Question / digestion problems, maybe (?)

[Mialsse]

Hi! I have sort of a TMI question, but I figured this would be the best place to ask it :o

I've been raw for about 1 1/2 weeks now, and I'm not having good BM's. I haven't had many at all (maybe 2), and the little I have had have seem to be a bit hard. Also, today is fine, but the past couple of days my stomach has also been a bit crampy and bloated. All of that leads me to think I may be constipated?? How is that possible on a raw foods diet? And what should I do to correct it? Or if it sounds like something else, what?

My diet consists mainly of green smoothies, with a lot of leafy greens in them. Other then that, it's really just simple fruits and veggies, big salads once in a while. Nothing too complicated. I'm too simple of a girl to get all complicated in the kitchen :p

Any ideas?

[Veganforlife]

How about upping your water intake? Adding some flax seed oil to your smoothies? Avocados to your salads. Last resort - an enema?
Is that why your name is crunchy mama? EEWWWW - sorry, couldn't resist.:p

[Sunshine9]

I went through that for a while when I first started raw. For me, it seemed to be eating late and waaay too many nuts for my stomach to handle.

are you drinking a lot of water?
when I do green smoothies I feel kind of stuffed and backed up if I don't drink a lot. A little fat and oil is definitely a good thing.

Some laxative tea or an enema might help if this is just your body getting adjusted, which it surely is :)

[Mialsse]

I could definitely up my water intake. I still drink a lot, but no where near as much as I used to drink. I was always dehydrated before, so I had to consciously think about, and chug water all day long. I don't have those dehydrated symptoms anymore, so now I just drink when I'm thirsty. I'll be more aware of that. Hopefully that works. If not, I'll try some tea. If it comes to an enema - I just don't think so ... :eek:


veganforlife - GROSS!!! lol. I never would have put those two together *gag*! lol. Crunchy Momma is an AP term

[StarFire]

I just finished my first 30 day RAW challenge. I find it very interesting ;) that during this time, I have noted this same question asked over and over again by Newbies. All within about 1-1/2 or 2 weeks into the raw lifestyle.

I am one of those that asked this same question! And frankly I was so embarressed when I asked - then thought what the heck - no one knows me!! So I hit submit -- only to realize that my photo was right there on the post!! LOL!! :D I jokingly said - well - now when all of you come to Hawaii and if you see me - you can say "Oh I know you - you're the girl that's constipated!!"

Check back into some of the older posts - or do a search -- at the top of the page you'll find a banana! You may find some suggestions not listed here.

One thing I have found that is very gentle on the body is the herb Cascara Sagrada. I would rather take that then stay constipated for too long. My body has a tendency to swell and I'll get horrible migraines when I don't have healthy bowels... it's like the toxins and poisons are building up in my system.

Good luck!! ;)

[luckitri]

Another very gentle and mild flavored herb is slippery elm bark powder. I use it in a non-raw way because I put a spoon of it in a cup of hot water and stir it thoroughly. Some people, especially non-raw people need cinnamon and maybe some honey in it.

What you are experiencing is exactly as Starfire said, very normal. Your body is smart and knows that you have made a big change but it does not know why. It may be hoarding food until it is assured that it will continue to receive food regularly. The truth is that your body will reabsorb a fetus if you are truly starving. Plus the whole digestive tract has to adjust to this change. If you have had a prior history of digestive problems your adjustment may take longer. Trust the wisdom of your body to do the right thing most of the time and for most people - all of the time.

If you are not experiencing discomfort or toxicity from this don't worry about it. On raw diet my body never lets go of the bms until just after a meal.

Staying hydrated is important but there is too much of a good thing as well. Too much water can upset your body salts balance and I have read elsewhere that you can cause yourself major medical problems over time. A good way that I have learned on here is that alot of times we think that we are hungry when in reality we are thirsty. It seems to be true. Maybe that is why we sometimes are tired after eating even raw - besides the food might have been too rich or too much - maybe we were really only thirsty to begin with.

[solarliving]

I don't know if you are eating apples, but they always do the trick for me as well as drinking enough water. I researched the essential amino acids and apparently apples have all of them.