Re: cipes for digestion...according to...welll..hmmm...to me.

From: Lynn Creacy (anonymous@medispecialty.com)
Mon Nov 4 08:22:50 2002


At Sun, 3 Nov 2002, Mary Wade wrote: >Mary,

Thank you for all of your ideas and suggestions. I can't eat yogurt but I will try some of your other suggestions.

Lynn

>Over time, we've all seen or shared our various struggles with getting
>food to move along through our adhesion-filled mid-sections. We are a
>constipated lot. I have no idea if what works for me would work for
>others but thought I'd pass along some ideas that others could try.
>
>1. Yogurt with every meal. Yogurt has an active culture that is good
>for our guts. I eat the plain, unflavored low-fat variety....at least a
>half cup at a time. You can even make your own and save $$$. Contact
>me if you want the recipe. I don't know what to tell you if you don't
>like yogurt other than...maybe it's an acquired taste? I particularly
>like it with cereal instead of milk. I don't use the non-fat because I
>think that it helps keep food moving if there is some fat mixed in with
>all meals.
>
>2. "Wet" fruits with every meal. This past summer I went on a mango
>binge...eating a couple a day. They are filled with fiber but it is a
>wet fiber that seems to be easily digested. Also, I learned that
>mangoes have a special digestive enzyme, paprin, which is good for
>digestion. Mangoes are hard to get here at this time of year. I've
>been substituting pears, which seem to be fine. Peaches, berries,
>melons (chew well) all seem to be good, too. Apples and citrus are too
>chunky and fibrous and I have to be careful with these.
>
>3. Natural nut butters (peanut and almond) seem to work well as a good
>way to get protein and the kind oil that is very digestible and good for
>you. I guess you do need to read labels to make sure there aren't the
>bad oils added. I love almonds and have no trouble digesting these even
>if they aren't ground up for butter. I do chew very well, though.
>
>4. Vegetables....hmmmm....don't really have this figured out. Help! V8
>juice works. I've thought about getting a juicer but those are such a
>mess. I can't do raw vegetables very well and cooked ones have to be
>used very carefully. I'd appreciate any input others could share on how
>to get vegetables to contribute to a happy gut. Also, I’m on the fence
>about legumes. Any ideas?
>
>5. Coffee can act as a stimulant. I make a good strong pot of
>Starbucks every AM. Dark chocolate is also a stimulant for me and...as
>a chocoholic...it is easier to eat some dark chocolate and then
>quit..than it is to stop with milk chocolate.
>
>6. I have never found a calcium supplement that doesn't block me up.
>I've given up on them. In fact, I read labels of cereals, power bars,
>vitamin supplements etc to make sure that they don't have too much
>calcium added. I was eating Pria bars ("nutrition" bars) and had an
>awful time with constipation. These bars have calcium carbonate as an
>additive. Calcium carbonate, I think, comes from limestone. Go figure.
>I figure that I'll get my calcium from the yogurt. I have also read
>that iron supplements can cause constipation.
>
>7. Beef seems to be harder to digest than pork or chicken.
>
>8. It’s helpful to drink warm or hot cups of liquid. If I drink cold
>liquids, I drink slowly.
>
>9. I read somewhere that humans were designed to squat to defecate.
>Well, I don’t know about you all, but I’m not coordinated enough to
>squat over a toilet. So, in lieu (or loo????...sorry..bad pun) of
>squatting, try propping up your feet on a small bathroom type trashcan
>and leaning forward while you are sitting on the toilet. This puts you
>into a “squatting” position and allows the muscles to work more
>efficiently.
>
>10. I still think that the Mayo Clinic recommendation of a low residue
>diet for adhesions is basically a good one but it is rather restrictive.
>The high-fiber recommendations that doctors typically give certainly
>don’t seem to work well with adhesion bellies. I keep experimenting to
>find the kind of compromises I’ve listed above. Any other ideas?
>
>--
>Mary Wade
>

--
A new friend

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