouts and to my own surprise I enjoy it.2 -
Tats great.. pls do discuss with your instructor about the relevant poses you can practice..0
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Sometimes it's an abrupt decrease in dietary fats that causes things to come to a grinding halt. A quarter to half an avocado daily helped me with that. Also magnesium supplements can balance things out on that end.7
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Seconding the fats recommendation.
Often, when starting calorie counting, people increase fiber (more veggies & such) but decrease fats (because fat is calorie dense). That's a good recipe for causing constipation.
Usually, something in the range of 0.35 0.45g per pound of bodyweight daily is sufficient
Avocado, nuts, nut butter, seeds, olive oil . . .4 -
I'm really glad I opened this thread, lots of great ideas. Thanks everyone
3 -
Seconding the fats recommendation.
Often, when starting calorie counting, people increase fiber (more veggies & such) but decrease fats (because fat is calorie dense). That's a good recipe for causing constipation.
Usually, something in the range of 0.35 0.45g per pound of bodyweight daily is sufficient
Avocado, nuts, nut butter, seeds, olive oil . . .
Very insightful ... Now I realise it's the same funda with using ghee or plain homemade butter (from cream)... They both increase the fat content ..1 -
tushitatravellogue wrote: »Seconding the fats recommendation.
Often, when starting calorie counting, people increase fiber (more veggies & such) but decrease fats (because fat is calorie dense). That's a good recipe for causing constipation.
Usually, something in the range of 0.35 0.45g per pound of bodyweight daily is sufficient
Avocado, nuts, nut butter, seeds, olive oil . . .
Very insightful ... Now I realise it's the same funda with using ghee or plain homemade butter (from cream)... They both increase the fat content ..
Yup. But most people get enough saturated fats, not enough MUFA/PUFA; and enough Omega 6s but not enough Omega 3s. So, yeah, for the constipation-avoidance purpose, fatty meats, butter, cheese, cream, etc., would work, and also some other benefits. The list I gave was just intending to recommend what would be a more nutrition-balancing set of choices for the average person. Saturated fats or Omega 6s are not The Devil, but many people choose them disproportionately, so not optimum balance.
Should've added fatty cold-water fish to the recommendation list, I'm realizing - I tend to forget it because I'm vegetarian.4 -
tushitatravellogue wrote: »Seconding the fats recommendation.
Often, when starting calorie counting, people increase fiber (more veggies & such) but decrease fats (because fat is calorie dense). That's a good recipe for causing constipation.
Usually, something in the range of 0.35 0.45g per pound of bodyweight daily is sufficient
Avocado, nuts, nut butter, seeds, olive oil . . .
Very insightful ... Now I realise it's the same funda with using ghee or plain homemade butter (from cream)... They both increase the fat content ..
Yup. But most people get enough saturated fats, not enough MUFA/PUFA; and enough Omega 6s but not enough Omega 3s. So, yeah, for the constipation-avoidance purpose, fatty meats, butter, cheese, cream, etc., would work, and also some other benefits. The list I gave was just intending to recommend what would be a more nutrition-balancing set of choices for the average person. Saturated fats or Omega 6s are not The Devil, but many people choose them disproportionately, so not optimum balance.
Should've added fatty cold-water fish to the recommendation list, I'm realizing - I tend to forget it because I'm vegetarian.
Ok now I get the complete picture.. I need to go back and check at my omega 3-omega 6 balance.. am a vegetarian and now I have a feeling am mostly having only saturated fat ..
Thank you so much for the detailed explanation ☺️2 -
LunaTheFatCat wrote: »I'm really glad I opened this thread, lots of great ideas. Thanks everyone
Definitely.. lot of learning for me too.
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Great!
Looking at my diet I reckon the missing fat might be just what I need. I'll be getting myself some smoked salmon for lunch tomorrow and I'll try to find ghee somewhere too (no, won't be making it myself!).3 -
tushitatravellogue wrote: »tushitatravellogue wrote: »Seconding the fats recommendation.
Often, when starting calorie counting, people increase fiber (more veggies & such) but decrease fats (because fat is calorie dense). That's a good recipe for causing constipation.
Usually, something in the range of 0.35 0.45g per pound of bodyweight daily is sufficient
Avocado, nuts, nut butter, seeds, olive oil . . .
Very insightful ... Now I realise it's the same funda with using ghee or plain homemade butter (from cream)... They both increase the fat content ..
Yup. But most people get enough saturated fats, not enough MUFA/PUFA; and enough Omega 6s but not enough Omega 3s. So, yeah, for the constipation-avoidance purpose, fatty meats, butter, cheese, cream, etc., would work, and also some other benefits. The list I gave was just intending to recommend what would be a more nutrition-balancing set of choices for the average person. Saturated fats or Omega 6s are not The Devil, but many people choose them disproportionately, so not optimum balance.
Should've added fatty cold-water fish to the recommendation list, I'm realizing - I tend to forget it because I'm vegetarian.
Ok now I get the complete picture.. I need to go back and check at my omega 3-omega 6 balance.. am a vegetarian and now I have a feeling am mostly having only saturated fat ..
Thank you so much for the detailed explanation ☺️
Mostly, and oversimplifying things, the issue with O-6/O-3 balance is that a lot of oils used in commercial prepared foods are higher in O-6s, and some people use those same oils at home (safflower, sunflower, corn, soybean oils, canola, among others). O-6s are beneficial in the abstract, but many people get too few O-3s relative to O-6s.
That can be particularly an issue for vegetarians, since fatty fish (fish oil) is one of the most commonly-recommended O-3 sources. There are O-3s in some plant foods, but not necessarily the most useful sub-types. Personally, that's one thing for which I take a supplement (algae based DHA).
Info:
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-HealthProfessional/1 -
How has your diet changed since this started? Constipation is typically due to low fiber. In the past, whenever my trainers recommended me to eat more protein, I had this problem. I switched to a mostly plant based diet and havent had any problems since. Try chia seeds, 2 tbsp daily. That really helps!1
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I posted this earlier but it seems to have vanished into the ether, so apologies if it ends up as a duplicate.
I was wondering about your coffee intake. My understanding is that coffee is a diuretic so depending on how big your cups are you could be cancelling out a good proportion of the water you are drinking with the coffee.
Fats makes sense to me as well though. I have just had a low fat day and promptly things start to block up.3 -
Hello! I go through this often. I feel like every day or every other day I’m adding Benefibre supplement to my water, tea, coffee etc or eating 2 prunes as a snack if I’m feeling hungry or as a substitute for a sugar hit.
I’m trying to lose weight so have cut down on carbs, but I do have good yoghurt with nuts and seeds (paleo mix) a couple times a week. Also must drink at least 2 litres of water a day.
Veggies and fruit helps but I’m trying to avoid the sugar in fruit. Avoid pizza or pastries! 😁1 -
Oh I sympathise. I've been there and it's so uncomfortable. Some people find that fizzy (carbonated) water helps more than still water in this situation. Rather than a fibre supplement, how about eating actual fibre, such as oat bran, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, peas, fruits and vegetables? Have you tried probiotic yoghurt? (That really helps me.) Are you getting some exercise? Walking can help to get things moving. Good luck!
Thank you! As I was reading this I had the thought that for a good stretch I was daily but this week I noticed that it was more once every 2-3 days and the only real change in my diet is that I've been eating yogurt every 2-3 days instead of daily like I have been doing for the last several months. And I love my daily fruit and yogurt (had the fruit on it's own instead lately) so I will be going back to it starting today!!0 -
Another little thing to point out is that if you suddenly increased the amount of fibre this can bung you up (and make you farty). If you're already getting enough fibre from your food, it might be helpful to reduce/remove the fibre supplements.
Also you can set up your diary to show fibre, I personally track fibre and I find that very helpful to be able to see it.
But yes, another hand up for fats. It's good for making thing more ... comfortable.2 -
I posted this earlier but it seems to have vanished into the ether, so apologies if it ends up as a duplicate.
I was wondering about your coffee intake. My understanding is that coffee is a diuretic so depending on how big your cups are you could be cancelling out a good proportion of the water you are drinking with the coffee.
Fats makes sense to me as well though. I have just had a low fat day and promptly things start to block up.
This is not really a problem - there is more than enough water in the coffee to cancel out any diuretic effects of the caffeine (caffeine is a VERY mild diuretic).4 -
I posted this earlier but it seems to have vanished into the ether, so apologies if it ends up as a duplicate.
I was wondering about your coffee intake. My understanding is that coffee is a diuretic so depending on how big your cups are you could be cancelling out a good proportion of the water you are drinking with the coffee.
Fats makes sense to me as well though. I have just had a low fat day and promptly things start to block up.
This is not really a problem - there is more than enough water in the coffee to cancel out any diuretic effects of the caffeine (caffeine is a VERY mild diuretic).
I disagree. One cup will have peeing three times per hour and I know many others who are the same. 5-7 cups per day is excessive.1
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