they go right through me

[callmebecca]

I have a question about green smoothies - so, um - I think they literally go right through me, like in a matter of minutes.

I'd figured that green smoothies simply stimulated (green - but green from previous food, I thought) bowel movements or something, but this morning for the first time I put flax seeds in my smoothie, and not five minutes into drinking it, I skipped off to the bathroom and saw totally undigested flax seeds in my green poop.

Does this mean that my green smoothies are passing right through me undigested? Does that mean I'm not getting the benefits of the fruits and greens? Should I/how can I change this?

Thanks for any thoughts you can offer!

[lafsalot]

Definitely the flax - it's a great natural laxative. ~ Cathy

[Rawkinlocs]

From what I read in "Green for Life", it could mean that you have limited-to-no hydrochloric acid in your stomach for proper digestion - drinking the green smoothies (along with eating raw foods) is supposed to correct that issue. You may also want to consider grinding your flax seeds in a coffee grinder, etc. first, before adding to smoothies so that you get the benefit of them since whole ones are more difficult to break down and digest anyway.

[callmebecca]

Little to no hydrochloric acid, eek! I've been 75-90% raw for a few months now, and I thought that pooping after (or in the case of this meal, during) every meal was a sign that all was functioning much better. Dang.

I googled hydrochloric acid and saw that someone recommends "betaine hydrochloric acid tablets" from a HFS if you don't have enough already in your system...I'd definitely rather let this correct itself through raw food over time rather than take pills, do you think that'll be ok?

I guess my question is, am I not digesting my food right now? Am I not absorbing any nutrients?

[Revvell]

In my interview with Victoria, she said something to the effect that many people, at first, will not be able to digest their food properly and that after 2-3 months of doing GS's, that will change.

Revvell

[callmebecca]

Ah, I see, thanks. It's a shame that I'm spending all this money on produce and worrying about variety and nutrition when I might not be digesting it anyway...

Thanks very much for your help guys! I'll stay the course.

[Dj 247]

Do a lemon shot (lemon juice) or eat citrus before or with meals. Lemon is great for the body. Also do not drink a lot of water with your meals because it dilutes the stomach acid needed for digestion.

[lanettasmouse]

I had the exact same thing happen to me for a while when first starting green smoothies. I didn't add flax though, just fruit, veggies and some water. It was about a month, at most, into it that this stopped happening to me as well. It was a pain too, cause I had to time everything around when I was having a GS, that way I always had a bathroom to run to if needed.:eek: Just keep with it and you'll even out in a little bit.

[callmebecca]

Thank goodness this might stop. My apartment's plumbing isn't set up for beginning raw foodists. :p

[Riiiya]

ooh i had that too! thanks for the explanation, Rawkinlocs!

[justinesmith]

Thank goodness this might stop. My apartment's plumbing isn't set up for beginning raw foodists. :p

Hee Hee hee.... :D I do take the HCL tablets and also enzymes with my meals to help. I've like the results so far..... just an FYI.

[maui_butterfly]

the master cleanse combined with taking the ayurvedic herb triphala helped me personally with my absorbtion/digestion problems. it stands to reason that cleansing your intestines of any buildup will allow you to absorb much better, and the cayenne-lemon combination is famous for rekindling your "digestive fire". there are also lots of different, natural things you can do to increase your "digestive fire": use digestive enzymes (alissa sells some) and/or aggressive probiotics like L-Salivarius, incorporate things like aloe vera, black pepper, cardamom, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, fennel seeds and ginger root into your diet, and the yoga practice of nauli kriya (http://www.yogalesson.com/pranayama/nauli.html)is a great one!

[mouellet]

I have been on HCL tablets for most of this year. I had surgery back in June to repair a bad lower valve in my esophagus. When all the docs were trying to give me acid blockers (that would kill me), they could not understand why until someone suggested the idea that low acid content could be the issue. I started to take the HCL and by the way the test to tell if you need it is to take it. If you can take 1 with a meal, then you move to 2 the next meal until such time you feel a little heat in your stomach, then you taper off one. If you can tolerate any HCL then you are deficient. I am not 100% raw at all, but found that my body was starting to produce it up again. HCL is not dangerous and is drevied mainly from sugar beets. It is a great adjunct for those who may suffer from reflux but it is recommended to check with your doctor or naturopath before just in case... Note that HCL is best used with a hardier meal, raw or partail. It is best suited with proteins.

[callmebecca]

Thanks all for the great advice - I don't know why I'm so scared of pills while I happily put hemp powder into my smoothies, that could just as easily be encapsulated...