Tips For Promoting Bowel Health And Preventing Constipation

Ray-Z

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Since bowel problems and constipation are common (and difficult for many people to discuss), I thought it might be helpful to start a thread listing some ideas for dealing with these problems.

Three common Peaty tips are...

(1) Eat a carrot daily to reduce the amount of endotoxin-producing bacteria in the gut.

(2) Supplement with cascara sagrada.

(3) Replace fiber and starch with non-starchy fruits, honey, sugar, &c to avoid feeding bacteria. If you eat potatoes, boil the heck out of them (40+ minutes) to eliminate most of the starch.

Any other tips, strategies, advice, wisdom, &c for promoting bowel health and avoiding constipation?

Thanks in advance to all who contribute.
 
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Ray-Z

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Here's another idea that I think Peat mentioned in a radio interview: Eat a little bit of good saturated fat with each meal to promote intestinal motility. :2cents
 
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nwo2012

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Coffee, it's very effective due to the increase in bile (from gallbladder contraction) and it also stimluates colonic motor activity.
 
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nwo2012

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Thyroid supplements also improve bowel function.
 
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Ray-Z

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nwo2012 said:
Coffee, it's very effective due to the increase in bile (from gallbladder contraction) and it also stimluates colonic motor activity.

Great; thanks. This idea leads to another...Get adequate magnesium from coffee, chocolate, epsom salts, magnesium oil, &c, thereby helping to keep stools moist.
 
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Jenn

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Niacinimide is stimulating too.
Potassium (cream of tartar) I mix some in with epsom salt homemade capsules
Aloe Vera Juice
Volcanoes (baking soda and ACV)
Activate Charcoal instead of carrots
 
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jyb

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nwo2012 said:
Coffee, it's very effective due to the increase in bile (from gallbladder contraction) and it also stimluates colonic motor activity.

I can vouch for this - I noticed coffee increases my chances to go to the restroom within 30mins if I hadn't already gone in the day.
 
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gretchen

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nwo2012 said:
Thyroid supplements also improve bowel function.

Bowel health is related to metabolism so certainly taking something will probably help most people. Salt, aspirin and coffee help some, as well as the carrot salad.
 
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jyb

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On that note, what would you do if you had diarrhea? Say its been a day or two that you go running to the restroom, so you suspect its some stomach bug.

I just had this and it lasted a few day. It's difficult to know what to do, seems like whatever I ate or drank wouldn't digest. I ended up taking charcoal and a massive carrot salad and it stopped, though it could have stopped for any reason. Aspirin or progesterone did not seem to help that much.
 
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cliff

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Cooked bamboo shoots can be another option if carrot salad doesn't help. I've heard people say it works better than the carrot and think ray has maybe said that too.
 
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Mittir

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Ray Peat mentioned in one of his interviews that milk helps with constipation. I can attest to that.
 
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asajulian

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In my experience...

1. Thyroid hormones. I use Nature-Throid and it works very well.
2. Salt (lowers adrenaline and gets you out of the sympathetic nerve activity)
3. Vitamin A, carrot salad.
4. Spending time outdoors and stop thinking about health! (this will also decrease sympathetic nerve activity) :)
 
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FredSonoma

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Does boiling potatoes for 40+ minutes really remove most of the starch? I was under the impression that starch stays starch no matter how long you cook it.
 

BobbyDukes

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I can dig the saturated fat thing. Nothing clogs me up like super low fat dairy. Finding a balance isn't easy though, if the higher fat approach makes you sluggish, and lowers your metabolism (that's just what it does to me).

Cheese is super constipating, in my case. A big no-no. I adore it, but that stuff is really bad (and yes, I am talking about the Peat approved unpasteurised varieties). So, 1% milk is what I do, and even that is pushing it (or holding it, lol).

If you are really desperate for a BM, eating actual apples works for me. Must be all the gut irritant roughage. My bowel soon starts to move after a few apples.

Coffee
 

jaywills

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BobbyDukes said:
I can dig the saturated fat thing. Nothing clogs me up like super low fat dairy. Cheese is super constipating, in my case.

I want to second the above, saturated fat can play a large role in digestion. In the last few weeks I have gone from one BM once every 3 days to twice a day. Here is what I have changed/done

1) slowed done at meals, chewed into mush. For potatoes or meals with density I have mashed the food into liquid
2) sat down at meals
3) swollowed apple cider vinegar and honey at intervals in day
3) stopped dhrinking milk - experienced the white tongue. This suggests digestion issues. If you are to continue drinking milk, do not drink homogenised.
4) increased papaya consumption to twice a day
5) stopped weight lifting or high stress exercise
6) increased Sat fat intake twofold to 70-80 gas a day. Mostly in form of coconut oil and coconut meat.
 

Amazoniac

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Members that are not on bottom;
Tom;

Cascara, energy, cancer and the FDA's laxative abuse.

"Despite the greater prevalence of constipation in women and older people, even specialists in gastroenterology are very unlikely to consider the role of hypothyroidism or other endocrine problems in chronic constipation."

"Aging and stress increase some of the inflammatory mediators, tending to reduce the barrier function of the bowel, letting larger amounts of bacterial toxins enter the bloodstream, interfering with energy metabolism, creating inflammatory vicious circles of increasing leakiness and inflammation."

"Often people visualize something like a sausage casing when they think of the intestine, but when the intestine is becoming inflamed its wall may swell to become an inch thick. As it thickens, the channel narrows to a few millimeters in diameter, and may even close in some regions. In the swollen, edematous, inflamed condition the contractile mechanism of the smooth muscle is impaired. The failure of contraction is caused by the same structural changes that increase permeability. (Garcia, et al., 1996; Skarsgard, et al., 2000; Plaku and von der Weid, 2006; Uray, et al., 2006; Miller and Sims, 1986; Schouten, et al., 2008; Gosling, et al., 2000.)"

"Obviously, in the very swollen, structurally deformed intestine, with almost no lumen [very constricted but thick walls], neither a stimulant nor a simple fibrous bulk could restore functioning, because even with stimulation the smooth muscle is unable to contract, and the closed channel won’t admit bulk. Even gas is sometimes unable to pass through the inflamed intestine. Mechanical thinking about the intestine fails when inflammation is involved; now that inflammation is known to play an important role in Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease, it will be more acceptable to consider its role in constipation."

"The contractile ability of smooth muscle, that’s impaired by swelling and inflammation, can be restored by antiinflammatory agents, for example aspirin (or other inhibitor of prostaglandin synthesis) or antihistamines."

"Emodin and the anthraquinones (and naphthoquinones, such as lapachone) weren’t the reagents that Koch considered the most powerful, but emodin can produce to some degree all of the effects that he believed could be achieved by correcting the cellular respiratory apparatus: Antiinflammatory, antifibrotic (Wang, et al., 2007) antiviral, antidepressant, heart protective, antioxidant, memory enhancing, anticancer, anxiolytic and possibly antipsychotic."

"An effective laxative (besides preventing inflammation) causes not only coordinated contraction of the smooth muscles of the intestine, but also adjusts secretions and absorption, so that an appropriate amount of fluid stays in the intestine, and the cells of the intestine don’t become water-logged."

"In the presence of bacterial endotoxin, respiratory energy production fails in the cells lining the intestine. Nitric oxide is probably the main mediator of this effect.
The shift from respiration to glycolysis, from producing carbon dioxide to producing lactic acid, involves a global change in cell functions, away from specialized differentiated functioning, toward defensive and inflammatory processes."

"This global change involves a change in the physical properties of the cytoplasm, causing a tendency to swell, and to admit dissolved substances that normally wouldn’t enter the cells.
The interface between the cells lining the intestine and the bacteria-rich environment involves processes similar to those in cells at other interfacial situations throughout the body--kidney, bladder, secretory membranes of glands, capillary cells, etc. The failure of the intestinal barrier is especially dangerous, because of the generalized toxic consequences, but the principles of maintaining and restoring it are general, and they have to do with the nature of life."

"Besides endotoxin, estrogen, vibrational injury, radiation, aging, cold, and hypoosmolarity, increase NO synthesis and release, and increase cellular permeabilities throughout the body.
Estrogen excess (relative to progesterone and androgens), as in pregnancy, stress, and aging, reduces intestinal motility, probably by increasing nitric oxide production. The anthraquinones inhibit the formation of nitric oxide, which is constantly being promoted by endotoxin."

"When these intrinsic corrective processes are inadequate, as in hypothyroidism, with increased estrogen and serotonin, extrinsic factors, including special foods and drugs, can reinforce the adaptive mechanisms. These “adaptogens” can sometimes restore the system to perfect functioning, other times they can merely prevent further injury. Sometimes the adaptogens are exactly like those the body normally has, but that are needed in larger amounts during stress. Coenzyme Q10, vitamin K, short-chain fatty acids, ketoacids, niacinamide, and glycine are examples of this sort--they are always present, but increased amounts can improve resistance to stress."

"Another kind of adaptogen resembles the body’s intrinsic defensive substances, but isn’t produced in significant quantities in our bodies. This type includes caffeine and the anthraquinones (such as emodin) and aspirin and other protective substances from plants. These overlap in functions with some of our intrinsic regulatory substances, and can also complement each other’s effects."

"The anthraquinones, like other antiinflammatory substances, reduce leakage from blood vessels, but they also reduce the absorption of water from the intestine."

@mayweatherking
 
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Members that are not on bottom;
Tom;

Cascara, energy, cancer and the FDA's laxative abuse.

"Despite the greater prevalence of constipation in women and older people, even specialists in gastroenterology are very unlikely to consider the role of hypothyroidism or other endocrine problems in chronic constipation."

"Aging and stress increase some of the inflammatory mediators, tending to reduce the barrier function of the bowel, letting larger amounts of bacterial toxins enter the bloodstream, interfering with energy metabolism, creating inflammatory vicious circles of increasing leakiness and inflammation."

"Often people visualize something like a sausage casing when they think of the intestine, but when the intestine is becoming inflamed its wall may swell to become an inch thick. As it thickens, the channel narrows to a few millimeters in diameter, and may even close in some regions. In the swollen, edematous, inflamed condition the contractile mechanism of the smooth muscle is impaired. The failure of contraction is caused by the same structural changes that increase permeability. (Garcia, et al., 1996; Skarsgard, et al., 2000; Plaku and von der Weid, 2006; Uray, et al., 2006; Miller and Sims, 1986; Schouten, et al., 2008; Gosling, et al., 2000.)"

"Obviously, in the very swollen, structurally deformed intestine, with almost no lumen [very constricted but thick walls], neither a stimulant nor a simple fibrous bulk could restore functioning, because even with stimulation the smooth muscle is unable to contract, and the closed channel won’t admit bulk. Even gas is sometimes unable to pass through the inflamed intestine. Mechanical thinking about the intestine fails when inflammation is involved; now that inflammation is known to play an important role in Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease, it will be more acceptable to consider its role in constipation."

"The contractile ability of smooth muscle, that’s impaired by swelling and inflammation, can be restored by antiinflammatory agents, for example aspirin (or other inhibitor of prostaglandin synthesis) or antihistamines."

"Emodin and the anthraquinones (and naphthoquinones, such as lapachone) weren’t the reagents that Koch considered the most powerful, but emodin can produce to some degree all of the effects that he believed could be achieved by correcting the cellular respiratory apparatus: Antiinflammatory, antifibrotic (Wang, et al., 2007) antiviral, antidepressant, heart protective, antioxidant, memory enhancing, anticancer, anxiolytic and possibly antipsychotic."

"An effective laxative (besides preventing inflammation) causes not only coordinated contraction of the smooth muscles of the intestine, but also adjusts secretions and absorption, so that an appropriate amount of fluid stays in the intestine, and the cells of the intestine don’t become water-logged."

"In the presence of bacterial endotoxin, respiratory energy production fails in the cells lining the intestine. Nitric oxide is probably the main mediator of this effect.
The shift from respiration to glycolysis, from producing carbon dioxide to producing lactic acid, involves a global change in cell functions, away from specialized differentiated functioning, toward defensive and inflammatory processes."

"This global change involves a change in the physical properties of the cytoplasm, causing a tendency to swell, and to admit dissolved substances that normally wouldn’t enter the cells.
The interface between the cells lining the intestine and the bacteria-rich environment involves processes similar to those in cells at other interfacial situations throughout the body--kidney, bladder, secretory membranes of glands, capillary cells, etc. The failure of the intestinal barrier is especially dangerous, because of the generalized toxic consequences, but the principles of maintaining and restoring it are general, and they have to do with the nature of life."

"Besides endotoxin, estrogen, vibrational injury, radiation, aging, cold, and hypoosmolarity, increase NO synthesis and release, and increase cellular permeabilities throughout the body.
Estrogen excess (relative to progesterone and androgens), as in pregnancy, stress, and aging, reduces intestinal motility, probably by increasing nitric oxide production. The anthraquinones inhibit the formation of nitric oxide, which is constantly being promoted by endotoxin."

"When these intrinsic corrective processes are inadequate, as in hypothyroidism, with increased estrogen and serotonin, extrinsic factors, including special foods and drugs, can reinforce the adaptive mechanisms. These “adaptogens” can sometimes restore the system to perfect functioning, other times they can merely prevent further injury. Sometimes the adaptogens are exactly like those the body normally has, but that are needed in larger amounts during stress. Coenzyme Q10, vitamin K, short-chain fatty acids, ketoacids, niacinamide, and glycine are examples of this sort--they are always present, but increased amounts can improve resistance to stress."

"Another kind of adaptogen resembles the body’s intrinsic defensive substances, but isn’t produced in significant quantities in our bodies. This type includes caffeine and the anthraquinones (such as emodin) and aspirin and other protective substances from plants. These overlap in functions with some of our intrinsic regulatory substances, and can also complement each other’s effects."

"The anthraquinones, like other antiinflammatory substances, reduce leakage from blood vessels, but they also reduce the absorption of water from the intestine."

@mayweatherking

Thx for writing my name. yes good.info, everything makes sense there however and a big however is the application of.fixing such a problem and how to.do it. the easy answer is take thyroid to get over it, but I sometimes crash on it. the circle is unbelievably vicious in my case. its so vicious it knock out my libido and emotions.

I talk to ray about it, he said on a deeper level Its lack of magnesium getting to the cell due to hypo causing loss of mag. I am coding up to 1599mg of mag a day now, I have novotiral thyroid, eggshell calcium, I.have it all my friend, Irs just a matter od making it work.. that's the challenge? the nutrition part.
 

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