[kristie]

My belyhas been really sore lately. I can not seem to eliminate very well. I am bloated and uncomfortable... I think it is the raw nuts I am consuming. Any words of advice how to releave constipation? I juice everyday but maybe I need a new recipe. What about a colon cleanse? Any advice will be very very much appreciated.

Kristie

 

[IamJen]

What else are you eating? Nuts often tend to have the, um, opposite effect from what you describe.

 

[the cacao kid]

Tooo many nuts can DEFINATLEY have that effect on a person...An abundance of nuts are like rocks in my digestive system.

Now when I do eat nuts, i put them in my coffee grinder and powder them down and make a fudge or something..so their all already chewed COMPLETLEY for me...which lets the body rest a lot.

The best seeds or nuts to start using instead of just any old nut or seed for fat and protein... are flax seeds(because of complete protein and essential fatty acids, extremely high fiber and mucalaginous properties that act as a very mild laxative), cacao nut(raw chocolate beans are very high in fiber and have a laxative effect because of fiber and very high magnesium content which stimulates peristalsis or bowel movements... rawfood.com ahs the best cacao imo), and hemp seeds...because hemp seeds have veyr little enzyme inhibitors like most nuts and seeds, so they are not quite like rocks in the system...and they are complete protein with essential fatty acids.

Chocolate nuts have proven to be very helpful for these kinds of issues for me. Not chocoalte covered nuts, but chocolate that grows on a tree is a nut, botanically.

Salad is a great source of fiber, and a little oil on it really lubes everything up to go through the intestines. Olive or flax or hemp oil or something.

Green juice is a great antidote to too many nuts. Especially celery because of the organic sodium content. The alkaline minerals(calcium, magnesium) balance the heavy acid forming minerals(sulfur, phosphorus etc.. in nuts.

Blended foods are very helpful for digestion...very helpful. I eat a lot of blended foods these days. Raw unpasteurized fermented foods rich in enzymes and probiotics are good too. Raw saurkraut, raw kim chee, raw kefir if you can get a good one, etc...

 

[beefaroni]

To add to what The Cacao Kid said, I've read also that it is very helpful to "soak" nuts in water (anwhere from a couple of hours to overnight if possible), and then drain and rinse before eating. This helps to pre-digest the nuts. Granted, you absolutely lose the crunchy texture of nuts, but you'll still have all the nutrient benefits in a much easier to digest form.

I soak almonds and then eat them plain or add them to dishes. I also blend my food often as well.

 

[ollie]

Seconded what everyone else said I always feel bloated after eating nuts and constipated. Soaking or sprouting helps, sunflower seeds and almonds sprout well, plus sprouting beans which are a great source of protien and fats but are much eaiser to digest. Sprouting is easy here is a good site http://www.btinternet.com/~bury_rd/sprout.htm

Plus it might be worth going to colonic hydrotherapist, I had a colonic irrigation because of feeling like this. It turned out I had too much yeast in my colon so she gae me a yeast clense and a prescription for pro biotics. It's helped.

peace

ollie

 

[Tova]

To reitirate what others have said: Definitly soak/sprout your nuts and seeds before use. This makes them more digestible and also decreases their phytate content. Phytates can interfer with nutrient absorption.

 

[CarlaVeg]

Sorry you are feeling this way!!

If eating raw cashews, should I soak them as well? for how long? I just ate some raw cashews tonight and I'm afrain I'm going to have belly ache tomorrow....

 

[hollywoodveg]

You might want to try taking probiotics, like Udo's Choice. Sorry you feel bad.

 

[IamJen]

k - are you feeling any better?

 

[CarlaVeg]

I'm having some trouble myself... I bought some livin' bread and my stomach is killing me... mostly gas (sorry).... why is that??? the bread is made of carrots, flax seeds, buckwheat, olive oil, and celtic sea salt.....

 

[sf.girl]

Ive googled and read loads, but can anyone explain the benefits of taking probiotics? I have changed my eating habits over the last 5 weeks (no meat,fish and very limited dairy) My problem...lots of gas! I dont know why or whats causing it. Im not eating lots of beans either!

Any advice greatly appreciated!

 

[diane3]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sf.girl

Ive googled and read loads, but can anyone explain the benefits of taking probiotics? I have changed my eating habits over the last 5 weeks (no meat,fish and very limited dairy) My problem...lots of gas! I dont know why or whats causing it. Im not eating lots of beans either!

Any advice greatly appreciated!

Probiotics are the friendly bacteria that live in your gut and help you to digest. In a healthy system, the friendly bacteria keep the unfriendly bacteria (like e-coli) and yeasts in check (we always have some in our intestines). Antiobiotics can kill the the friendlies along with the unfriendlies. Then you can get an overgrowth of yeasts, which grow quickly before the friendlies are able to counteract them. What you end up with is yeast overgrowth and poor digestion. I think also, that you'd be more susceptible to becoming ill from unfriendly bacteria (think e-coli outbreaks) when you don't have enough friendlies to counteract them.

A poor diet also allows the unfriendlies and yeasts to grow wildly (e.g. yeast LOVES sugar) while not supporting the friendlies. Taking probiotics, acidophilous, bifidus, to name two of them, helps build the population of these allies in your gut.

If you've EVER taken antiobiotics or have had a poor diet, such as eating too many sweets,or maybe you've had a yeast infection, but never fortified your diet afterwards with probiotics (or yogurt), you may still have a yeast overgrowth and a lack of enough friendly bacteria for proper digestion.

That said, beans aren't the only food that causes gas, either. If you radically changed your diet, you may need more than 5 weeks for your body to adjust. Are you eating lots of vegetables? Grains? Did you eat lots of them before you changed your diet? Are you drinking a lot of water? You should probably be drinking 1/2 to 1 gallon per day. Are you constipated, the opposite, or normal in your bowel movements?

I remember when I quit eating meat about 20 years ago, not really knowing how else to eat, I was eating mostly all raw veggies. I had terrible gas. I also didn't drink nearly enough water either.

So, taking a daily probiotic supplement for a week or two won't hurt you. You could probably take some everyday long-term and not be harmed by it. And if you're not drinking enough water, you should up that, too. (Best if it's clean filtered water, not tap.)

 

[hitz02]

Have you ever been to an allergist? You may be allergic to nuts. I went to an allergist this week and found out that I am allergic to peanuts and almonds. You don't have to go into anaphalactic shock to be allergic...often food allergies can cause gastrointestinal distress.

 

[Jessica Alana]

Could be your combining as well. Or if you're eating a slower moving food before eating a faster moving food. The faster moving food gets stuck behind the slower moving food which causes all sorts of upset.

 

[taliaj]

Hey, take a look at this. The advice might help to relieve your constipation.

http://drbenkim.com/articles/overcome-constipation.htm