constipation?

[veggiemaya]

Has anyone ever had problems with constipation? (lovely topic, right?) It has been a bit of an issue for me my entire life. And I am wondering if there is anything in my diet now as a vegan that could be contributing. Everything I read tells me that the the foods I eat should AID in digestion..fresh fruit, seeds, nuts, beans, soy products. I drink lots of water and exercise heavily at least 5 days a week. I don't get it....

[talitha]

Hi Veggiemaya,

Like you I eat all the right foods, drink plenty and exercise regularly but I have the same problem :confused:

After suffering with it in my 30s I've been okay for a few years but now my bowels seem to have packed in all together :( I've had a couple of doses of vaginal thrush so I'm wondering if it's a candida problem (which it seemed to be in the past) so I'm trying the anti-candida diet. Just started and I miss fruit SOOOO much.

So I've no suggestions I'm afraid but it's nice to know I'm not the only one. Hope someone has some good ideas...

[vava]

just wondering if either of you take pain meds - surefire way to make everything sluggish.

[Pob]

Eating plenty of cooked onions, garlic (raw or cooked), cooked sweet pepper seems to keep things moving along nicely. Having a big bowl of porridge with dried fruit in for breakfast probably helps too.

[harpy]

...also eating whole wheat or wheat bran can be counterproductive for some people, despite widespread opinions to the contrary.

[piggy]

i know it can be candida related, or stress related, could it be either of those?
also, this is in the same line as the stress topic...my newest theory is that not getting enough sleep may have a hand in it too. at least that's what it looks like from my personal experimentation :D
and of course try eating more raw than cooked foods

[veggiemaya]

...also eating whole wheat or wheat bran can be counterproductive for some people, despite widespread opinions to the contrary.

yes, that is true..along with other things that are typical for treating constipation depending on the individual. people i know that have never had this problem will tell me the usual.."drink water, eat prunes..." they have no idea! and the more fiber thing just doesnt work for me at all. its so frustrating because at times i am able to keep it under control..but one change in my diet..and its back. and a dr will clearly just go in to their arsenal of drugs and that i do not want. maybe i can look in to a homeopathic remedy.

[talitha]

It's definitely not due to pain meds or wheatbran or to a lack of onions, peppers and porridge (all of which I eat regularly).

Can stress really cause it :confused: I had read that but I wasn't sure - I thought it did the opposite :D. It kicked off around the time my mum was rushed into hospital in very distressing circumstances (She has Alzheimers and is in care - and two placements have now ended in official enquiries, one for neglect and one for physical abuse :(). It's been a stressful few weeks since then for a variety of reasons but things are more settled now. Maybe that will help to get me moving ;)

[piggy]

these sites (don't know how reliable they are) seem to back up my lack-of-sleep-theory:
http://www.naturalconstipationcure.com/causes-of-constipation.html
http://mechanicalintroduced.com/children-constipation-prevention-methods/

another thing that many people seem to suggest is the long hours at a desk-job...but one would think that shouldn't count if you execise several times a week...

well i've come across stress as a cause a lot. but it's the type of thing that would probably have a different effect on different people...might cause constipation in some, and the opposite in others...

[veggiemaya]

It's definitely not due to pain meds or wheatbran or to a lack of onions, peppers and porridge (all of which I eat regularly).

Can stress really cause it :confused: I had read that but I wasn't sure - I thought it did the opposite :D. It kicked off around the time my mum was rushed into hospital in very distressing circumstances (She has Alzheimers and is in care - and two placements have now ended in official enquiries, one for neglect and one for physical abuse :(). It's been a stressful few weeks since then for a variety of reasons but things are more settled now. Maybe that will help to get me moving ;)

i'm very sorry to hear that you have been going through all of that. that is a shame! i do think it is very possible that stress can be a factor. stress is no good for anything. tough to decide not to have any though, right? ;)
also, i've never heard of the lack of sleep correlation, but in my case it is extremely possible. i have not been good at sleeping for so many years, i can't even remember. some nights i barely get more than 3 hours all together. people with good digestive tracts just dont realize how lucky they are!

[VeganDaze]

Hi veggiemaya,
I don't know if this helps, as you have an ongoing problem, but drinking a strong cup of coffee can get it moving - perhaps if you had a cup 1st thing in the morning after a day when you couldn't go, it might work for you.
If you prefer a healthier solution, have you tried aloe vera juice daily? Can help any kind of bowel problem I believe. Flaxseed can help, as can probiotics, eating slowly, drinking a lot of fluid (esp fresh juices), raw fruit and veg. There are herbal and homeopathic solutions too, could be worth seeing someone if it continues? Especially as it seems to be caused by tension.

[Pisces]

...also eating whole wheat or wheat bran can be counterproductive for some people, despite widespread opinions to the contrary.

Quite right, Harpy. In fact, a friend of mine was diagnosed with IBS and thus had to remove wheat from her diet. She was raw vegan, but after her diagnosis she was advised to eat some cooked food too, so now she's just vegan again. I'm intolerant to wheat and gluten and I get by just fine.

It could also be stress-related. I have had that to deal with that a few times whenever I have been stressed or nervous about something.

I wish you the best of luck, Veggiemaya. :)

[Marrers]

I knew someone who swore by raw linseeds followed by a cup of hot water to get things moving.

I also think it is important to go to the toilet immediately when you feel the urge to go (try not to wait at all) especially if you are prone to constipation.

Low iron can cause constipation too.

[Casper]

I also have a very bad time with constipation, you just don't understand till you've had a long term problem how awful you feel. Trying to make it better is like banging your head against the wall, always struggling to figure the causes. I quit drinking carbonated beverages an it has helped. I also had no success with the prune and bran it aggravated the problem and I felt even more severly bloated then usual.I often feel like that girl who turns into the blueberry in Willie Wonka.

[veggiemaya]

Hi Veggiemaya,

Like you I eat all the right foods, drink plenty and exercise regularly but I have the same problem :confused:

After suffering with it in my 30s I've been okay for a few years but now my bowels seem to have packed in all together :( I've had a couple of doses of vaginal thrush so I'm wondering if it's a candida problem (which it seemed to be in the past) so I'm trying the anti-candida diet. Just started and I miss fruit SOOOO much.

So I've no suggestions I'm afraid but it's nice to know I'm not the only one. Hope someone has some good ideas...

i cant say that i have had those problems...but i am starting to think it could be a myriad of things. i know that i have added alot of nuts and seeds to my diet since i became vegan. i wonder if its possible that could be part of it. i'll keep looking in to it, process of elimination i guess...no pun intended! :p

[prawnsize]

I used to suffer until I discovered linseed - I eat 2tsps of crushed seeds a day - now no problems at all! ;-)