What is a normal bowel movement & when?

[Rita]

Hello. I am new to RFR and excited to be here. I am a Holistic Registered Nurse with a practice in Colon Hydrotherapy. One of my interests is in the area of research as it relates to diet & nutrition, utilization & elimination. As you can imagine, when I found this room I was thinking...."now that's what I'm talking about!". You can do a lot of things, but you can do a lot of things right.....and you are spot-on!!! This website is birthing a "spot-on" approach in my opinion!!!

It is absolutely imperative for cleansing & sanity to have "a normal bowel movement" EVERYDAY. An absolute ideal, EVERY MORNING BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE. You say what's normal? At least one really large stool in the a.m.! It generally takes a meal 12-15 hours transit time. Most truly regulated bodies have a bowel movement 2-3 times a day and with that said, should desirably eliminate one meal prior to ingesting the next meal. However, those that are juicing frequently during the day may find a different pattern. Ideally, the big kahunta(really large stool) should come in the morning, with two smaller stools during the day &/or evening. Heavy raw will have a tendency to be more fluffy. And size matters...the entire portion of the left descending colon should be eliminated in the morning which should profoundly be a whopping 18-20". And yes, ribbons are a tell-tale sign….CONSTIPATION!

This is a great rule of thumb when it comes to food utilization~elimination:

*utilization/assimilation during the day...
*healing during the night....
*cleansing/elimination in the morning.....

So, on RAW(what our bodies crave) you would have the desired elimination in the morning.....on SAD you are intolerant of those foods(in general) so either your body reacts with constipation(which explains why some people can go for days & not experience a bowel movement) or diarrhea(which explains why some people have to go to the toilet within 30 minutes of consuming their meal). Constipation and/or diarrhea is a result of your system responding by eliminating calorie dense, nutrition depleted foods and of course dehydration with regard to constipation. A barrage of loose stools while consuming a raw diet needs to be addressed; this means you are not assimilating nor maintaining proper nutrition. However, an occasional loose stool can very well mean detoxification……YAY, now that’s what I’m talking about!!!!!!!

~to be continued~

[Lori]

Hello, I need some advise. First of all, thank you for your willingness to offer some insight. Yay. Now my issue is this...This is the 2nd month in a row that prior to my menses cycle I have developed diarrhea. Last time it subsided just as my flow start but this time it has not gone away when my cycle started. I am 6 days with diarrhea and need to slow it down.
No fever, no blood, very little if any pain and bm's come mostly in the evening. Sometimes there is an odor (like an outhouse) but mostly very little if any odor. Sorry for being graphic.
I am not 100% raw and would be about 80% as an average. I do rarely eat a bit of meat, bit of cheese but very rarely and no grains or process food. Except for right now. I am very tentative about more fibre in an already irritated gut, so I am trying to slow it down with things like bread (ugh...how did I ever like it before?), cheese (another ugh now) Bananas I usually love, right now I am not interested in very much.
I am still juicing and I do drink green tea about 3 cups a day. Is the tea my issue?
I will have to track down some wheat grass sprouts and try this.
I am just so tentative b/c I do not want to end up with IBS 'cause I'm doing something wrong. If I do to my doc, he'll just say 'stop eating so much fibre and take this drug'. Not the answer I am looking for.
I have cut out virtually all seeds and nuts right now but my gut is obviously so irritated that right I don't know what to do.

Help!

[Rita]

Lori,

Many women find that they experience diarrhea and pain before or during their menstrual cycle.
Researchers think that this increase in symptoms has a connection to hormones. The amount of diarrhea experienced by women increases during the days before and during their period. Two compounds are being considered for causing this effect -- prostaglandins and progesterone.
There are several different types of prostaglandins that have different functions in the body. Some are associated with changes in the bowel that stimulate diarrhea during menses. They can actually stimulate pain, and interfere with absorption in the intestines. These prostaglandins could also be responsible for causing the smooth muscle in the intestine to contract, causing pain and diarrhea.

The fluctuation of hormones before and during a woman's period may also be to blame. It has been theorized that the colon could be reacting to the increase or the decrease in progesterone in the body.
What can be done? Evening primrose oil (EPO) has been found to help women decrease diarrhea during the pre-menstrual and menstrual phases of their cycle. EPO contains an essential fatty acid called gamma linolenic acid (GLA). The body does not produce essential fatty acids -- they can only be ingested through food. GLA and omega-3 fatty acids together produce a second type of prostaglandins. This type of prostaglandin helps reduce inflammation and aids in digestion. The optimum dose of EPO per day is still unknown, but 3,000 mg to 6,000 mg of EPO (given over 3 separate doses during the day) can contain 270-540 mg of GLA. EPO is generally considered safe, but it should be taken with food to avoid nausea. People with temporal lobe epilepsy should never take EPO.

Also, you may consider removing the caffeine from your diet. Caffeine is a diuretic. You are losing more water than is needed with the diarrhea, thus you need not lose more by ingesting caffeine. Diuretics cause you to lose too many valuable minerals & vitamins. Make sure you stay on top of your water intake. It's very easy to become dehydrated with extensive diarrhea. Incorporate green smoothies into your diet once the diarrhea slows.

I do hope you get relief and soon! Please stay in touch. Very important to get this under control.

Take care,
Rita





Lori said:

Hello, I need some advise. First of all, thank you for your willingness to offer some insight. Yay. Now my issue is this...This is the 2nd month in a row that prior to my menses cycle I have developed diarrhea. Last time it subsided just as my flow start but this time it has not gone away when my cycle started. I am 6 days with diarrhea and need to slow it down.
No fever, no blood, very little if any pain and bm's come mostly in the evening. Sometimes there is an odor (like an outhouse) but mostly very little if any odor. Sorry for being graphic.
I am not 100% raw and would be about 80% as an average. I do rarely eat a bit of meat, bit of cheese but very rarely and no grains or process food. Except for right now. I am very tentative about more fibre in an already irritated gut, so I am trying to slow it down with things like bread (ugh...how did I ever like it before?), cheese (another ugh now) Bananas I usually love, right now I am not interested in very much.
I am still juicing and I do drink green tea about 3 cups a day. Is the tea my issue?
I will have to track down some wheat grass sprouts and try this.
I am just so tentative b/c I do not want to end up with IBS 'cause I'm doing something wrong. If I do to my doc, he'll just say 'stop eating so much fibre and take this drug'. Not the answer I am looking for.
I have cut out virtually all seeds and nuts right now but my gut is obviously so irritated that right I don't know what to do.

Help!

[Lori]

Hey, good to know about EPO, I will try that. I did know about the prostaglandin poo as I call it. Always loosens things up but never this much diarrhea. I will be patient until after my cycle ends, resume EPO which I have done in the past and cut back the tea even though green tea has very little caffeine (only 1/4 of black tea).
thank you for such a quick response.

Lori

Rita said:

Lori,

Many women find that they experience diarrhea and pain before or during their menstrual cycle.
Researchers think that this increase in symptoms has a connection to hormones. The amount of diarrhea experienced by women increases during the days before and during their period. Two compounds are being considered for causing this effect -- prostaglandins and progesterone.
There are several different types of prostaglandins that have different functions in the body. Some are associated with changes in the bowel that stimulate diarrhea during menses. They can actually stimulate pain, and interfere with absorption in the intestines. These prostaglandins could also be responsible for causing the smooth muscle in the intestine to contract, causing pain and diarrhea.

The fluctuation of hormones before and during a woman's period may also be to blame. It has been theorized that the colon could be reacting to the increase or the decrease in progesterone in the body.
What can be done? Evening primrose oil (EPO) has been found to help women decrease diarrhea during the pre-menstrual and menstrual phases of their cycle. EPO contains an essential fatty acid called gamma linolenic acid (GLA). The body does not produce essential fatty acids -- they can only be ingested through food. GLA and omega-3 fatty acids together produce a second type of prostaglandins. This type of prostaglandin helps reduce inflammation and aids in digestion. The optimum dose of EPO per day is still unknown, but 3,000 mg to 6,000 mg of EPO (given over 3 separate doses during the day) can contain 270-540 mg of GLA. EPO is generally considered safe, but it should be taken with food to avoid nausea. People with temporal lobe epilepsy should never take EPO.

Also, you may consider removing the caffeine from your diet. Caffeine is a diuretic. You are losing more water than is needed with the diarrhea, thus you need not lose more by ingesting caffeine. Diuretics cause you to lose too many valuable minerals & vitamins. Make sure you stay on top of your water intake. It's very easy to become dehydrated with extensive diarrhea. Incorporate green smoothies into your diet once the diarrhea slows.

I do hope you get relief and soon! Please stay in touch. Very important to get this under control.

Take care,
Rita





Lori said:

Hello, I need some advise. First of all, thank you for your willingness to offer some insight. Yay. Now my issue is this...This is the 2nd month in a row that prior to my menses cycle I have developed diarrhea. Last time it subsided just as my flow start but this time it has not gone away when my cycle started. I am 6 days with diarrhea and need to slow it down.
No fever, no blood, very little if any pain and bm's come mostly in the evening. Sometimes there is an odor (like an outhouse) but mostly very little if any odor. Sorry for being graphic.
I am not 100% raw and would be about 80% as an average. I do rarely eat a bit of meat, bit of cheese but very rarely and no grains or process food. Except for right now. I am very tentative about more fibre in an already irritated gut, so I am trying to slow it down with things like bread (ugh...how did I ever like it before?), cheese (another ugh now) Bananas I usually love, right now I am not interested in very much.
I am still juicing and I do drink green tea about 3 cups a day. Is the tea my issue?
I will have to track down some wheat grass sprouts and try this.
I am just so tentative b/c I do not want to end up with IBS 'cause I'm doing something wrong. If I do to my doc, he'll just say 'stop eating so much fibre and take this drug'. Not the answer I am looking for.
I have cut out virtually all seeds and nuts right now but my gut is obviously so irritated that right I don't know what to do.

Help!

[Lori]

Well, things are back to normal so you were bang on right about the prostaglandin. Just thought I'd let you know. Thanks for your help. We shall see what happens in a month.

Lori said:

Hey, good to know about EPO, I will try that. I did know about the prostaglandin poo as I call it. Always loosens things up but never this much diarrhea. I will be patient until after my cycle ends, resume EPO which I have done in the past and cut back the tea even though green tea has very little caffeine (only 1/4 of black tea).
thank you for such a quick response.

Lori

Rita said:

Lori,

Many women find that they experience diarrhea and pain before or during their menstrual cycle.
Researchers think that this increase in symptoms has a connection to hormones. The amount of diarrhea experienced by women increases during the days before and during their period. Two compounds are being considered for causing this effect -- prostaglandins and progesterone.
There are several different types of prostaglandins that have different functions in the body. Some are associated with changes in the bowel that stimulate diarrhea during menses. They can actually stimulate pain, and interfere with absorption in the intestines. These prostaglandins could also be responsible for causing the smooth muscle in the intestine to contract, causing pain and diarrhea.

The fluctuation of hormones before and during a woman's period may also be to blame. It has been theorized that the colon could be reacting to the increase or the decrease in progesterone in the body.
What can be done? Evening primrose oil (EPO) has been found to help women decrease diarrhea during the pre-menstrual and menstrual phases of their cycle. EPO contains an essential fatty acid called gamma linolenic acid (GLA). The body does not produce essential fatty acids -- they can only be ingested through food. GLA and omega-3 fatty acids together produce a second type of prostaglandins. This type of prostaglandin helps reduce inflammation and aids in digestion. The optimum dose of EPO per day is still unknown, but 3,000 mg to 6,000 mg of EPO (given over 3 separate doses during the day) can contain 270-540 mg of GLA. EPO is generally considered safe, but it should be taken with food to avoid nausea. People with temporal lobe epilepsy should never take EPO.

Also, you may consider removing the caffeine from your diet. Caffeine is a diuretic. You are losing more water than is needed with the diarrhea, thus you need not lose more by ingesting caffeine. Diuretics cause you to lose too many valuable minerals & vitamins. Make sure you stay on top of your water intake. It's very easy to become dehydrated with extensive diarrhea. Incorporate green smoothies into your diet once the diarrhea slows.

I do hope you get relief and soon! Please stay in touch. Very important to get this under control.

Take care,
Rita





Lori said:

Hello, I need some advise. First of all, thank you for your willingness to offer some insight. Yay. Now my issue is this...This is the 2nd month in a row that prior to my menses cycle I have developed diarrhea. Last time it subsided just as my flow start but this time it has not gone away when my cycle started. I am 6 days with diarrhea and need to slow it down.
No fever, no blood, very little if any pain and bm's come mostly in the evening. Sometimes there is an odor (like an outhouse) but mostly very little if any odor. Sorry for being graphic.
I am not 100% raw and would be about 80% as an average. I do rarely eat a bit of meat, bit of cheese but very rarely and no grains or process food. Except for right now. I am very tentative about more fibre in an already irritated gut, so I am trying to slow it down with things like bread (ugh...how did I ever like it before?), cheese (another ugh now) Bananas I usually love, right now I am not interested in very much.
I am still juicing and I do drink green tea about 3 cups a day. Is the tea my issue?
I will have to track down some wheat grass sprouts and try this.
I am just so tentative b/c I do not want to end up with IBS 'cause I'm doing something wrong. If I do to my doc, he'll just say 'stop eating so much fibre and take this drug'. Not the answer I am looking for.
I have cut out virtually all seeds and nuts right now but my gut is obviously so irritated that right I don't know what to do.

Help!

[Rita]

So happy for you! Take care!!!

Lori said:

Well, things are back to normal so you were bang on right about the prostaglandin. Just thought I'd let you know. Thanks for your help. We shall see what happens in a month.

Lori said:

Hey, good to know about EPO, I will try that. I did know about the prostaglandin poo as I call it. Always loosens things up but never this much diarrhea. I will be patient until after my cycle ends, resume EPO which I have done in the past and cut back the tea even though green tea has very little caffeine (only 1/4 of black tea).
thank you for such a quick response.

Lori

Rita said:

Lori,

Many women find that they experience diarrhea and pain before or during their menstrual cycle.
Researchers think that this increase in symptoms has a connection to hormones. The amount of diarrhea experienced by women increases during the days before and during their period. Two compounds are being considered for causing this effect -- prostaglandins and progesterone.
There are several different types of prostaglandins that have different functions in the body. Some are associated with changes in the bowel that stimulate diarrhea during menses. They can actually stimulate pain, and interfere with absorption in the intestines. These prostaglandins could also be responsible for causing the smooth muscle in the intestine to contract, causing pain and diarrhea.

The fluctuation of hormones before and during a woman's period may also be to blame. It has been theorized that the colon could be reacting to the increase or the decrease in progesterone in the body.
What can be done? Evening primrose oil (EPO) has been found to help women decrease diarrhea during the pre-menstrual and menstrual phases of their cycle. EPO contains an essential fatty acid called gamma linolenic acid (GLA). The body does not produce essential fatty acids -- they can only be ingested through food. GLA and omega-3 fatty acids together produce a second type of prostaglandins. This type of prostaglandin helps reduce inflammation and aids in digestion. The optimum dose of EPO per day is still unknown, but 3,000 mg to 6,000 mg of EPO (given over 3 separate doses during the day) can contain 270-540 mg of GLA. EPO is generally considered safe, but it should be taken with food to avoid nausea. People with temporal lobe epilepsy should never take EPO.

Also, you may consider removing the caffeine from your diet. Caffeine is a diuretic. You are losing more water than is needed with the diarrhea, thus you need not lose more by ingesting caffeine. Diuretics cause you to lose too many valuable minerals & vitamins. Make sure you stay on top of your water intake. It's very easy to become dehydrated with extensive diarrhea. Incorporate green smoothies into your diet once the diarrhea slows.

I do hope you get relief and soon! Please stay in touch. Very important to get this under control.

Take care,
Rita





Lori said:

Hello, I need some advise. First of all, thank you for your willingness to offer some insight. Yay. Now my issue is this...This is the 2nd month in a row that prior to my menses cycle I have developed diarrhea. Last time it subsided just as my flow start but this time it has not gone away when my cycle started. I am 6 days with diarrhea and need to slow it down.
No fever, no blood, very little if any pain and bm's come mostly in the evening. Sometimes there is an odor (like an outhouse) but mostly very little if any odor. Sorry for being graphic.
I am not 100% raw and would be about 80% as an average. I do rarely eat a bit of meat, bit of cheese but very rarely and no grains or process food. Except for right now. I am very tentative about more fibre in an already irritated gut, so I am trying to slow it down with things like bread (ugh...how did I ever like it before?), cheese (another ugh now) Bananas I usually love, right now I am not interested in very much.
I am still juicing and I do drink green tea about 3 cups a day. Is the tea my issue?
I will have to track down some wheat grass sprouts and try this.
I am just so tentative b/c I do not want to end up with IBS 'cause I'm doing something wrong. If I do to my doc, he'll just say 'stop eating so much fibre and take this drug'. Not the answer I am looking for.
I have cut out virtually all seeds and nuts right now but my gut is obviously so irritated that right I don't know what to do.

Help!

[Rita]

Hello Sarah~do you consume green smoothies?

Sarah Collins said:

This is such a helpful discussion. I'm 50-80% raw and 100% vegan and gluten-free. I'd love to be 80-100% raw but whenever i've tried this in the past contipation has ensued. I have IBS and so am always prone to constipation, bloating and gas. Any suggestions as to how to pursue a higher raw path?

[Sarah Collins]

Hi there,

No I don't. In the past smoothies have made me really bloated and constipated but never tried it with greens in. Do you think that'd be worth a shot? x

Rita said:

Hello Sarah~do you consume green smoothies?

Sarah Collins said:

This is such a helpful discussion. I'm 50-80% raw and 100% vegan and gluten-free. I'd love to be 80-100% raw but whenever i've tried this in the past contipation has ensued. I have IBS and so am always prone to constipation, bloating and gas. Any suggestions as to how to pursue a higher raw path?

[Rita]

I absolutely do! I put organic chia seeds, organic flax seeds, & organic hemp seeds in my VitaMix-blend until a powder & add other ingredients as desired....always with a lot of greens plus whatever fruit you might like to consume. The seeds will add your omega oils & protein, which should help with the bloating & constipation. Just remember to add more water than usual because the chia seeds are very muculous & require lots of water.
Sarah Collins said:

Hi there,

No I don't. In the past smoothies have made me really bloated and constipated but never tried it with greens in. Do you think that'd be worth a shot? x

Rita said:

Hello Sarah~do you consume green smoothies?

Sarah Collins said:

This is such a helpful discussion. I'm 50-80% raw and 100% vegan and gluten-free. I'd love to be 80-100% raw but whenever i've tried this in the past contipation has ensued. I have IBS and so am always prone to constipation, bloating and gas. Any suggestions as to how to pursue a higher raw path?

[Sarah Collins]

Great, thanks Rita! :)

Rita said:

I absolutely do! I put organic chia seeds, organic flax seeds, & organic hemp seeds in my VitaMix-blend until a powder & add other ingredients as desired....always with a lot of greens plus whatever fruit you might like to consume. The seeds will add your omega oils & protein, which should help with the bloating & constipation. Just remember to add more water than usual because the chia seeds are very muculous & require lots of water.
Sarah Collins said:

Hi there,

No I don't. In the past smoothies have made me really bloated and constipated but never tried it with greens in. Do you think that'd be worth a shot? x

Rita said:

Hello Sarah~do you consume green smoothies?

Sarah Collins said:

This is such a helpful discussion. I'm 50-80% raw and 100% vegan and gluten-free. I'd love to be 80-100% raw but whenever i've tried this in the past contipation has ensued. I have IBS and so am always prone to constipation, bloating and gas. Any suggestions as to how to pursue a higher raw path?

[Jiggles]

hi rita,
so what's really weird is that when i was still SAD i never had a problem with regularity. at all. in fact, i was experiencing exactly what you described a normal bowel pattern should be. i went 100% raw a few months ago and almost immediately began experiencing constipation. it still hasn't gone away. i eat green juices and smoothies, blended soups and big salads, mostly. i eat some nuts, but not everyday and not in excess at all. i take probiotics and digestive enzymes, incorporate ehmp and chia seeds into my diet (among other things) and drink plenty of water (at least half my body weight in oz). nothing seems to help and i think it's part of the reason why i haven't experienced any weight loss or emotional benefits with raw. i love raw because everything i eat tastes so delicious and common sense tells me it's what i should be eating, but it's been months now and if i'm honestly listening to my body it sounds like it's telling me that raw isn't for me.

any thoughts??

also-just wanted to tell you what a great thread this is and it's so great of you to answer everyone's questions like this!

[Rita]

Hello Jiggles!

On the surface your scenario does sound weird, however, there's more here than the obvious. Ideally, one would think that adding more fiber to the diet would be a better mover and shaker for the intestinal tract. And that is true, but, when you're dealing with a toxic body (which the entire population falls into this category coming off of a Standard American Diet) there truly is more to deal with.....deeper issues. And, that more would be a congested liver. I don't know if you've ever heard of a "constipated liver" but that is what is going on with a congested liver. Are you familiar with detoxing or the detoxification process that our bodies encounter as a result of "cleaning house?" Sounds like your body is giving up some toxic matter and causing you to become constipated. Detoxing can sometimes take up to a year, sometimes less~sometimes longer, coming off of the SAD.

Being raw for the few months that you have been is great. I don't know how old you are, but a lifetime of SAD takes a while to undo. The benefits are immediate with the living foods nutrition, however, it does take a while to reap the full benefits. And you can't always "feel" all the benefits, but, you must remember that they are there because the science of living foods and their enzymes is proof positive. Be patient...be consistent...be rewarded!

Please do not become discouraged. Everything that your are doing sounds right on track with a wonderful living foods nutritional recipe for abundant life. I would encourage you to try and do a juice fast for a few days if that fits into your life. Juicing is a way of slowing down the digestion process and allowing the body to concentrate on healing/cleansing. And, if you were to do the juice fast I would definitely incorporate coffee enemas into the program. Actually, I would encourage the coffee enemas whether you do or do not proceed with a juice fast. You can review my discussion here on that subject:

http://rawfoodrehab.ning.com/group/theloo/forum/topics/coffee-enema...

Penni will be offering her juice feast dairies over the next couple of days and I believe you would find very beneficial recipes there for liver detoxing or just detoxing in general. Juice is a must in my life~daily...not because I necessarily love it but because my body craves it. It's very cleansing.....pays big dividends! Also, I consume 32 oz warmed water with 2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice first thing in the morning for bowel peristalsis...the train must leave the station on time!!!

I truly hope this helps!!!

Take care~Rita

P.S. Keep me posted!






Jiggles said:

hi rita,
so what's really weird is that when i was still SAD i never had a problem with regularity. at all. in fact, i was experiencing exactly what you described a normal bowel pattern should be. i went 100% raw a few months ago and almost immediately began experiencing constipation. it still hasn't gone away. i eat green juices and smoothies, blended soups and big salads, mostly. i eat some nuts, but not everyday and not in excess at all. i take probiotics and digestive enzymes, incorporate ehmp and chia seeds into my diet (among other things) and drink plenty of water (at least half my body weight in oz). nothing seems to help and i think it's part of the reason why i haven't experienced any weight loss or emotional benefits with raw. i love raw because everything i eat tastes so delicious and common sense tells me it's what i should be eating, but it's been months now and if i'm honestly listening to my body it sounds like it's telling me that raw isn't for me. any thoughts??
also-just wanted to tell you what a great thread this is and it's so great of you to answer everyone's questions like this!

[Jiggles]

hi rita,
thanks so much for writing back to me! it's good to know about a 'constipated liver'. i think i could swing a juice feast for a few days. (i'm starting school soon so i could do it before then.) i just bought penni's book! can you recommend any particular juices that might help?
i still feel really uncomfortable with the idea of enemas or colonics. i know so many people love them and i'm sure i will get there, but i'm not quite ready. is it dangerous to do a juice feast without enemas? i guess i'm also wondering if there's a time when i should be seeking medical attention--i've been constipated for months and much of that has been with a stomach ache...a months long stomach ache is not fun...

thanks so much again!
Rita said:

Hello Jiggles!

On the surface your scenario does sound weird, however, there's more here than the obvious. Ideally, one would think that adding more fiber to the diet would be a better mover and shaker for the intestinal tract. And that is true, but, when you're dealing with a toxic body (which the entire population falls into this category coming off of a Standard American Diet) there truly is more to deal with.....deeper issues. And, that more would be a congested liver. I don't know if you've ever heard of a "constipated liver" but that is what is going on with a congested liver. Are you familiar with detoxing or the detoxification process that our bodies encounter as a result of "cleaning house?" Sounds like your body is giving up some toxic matter and causing you to become constipated. Detoxing can sometimes take up to a year, sometimes less~sometimes longer, coming off of the SAD.

Being raw for the few months that you have been is great. I don't know how old you are, but a lifetime of SAD takes a while to undo. The benefits are immediate with the living foods nutrition, however, it does take a while to reap the full benefits. And you can't always "feel" all the benefits, but, you must remember that they are there because the science of living foods and their enzymes is proof positive. Be patient...be consistent...be rewarded!

Please do not become discouraged. Everything that your are doing sounds right on track with a wonderful living foods nutritional recipe for abundant life. I would encourage you to try and do a juice fast for a few days if that fits into your life. Juicing is a way of slowing down the digestion process and allowing the body to concentrate on healing/cleansing. And, if you were to do the juice fast I would definitely incorporate coffee enemas into the program. Actually, I would encourage the coffee enemas whether you do or do not proceed with a juice fast. You can review my discussion here on that subject:

http://rawfoodrehab.ning.com/group/theloo/forum/topics/coffee-enema...

Penni will be offering her juice feast dairies over the next couple of days and I believe you would find very beneficial recipes there for liver detoxing or just detoxing in general. Juice is a must in my life~daily...not because I necessarily love it but because my body craves it. It's very cleansing.....pays big dividends! Also, I consume 32 oz warmed water with 2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice first thing in the morning for bowel peristalsis...the train must leave the station on time!!!

I truly hope this helps!!!

Take care~Rita

P.S. Keep me posted!






Jiggles said:

hi rita,
so what's really weird is that when i was still SAD i never had a problem with regularity. at all. in fact, i was experiencing exactly what you described a normal bowel pattern should be. i went 100% raw a few months ago and almost immediately began experiencing constipation. it still hasn't gone away. i eat green juices and smoothies, blended soups and big salads, mostly. i eat some nuts, but not everyday and not in excess at all. i take probiotics and digestive enzymes, incorporate ehmp and chia seeds into my diet (among other things) and drink plenty of water (at least half my body weight in oz). nothing seems to help and i think it's part of the reason why i haven't experienced any weight loss or emotional benefits with raw. i love raw because everything i eat tastes so delicious and common sense tells me it's what i should be eating, but it's been months now and if i'm honestly listening to my body it sounds like it's telling me that raw isn't for me. any thoughts??
also-just wanted to tell you what a great thread this is and it's so great of you to answer everyone's questions like this!