Information for Bowel Management - (Highlighting just two products)
Psyllium Hulls
Naturalax 2 - Available from iherb.com
Naturalax 2 - Available from iherb.com
Please note we are not allowed to Diagnose or Prescribe, or make any claims about products.
There are many natural options for bowel management. On this page I give my personal story, and talk about just two natural suppliments which have made a huge difference for me. I will add another page in the near future with more information.
There are many natural options for bowel management. On this page I give my personal story, and talk about just two natural suppliments which have made a huge difference for me. I will add another page in the near future with more information.
My Experience - Not for the fainthearted!
I have personally had a life time of chronic constipation, partly from too much sugar in my diet as a youth, partly from having too much milk - and having an intolerance to milk, which resulted in the constant accumulation of mucus, and also I have inherited a tendency toward this. ( It is in the family).
I believe that over the years, because of not doing the right things when I was younger, my bowel stretched, and by the time I had it x-rayed in my thirties, it took twice the normal amount of barium to fill the bowel to be able to take the pictures.
Believe it or not it was pronounced 'normal', despite the extra large size, and my being in pain a lot of the time!
Somewhere along the line, the "switch" which is the sudden need to move the bowels got broken. So, if I don't constantly manage my bowel, it simply stops. I just don't go. It doesn't matter what I eat - no food "Makes me go".
Also if I get upset, I can get the runs - if my routine changes too much it simply stops for 24 hours. So I think when nothing makes sense, and its all over the place, the name IBS comes into the picture. Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
When in my early twenties, I went to a course by Judith Sansweet on caffeine enemas - I found it really interesting but was too scared to do them.
It wasn't until years later, when I had intense burning in my abdomen and the scans showed everything else was clear, so they suspected it might be a bowel problem. My being scared of having bowel cancer was larger than my being scared of trying an enema, so I tried. For some time, this was the only relief I got when my bowel seized.
Out of all the things I have ever tried, I find the following two things makes my life wonderful. I say wonderful because when your garbage system is not working properly, I can hardly describe life as wonderful! Imagine a street where no rubbish collection has taken place for a couple of years, yet, every week, all home owners diligently put their garbage neatly out on the curbside. Need I say more.... A bowel that doesn't work properly can cause such an array of awful things including head aches, body ache, acne, skin problems, sluggishness, tiredness, depression, and the list goes on.....
So enough of the dark side, and all things horrible.....
First - Psyllium Hulls - must be the husk not the powder. And not the Seed.
This amazing substance creates bulk in the bowel. It is gentle in its action, and reasonably easy to take. There are many products on the market which contain psyllium, and have flavours and additives, but this is just plain. It "tickles" the little hairs (as I like to think of them) on the walls of the bowel, which in turn encourages peristalsis (the action of the bowel muscle). If there is a huge build up on the walls, the muscle action is restricted - so if you have had a long history of bowel trouble I strongly recommend you look into some kind of colon cleanse or colonic irrigation. There are some wonderful clinics around now for this. Then you can get a clean start. What I am talking about here with these two items, is ongoing bowel management.
Anyway. So this helps create bulk. This does not necessarily fix constipation though. Depending on your system, you may also need a softener.
Second - I take an herbal combination called Herbalax. It is simply a mix of herbs in a capsule - no additives.
There is a lot of advise out there about not taking laxatives on a long term basis, or you become dependent on them. Sorry, but I can think of many things a lot worse than taking my herbs every morning so I can rely on "things" working according to plan..... And, after years of incredibly high toxic levels, piles, immense discomfort, acne, and I could go on..... I am healthier now than I have ever been in my life. The trick is, to work out what you need. Some might only need to take them occasionally, some may only need one, and if you are a chronic case like me, you may need to take as many as 3 every day. I take them, and the psyllium in the morning with my breakfast. (Keep an eye out for my next article on The Budwig Diet - this has also helped me heaps!)+
I have found a very low price herbal combination which is totally natural, and along side the psyllium means I can go every day, without constipation or the runs. And the whole bowel moves, not just a little bit of soft going through the middle of the pipe, leaving all the outside stuff to stick around for who knows how long! I would recommend taking this with the psyllium for this reason.
Sorry about getting a bit graphic, I don't think there is a pretty way to tell my story so hopefully a touch of humour helps to lighten the load!. ha ha ...
So, because I have found these two things so very helpful, I have them available for those who would like to try them.
I absolutely can make no promises or guarantees, as with all herbal things, their benefits may vary hugely from person to person, because we are all so wonderfully different! Wow, and just as well!
Readers - Please don't email me with helpful suggestions, ( I struggle to keep up with reading and answering my emails as it is!) Please accept this as my personal story, more than likely complete with 'medical discrepancies' ! I realise there is an endless array of options out there. If you have a better way, go for it.! Of coarse I have told the short version, I could write a book on this subject so I assure you, this is the short version!
If you have been struggling with this annoying problem and have been unable to find a satisfactory solution, then you might like to give these a try.
I have personally had a life time of chronic constipation, partly from too much sugar in my diet as a youth, partly from having too much milk - and having an intolerance to milk, which resulted in the constant accumulation of mucus, and also I have inherited a tendency toward this. ( It is in the family).
I believe that over the years, because of not doing the right things when I was younger, my bowel stretched, and by the time I had it x-rayed in my thirties, it took twice the normal amount of barium to fill the bowel to be able to take the pictures.
Believe it or not it was pronounced 'normal', despite the extra large size, and my being in pain a lot of the time!
Somewhere along the line, the "switch" which is the sudden need to move the bowels got broken. So, if I don't constantly manage my bowel, it simply stops. I just don't go. It doesn't matter what I eat - no food "Makes me go".
Also if I get upset, I can get the runs - if my routine changes too much it simply stops for 24 hours. So I think when nothing makes sense, and its all over the place, the name IBS comes into the picture. Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
When in my early twenties, I went to a course by Judith Sansweet on caffeine enemas - I found it really interesting but was too scared to do them.
It wasn't until years later, when I had intense burning in my abdomen and the scans showed everything else was clear, so they suspected it might be a bowel problem. My being scared of having bowel cancer was larger than my being scared of trying an enema, so I tried. For some time, this was the only relief I got when my bowel seized.
Out of all the things I have ever tried, I find the following two things makes my life wonderful. I say wonderful because when your garbage system is not working properly, I can hardly describe life as wonderful! Imagine a street where no rubbish collection has taken place for a couple of years, yet, every week, all home owners diligently put their garbage neatly out on the curbside. Need I say more.... A bowel that doesn't work properly can cause such an array of awful things including head aches, body ache, acne, skin problems, sluggishness, tiredness, depression, and the list goes on.....
So enough of the dark side, and all things horrible.....
First - Psyllium Hulls - must be the husk not the powder. And not the Seed.
This amazing substance creates bulk in the bowel. It is gentle in its action, and reasonably easy to take. There are many products on the market which contain psyllium, and have flavours and additives, but this is just plain. It "tickles" the little hairs (as I like to think of them) on the walls of the bowel, which in turn encourages peristalsis (the action of the bowel muscle). If there is a huge build up on the walls, the muscle action is restricted - so if you have had a long history of bowel trouble I strongly recommend you look into some kind of colon cleanse or colonic irrigation. There are some wonderful clinics around now for this. Then you can get a clean start. What I am talking about here with these two items, is ongoing bowel management.
Anyway. So this helps create bulk. This does not necessarily fix constipation though. Depending on your system, you may also need a softener.
Second - I take an herbal combination called Herbalax. It is simply a mix of herbs in a capsule - no additives.
There is a lot of advise out there about not taking laxatives on a long term basis, or you become dependent on them. Sorry, but I can think of many things a lot worse than taking my herbs every morning so I can rely on "things" working according to plan..... And, after years of incredibly high toxic levels, piles, immense discomfort, acne, and I could go on..... I am healthier now than I have ever been in my life. The trick is, to work out what you need. Some might only need to take them occasionally, some may only need one, and if you are a chronic case like me, you may need to take as many as 3 every day. I take them, and the psyllium in the morning with my breakfast. (Keep an eye out for my next article on The Budwig Diet - this has also helped me heaps!)+
I have found a very low price herbal combination which is totally natural, and along side the psyllium means I can go every day, without constipation or the runs. And the whole bowel moves, not just a little bit of soft going through the middle of the pipe, leaving all the outside stuff to stick around for who knows how long! I would recommend taking this with the psyllium for this reason.
Sorry about getting a bit graphic, I don't think there is a pretty way to tell my story so hopefully a touch of humour helps to lighten the load!. ha ha ...
So, because I have found these two things so very helpful, I have them available for those who would like to try them.
I absolutely can make no promises or guarantees, as with all herbal things, their benefits may vary hugely from person to person, because we are all so wonderfully different! Wow, and just as well!
Readers - Please don't email me with helpful suggestions, ( I struggle to keep up with reading and answering my emails as it is!) Please accept this as my personal story, more than likely complete with 'medical discrepancies' ! I realise there is an endless array of options out there. If you have a better way, go for it.! Of coarse I have told the short version, I could write a book on this subject so I assure you, this is the short version!
If you have been struggling with this annoying problem and have been unable to find a satisfactory solution, then you might like to give these a try.
Buy Direct from Iherb
You can also follow the link on our links page to the place in the States where I get the Herbalax from. www.iherb.com
It is very simple to order from Iherb.
Iherb are a wonderful company, extremely professional and reliable.
If you enter the code below you get an instant discount off your first order. I think its about $10.00!
Discount Code: OQA443
The herbalax is around $7.00 if you order it direct from Iherb, and their freight to NZ is very reasonable. Feel free to ask me if you want help to put an order in. I choose DHL Freight - they are fantastic. In most cases the herbs arrive within 3 working days! Yes, from the States!
You can also follow the link on our links page to the place in the States where I get the Herbalax from. www.iherb.com
It is very simple to order from Iherb.
Iherb are a wonderful company, extremely professional and reliable.
If you enter the code below you get an instant discount off your first order. I think its about $10.00!
Discount Code: OQA443
The herbalax is around $7.00 if you order it direct from Iherb, and their freight to NZ is very reasonable. Feel free to ask me if you want help to put an order in. I choose DHL Freight - they are fantastic. In most cases the herbs arrive within 3 working days! Yes, from the States!