constipated for 30+ years... suggestions please

[Aleesha Sattva]

i have a friend who told me the other day that she's been severely constipated since she was nine years old. i'm 44 and i'm guessing she's somewhere around my age. (i think she mentioned she 45)...

i would like to assist her, i can't imagine going through life with this happening.

right now she's doing colonics.

do you all think a juice feast would be a good place for her to start? she's just started doing green smoothies (the last few days) and is loving them.

she works out lots, so exercise is not something she is lacking.

i'm going to give her a link to this thread... and i'm hoping you'll all chime in with some great info.

thanks in advance.
aleesha

[carolg]

Was she getting any fiber in her diet such as fruits before the smooth introduction? What about prunes????

She may try a colonic.

She could try Richard Schulze swears by his products. He's real so I would believe him too. Google his website. I know there are cleansers out ther e and hacres.com has fiber cleanse, but many sites do as well. My computer is not showing the address bar so I am clueless on how to see the address now.

carolg

[Conscious Midwife]

Enjoy two handfuls RAW of cashews followed by two oranges

and then hold on to your ankles cause in about 30 minutes
she's gonna blow:eek:

[Aleesha Sattva]

carol, i said in OP that she's doing colonics. i'm hoping to find her a more natural solution... and hopefully one someone else has experienced here. i can only imagine that being constipated for 30+ years... she's tried fibre. :P

lifeAgift, thanks i'll let her know!

[Conscious Midwife]

I was serious about my post works for me every tiem I get back up especially with SAD cheese and flour products.

Senna tea is also a good bowel stimulant

[Aleesha Sattva]

i'm going to mention here that it's RAW cashews purchased from the health food store... and two oranges. ;)

thanks lifeAgift!

[Aleesha Sattva]

just looked at Richard Schulze's website... a bit too "car salesman" for me... sorry.

[Conscious Midwife]

edited my post to emphasize the RAW, because that is definately key... RAW CASHEWS:rolleyes:

[EZ rider]

A diet consisting of mostly high fiber fresh raw natural WHOLE foods may help to get her moving.

[raven]

That's shocking but, unfortunately, quite common. Your friend needs to change your diet and do a colon cleanse. There are quite a few effective programs on the market. Dr. Schulze has an excellent reputation and produces high-quality products. He has a strong personality but he's impressed me as having integrity. There's also www.blessedherbs.com, Whole Body cleanse, R.E.N.E.W. (Brenda Watson products available in health food stores) and a host of others.

Green smoothies should help. Your friend should have a glass of warm water with lemon each morning and do some intestinal massage afterwards, lying on a bed with her knees up and massaging counter-clockwise around the navel and then around the ascending, transverse and descending colon. She can use a tennis ball for deeper massage.

What your friends needs to do is build up healthy bacteria in her intestines. This is vital. She should take enzymes with her meals and probiotics on an empty stomach, in the morning and before bed. It will take time to restore her intestinal function but she will have more severe problems down the road if she doesn't address this problem. You're a good friend to be so concerned.

Suzy

[Snoozy]

I have a friend in the same situation. I took some prunes to her and told her to eat ONLY 3 per day. She did that and had no gas/bloating and became regular.

One day she ate like 6 or 7 and had bad stomach problems. :rolleyes: Now she just sticks with 3 per day and has no problems.

[Arky]

Something I have noticed is that many of the recommendations in the natural medicine arena, for constipation, involve the consumption of such high-fibre foods as psyllium & ground flaxseed etc. However, on the basis of personal experience (although I do not suffer from constipation, I've used these as part of cleansing programs), I have found that there is often nowhere near enough emphasis placed upon the importance of consuming lots of water when consuming psyllium or ground flaxmeal. These fibrous foods have the ability to absorb so much water in the digestive tract that, although beneficial for toxin removal, it can lead to the very problems one might hope to relieve with them. When doing the Blessed Herbs cleanse, for example, I became very constipated on the 4th day and it was evident that although I had made sure to drink a lot of water, it still hadn't been enough. This isn't any fault of the Blessed Herbs fibrous ingredients - they're equivalent to those on virtually any other cleanse on the market - it's just that psyllium (and flax seed meal) have, in my experience, absorbed so much fluid in the digestive tract that I now personally consider many of the recommendations for fluid intake to be on the minimal side.
If you shake up some psyllium or flax meal in a glass jar, with fluid, but instead of drinking it immediately, leave it to stand for 10minutes, you'll get some idea of how rubbery and gelatinous it can become - you may be surprised!

That's just something to consider. I'm not saying one should avoid flax or psyllium for constipation relief, just that you need to really pay close attention to hydrating yourself sufficiently to compensate, or their consumption may prove counterproductive, that's all.


Flax seed tea is known to work well for constipation. Place ground flax seed (i.e. flax meal) in a cup and pour hot water over it, leave it to steep, then strain out the seeds and drink the fluid. You might choose to consume the seeds, too, for their fibre content, but both the oil and the seeds have a constipation-relieving effect on their own, if consumed appropriately.

The high cellulose content of sweetcorn can be surprisingly effective at loosening up the contents of the bowels.

Sesame seeds are astonishingly effective at keeping the bowels moving effectively. I particularly recommend trying this option.

Suzy made an excellent point regarding the need for repopulating the bowel with beneficial bacteria. What many people do not realise is that healthy bacteria not only assist in the nutritional side of digestion, but also contribute a very significant quantity of bulk to stools - if these bacteria are absent, one's stool bulk will decrease, to the detriment of the evacuation process. All we ever hear about in the media, with regard to stool movement, is 'add more fibre' (particularly promoted by the grain industry, as just one example), and while this is, of course, a helpful approach, the post-digestion contribution to stools of healthy bacteria is oft-overlooked. Traditional cultures whose relative lack of bowel cancers has been noted by researchers, have not achieved their superb bowel transit by copious fibre alone (although they do, undoubtedly, consume more plant-based fibre than most Westerners). These people also assist their bowel transit through the consumption of bacteria-rich fermented foods.

Yoga poses involving spinal twists are amazingly effective at promoting digestive transit. Don't underestimate how potent the effect can be. You don't need to 'learn yoga' as an entire discipline in order to benefit from just a couple of useful poses, some of which may even be performed from a sitting position, so there's no excuse!


J.

[Arky]

just looked at Richard Schulze's website... a bit too "car salesman" for me... sorry.


LOL, yes I take your point. However, though he may be something of a renegade in the industry, and, as you noted, curiously OTT in his sales approach, he nonetheless has a good deal of quiet respect across the world for the efficacy of his products. Sometimes, in the face of stiff opposition from other industries with agendas closer to commerce than to healing, a renegade or two, with the courage to loudly make a stand against the dubious opposition, is needed, and may, in the longrun, prove to be a benefit to the rest of us. For this reason, I admire Schulze, regardless of his apparent imperfections (who, amongst us, can truly claim to be absent of any imperfections?). If he makes a good product and if he has the courage to stand up against the big industries with dubious agendas, then I for one am more than content to overlook the less popular aspects of his colourful character. ...So, in this particular case, I'd ask you not to dismiss him on face value. You might be missing out on a good thing.


J.

[RawHeaven]

LOL, yes I take your point. However, though he may be something of a renegade in the industry, and, as you noted, curiously OTT in his sales approach, he nonetheless has a good deal of quiet respect across the world for the efficacy of his products. Sometimes, in the face of stiff opposition from other industries with agendas closer to commerce than to healing, a renegade or two, with the courage to loudly make a stand against the dubious opposition, is needed, and may, in the longrun, prove to be a benefit to the rest of us. For this reason, I admire Schulze, regardless of his apparent imperfections (who, amongst us, can truly claim to be absent of any imperfections?). If he makes a good product and if he has the courage to stand up against the big industries with dubious agendas, then I for one am more than content to overlook the less popular aspects of his colourful character. ...So, in this particular case, I'd ask you not to dismiss him on face value. You might be missing out on a good thing.



J.


I like the way you write Arky.

[RawHeaven]

i have a friend who told me the other day that she's been severely constipated since she was nine years old.

Aleesha, it just comes to my heart that we're all offering advice based on "minor" constipation issues perhaps. 30+ years is a long time to be suffering with constipation and there could be something deeper, even emotional happening with your friend. Certainly the natural physical cures will hopefully help, but there is some other "blockage" happening. I do hope they work, but maybe this healing crisis is an opportunity for her to go deeper into what is ailing her.

I pulled out my Louise Hay book and she says the following is a probable cause of constipation:


Probable Cause: Refusing to release old ideas. Stuck in the past. Sometimes stinginess.

New Thought Pattern: As I release the past, the new and fresh and vital enter. I allow life to flow through me.

Just another way of looking at this situation. If she's open to this, she might try meditating and saying this new thought pattern along with the physical cures. May help her even more.

[Betsy]

Please define SEVERLEY constipated! :)

[NYbutterfly]

Hi,

I do think a juice feast would be beneficial for your friend's condition. I was severely constipated before going raw because I was not eating enough fat or calories. The juice fast helped that problem 100%, followed by an all raw diet. I go 5 times a day now, easily! As long as she does colonics during her fast, that could be the answer. Best of luck!

[NYbutterfly]

Please define SEVERLEY constipated! :)

Severely constipated for me personally... I hardly went to the bathroom, and when I did it was strained, painful, and very hard. Colonics didn't remove anything bc the matter inside of me was so hard and impacted. I was so gassy and bloated with sooo much abdominal pressure, the slightest touch on my belly hurt. It was awful. Now this is not NEARLY as "severe" as a 30 year back-up, to be sure!

[BellaMia]

Wow! Thats a long time!

[Mump]

I have a friend who had the same issue and usind Formula Number One from www.herbdoc.com she found relief within 24 hours. To her this product was a miracle. As much as you may dislike the web site it is definitely worth using the product, it will help your friend and she will always appreciate your help.

[carolg]

herbdoc.com is Dr. Schulze site and product. Personally I haven't experienced him in person or through his site or mailings to be salesman like. I know his products are great so maybe I was not seeing that side. Regardless we have a testimony here with something that works, so may be a blessing for this post to have begun.

Recycling: Didn't see the colonic part. Sorry.

I have heard of beets, go light with starting off as they could be constipating too, with olive oil. It's a cleanser + lubricant I see them as in a large salad daily. I totally forgot about this and it worked. Also juice with small amount of beets in it also heard works.

Keep us posted please on the "solution." Thanks.

carolg

[Aleesha Sattva]

thanks carol... i will.

everyone, you RAWK... thank you for gifting her with all these suggestions. i've sent her a link to this thread so she can read and perhaps even join the site and join in the conversation if she feels so inclined.

i really like the idea of doing the affirmation... i'm a HUGE believer of the power of affirmations. when i was 18 they were going to remove my stomach and give me an artificial one because my ulcer (which i got as a small child) was so severe... my boyfriend at the time said, "no way, i'm going to teach you something to heal your self, you are NOT having surgery"

within less than a month i was off all meds and have been fine ever since (again i'm 44 now)... so i hope she takes that advice as well as the yoga poses. i take yoga classes and love what it's doing for my body.

it looks like Dr. Schultze is also a good suggestion... although I'm hoping she'll start with a juice feast to aide the colonics she's currently doing and see where that takes her before adding more 'stuff' into her diet.

i use probiotics so i can hook her up with those. garden of life... great stuff!

just one more thing... i love you all. you are all so supportive... thank YOU

[carolg]

Recycling,
Thanks for being a friend to your friend and ours here. Sadly, it's hard to find people so real as you and others here who are willing to go out of their way. To be a helping hand when people are stuck in their own stuff and not necessarily healing either is a gift. It's a blessing to have such wonderful friends here and I am honored to be a part of this family. With much love...

carolg

[VeggieMel]

Your friend should drink lots and lots of water to loosen up the matter inside of her, at least half her body weight in ounces. In other words, if she weighs 150 pounds, she should drink 75 ounces of water a day. Then wheatgrass juice will also help a lot. Just doing those two things, it'll be hard to be constipated!! But juicing and green smoothies are fantastic. If she wants to take a tea, "Smooth Move" tea is excellent for that!

[Arky]

...wheatgrass juice will also help a lot.

I completely agree! However, in my case, I found it necessary to drink approximately a pint for such a cleansing reaction to take effect. Many people will find that quantity too nauseating to consume. Has it been your experience that more than 2-4oz was necessary to initiate significant bowel cleansing for you?

(It's been a great pleasure to me to find out for myself that wheatgrass is one thing in the natural cures arena which really does do much of what people claim it does).


J.

[VeggieMel]

Yep, wheatgrass juice is amazing. You're right. It does what they claim it does. It's poweful stuff!!
I generally drink 2 to 4 ounces a day. 4 ounces a day is ideal for me to have a good cleansing reaction.

[Linda1970]

2 of my friends were also constipated for about 20 years, since they were little kids. I ground flax seeds for them and when they took it with lots of water, they became regular for the first time.

[missystems]

[QUOTE=recycling goddess;404101]i have a friend who told me the other day that she's been severely constipated since she was nine years old. i'm 44 and i'm guessing she's somewhere around my age. (i think she mentioned she 45)...

I understand your friend's dilemma. I was in the same boat only 6 months ago and I am 46 years old. Previously, to ensure some sense of regularity I took many meds (psyllium, bowel detox and many other herbal products) and they did keep me regular, but I felt as if it were abnormal to use medication to do something that was so normal/reflexive to the human body. With the meds I eliminated every time I had a meal (meds taken with meals). Before taking the meds, maybe once or twice a week. I was very active, so whenever I had a long jog I was regular (with the meds).

I have been raw for 6 months, today. It has not been easy, from a social perspective, but I am so regular (every day and sometimes 2/3 times per day)it is amazing. I add flax seed to any recipe that I can to help with the program. My regime goes something like this:

1. Begin each day with a quart of room temperature water (this alones guarantees elimination)
2. 1 green smoothie each morning (add ground flax seeds)
3. Green salad or some wonderful desert that has flax seed (brownie, chocolate fudge, pizza made w/flax seed crust, chocolate ice cream springkled w/flax, etc.) Because flax seed is so filling, I ususally am filled to capacity and don't need dinner, but if I'm not completely satisfied, I will have
4. tomato soup (very little ground flax), with crackers (flax)

Also, I try to eat plenty of fruits and veggies that are known for their laxative effects (pineapples, bananas, carrots).

The above does not seem like a lot of food and if your friend is new to the raw food diet, she will probably want to eat more and can. However, if you lace everything with finely ground flax seed, she will be amazed at how her body thanks her.

In addition to the above I also have colonics. I believe it speeds up the detox process and relieves some of the pain associated with detoxing. I get a colonic atleast twice a month and would get more if I could afford it.

I wish your friend the best of luck.

[Vivid Lily]

Reading this I thought of my sister. She too for most of her life she's 46 now. has been severly constipated. A few months ago I got her to go for a colonic. The lady that did it , is a nurse. So she felt comfortable with her. But, she was surprised how compacted she was and couldn't get anything to come out. She told her a few things she should do and to take this really serious. Well!!! my sister eats terribly, (she thinks she eats fine) typical sad diet. and she never went back. I know you really want to help your friend I hope she is willing, because sometimes they just have to do it on their own. My sister struggles every day. But would rather take a whole pile of laxatives. She also suffers from migraines,I think it is related.
And also bad breath. which I think is related too. Just my 2 cents. Suzy:D

[raven]

Constipation is a big business (OTC remedies) and a serious problem. There have been many great suggestions on this thread.

Arky, many people have that experience with psyllium. I'm hesitant to purchase a program which relies on psyllium, it may not be the best way to cleanse. I've used the Whole Body cleanse, with good results, but I didn't feel like I removed all the mucoid plaque.

Suzy

[Arky]

Thanks Suzy, regarding the tendency for the psyllium to clump up into a rubbery mass (which, don't get me wrong, can potentially be a useful property), I am now quite convinced that the much-touted 'mucoid plaque' is, to at least 50%, nothing more than the congealed psyllium one has just consumed as part of a cleanse. That being said, I do also believe that the congealed psyllium absorbs and pulls other debris with it as it makes it's way through the body.

Having consumed a large quantity of wheatgrass juice in a day, I have seen the difference in the cleansing that occurs with wheatgrass juice in comparison to a laxative etc. Wheatgrass juice clearly loosens old debris, whereas laxatives, in my experience, have a tendency to do little more than instigate a simple flushing of the everyday contents of the bowel, wastefully flushing one's own electrolytes from the body, in the process. Perhaps others have found laxatives to be more useful. My point here is simply that wheatgrass juice appears to operate (at least when consumed in very significant quantity) on a dramatically deeper level, which is no surprise given its abundant enzymes, chlorophyll, oxygen, and nutrients which may assist the body's proper cleansing mechanisms.

I mention all of this because it is consequently my belief that if people undertaking a cleanse diverted a little more of their attention away from psyllium etc. and towards wheatgrass juice, I think they'd experience much better results. Of course, psyllium is cheap and does not degrade significantly in dried form, so is much more practical to sell as part of a commercial cleanse package. Similarly, many people cannot be bothered to grow or obtain fresh wheatgrass (powdered is ok but doesn't have anything like the same power as fresh). If I undertake a cleanse these days I cut my psyllium intake by at least half, in comparison to the instructions I'd follow when I was new to this. I find that plenty of wheatgrass juice more than compensates (in fact, it's downright spectacularly good).

It's nice to know I'm not the only one who now regards the ubiquitous psyllium shakes with a degree of caution, so thankyou for your comments on that.


J.

[Arky]

You made a very good point about the psychological aspects, RawHeaven.

It's surprising when one spends time 'developing the witness' (see Bill Harris' work, at Centerpointe.com, amongst others, for more on this concept). Learning to notice your thoughts and your bodily tensions, throughout the day, can be a surprising and rather enlightening experience. Often, we carry tension in our bodies which we have grown so accustomed to that we are not even consciously aware of them. I have found that if I actually take the time to properly observe my body as I'm walking down the street, I can quickly identify and release tension that I had been completely unaware of, up until that point. Of course, there can be deeper tension hiding in the body, stemming from psychological tension going back years, even decades, which is something that needs prolonged self-enquiry and perhaps even professional assistance to identify and to work through, as you alluded to, RawHeaven. I appreciate you not thinking just about the nutritional aspects!

Bill Harris also does some excellent meditation materials (Holosync), but note that this is for the committed meditator and is a progressive course spanning approximately 7 years (it is superb, though - I'm on the course myself).

A more budget-conscious option, with optional guided voiceovers, is the range of meditiation soundtracks produced by KellyHowell, which are really great (and she has a great website with some brilliant free podcasts). Well worth looking into her stuff, because it's easily affordable and works very well.

Please note, though, that although they may appear similar (both utilise brain frequency entrainment technologies, which basically means the use of precise sound waves to induce particular meditative brain wave states in the listener), the intended outcome of Bill's work differs from that of Kelly's. Kelly's is designed to assist the general public in bringing healthy meditation into their daily routines, including optional guided voiceovers, should the listener prefer these. Kelly offers a wide range of very-accessible meditation soundtracks because each one has different frequencies and different voiceovers, depending on what particular outcome the listener is hoping to achieve. Bill Harris' 'Holosync', on the other hand, is aimed at nothing less than a gradual transformation of personal consciousness. This may sound rather grandiose but it's exactly what it's about and I can testify to the efficacy of the program. Without getting deeply into the neurophysiological background of this, I'll just say that Holosync attempts, over a period of time, to bring the unconscious workings of your mind (corresponding to Theta and Delta activity) into more conscious awareness (Alpha and Beta). In so doing, actual neurophysiological changes occur within the participant, and incredibly, one's own subconscious tensions begin to melt away. I realise how bizarre and unbelievable this may sound but it's for real and I have benefited from it even though I've only been a participant for about 2 years so far. If your friend does have long-standing, underlying psychological issues and tensions, Aleesha, I cannot recommend Holosync highly enough. Even though it is a significant investment, and I am not a wealthy man, it is one of the best investments (perhaps the best investment) I've ever made in my life.

Both Kelly's and Bill's appraoches are excellent and beneficial, but it's important to recognise the differing aims of the two approaches, before choosing which is most suitable for you.


Going back to yoga, but mixing it a little with psychology and psychoanalysis, I highly recommend Stephen Cope's 'Yoga For Emotional Flow'. It's a very affordable 2-CD Sounds True set which offers some really engaging commentary on how people can subconsiously 'block' psychological tensions, some of which, it is possible to 'release' by allowing them to flow through one's body during the process of yoga. Stephen Cope is involved with the Kripalu yoga centre, which you may have heard of.


J.

[GuruRas Kaur]

Dear Recycling Goddess,

Along with eating right (wheat grass is amazing!), drinking water, and exercise, I've seen folks resolve chronic constipation with acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and self-massage. In terms of the food it's helpful to eat moistening foods including collards, spinach, figs/dates/prunes and being sure to eat probiotic foods like natural sauerkraut and kombucha. Our emotions and general psychological state have a real impact on bowel function because of the many parasympathetic nerve receptors there. So after 30 years of constipation it'd be hard to say what came first, the emotional component or the constipation, but releasing emotions will likely have an impact on her condition. Acupuncture can help with emotional issues.

Affordable acupuncture can be found in many places, especially if you look for "community acupuncture". See the directory at www.communityacupuncturenetwork.org for clinics near your friend.

Great topic!:D

[jacsam]

Dr Christophers "Quick Colon", is a great formula to get your bowells moving.

[unbent]

I just finished reading a book by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D. called 'You're not sick, you are thirsty!', which I highly recommend by the way, and one of the big contributors to constipation is too much caffeine and not enough water. Too many people are substituting pop, juice, tea and coffee for water and are basically making themselves sick due to dehydration. I won't go into too much detail here but if you go to youtube.com and do a search for 'watercure' you should find a few videos that give a good idea as to what he is talking about. Hope this helps.

Andy

[RawHeaven]

I realise how bizarre and unbelievable this may sound but it's for real and I have benefited from it even though I've only been a participant for about 2 years so far.

Dear J, I don't think it's bizarre at all and it's so great that you were able to reap benefits and heal in this way. It makes perfect sense to me that illness manifests in the (physical) body in it's final stages. I did a lot of work with somatic trauma healing after I sustained serious trauma to my body and leg in a motor vehicle accident. I read Peter Livine's Waking the Tiger, Healing Trauma on the recommendation of a very good friend and it was the key to unlock all of this advanced healing information for me on a very deep level. His book really spoke to me, at some point bringing me to tears and I took it to heart. It was the beginning of my healing process. I then embarked on a determined path of trying and finding alternative healing methods outside of reconstructive bone surgery, chronic pain and prescription drugs. I worked with an acupuncturist, a somatic trauma specialist, a reiki healer and a number of other amazing healers who taught me a lot about how we both create illness in our bodies and how we can heal ourselves. The most powerful healer of them all, once again, was my focus on visualizing the healing taking place in my body and doing the somatic trauma work. It's fascinating. I wouldn't have (consciously) chosen to experience a horrific motorcycle accident, but it sure has led me down the path of greater healing and understanding. It's powerful stuff! I had a team of people helping me, including my very enlightened orthopedic surgeon. I was truly blessed, he was not your typical western medical doctor and he completely supported me and tried to learn from it for himself. You see I was a "case study" and had consulted with 6 orthopedic surgeons during my 2 year healing cycle. I had no desire to remain a case study and be written up for next 20 years in some medical journal. lol. My goal was to heal and get the heck out of the hospital/surgery revolving door.

Today I have beat all of the odds. I was not supposed to be walking, thriving and healthy. I'm all that and then some! I attribute this to the greater healing I was able to sustain from meditating, eating raw foods and working with amazing healing pioneers in the Bay Area who helped me get in touch with why I manifested such an experience in my life. It would take a book (and that's what I'm doing right now - writing about my experience) to really convey exactly what I'm talking about.

I'm right there with you on this subject and I'm going to check out the information you've noted with regard to Bill Harris' Holosync which sounds very interesting. I'm a long-time meditator and I'm always open to learning about alternate healing methods. Thank you so much for sharing this information. I hope it's taken to heart with regard to the constipation challenges of the person who is healing herself, because it really does work. I am a testament to that.

In gratitude,
Crystal

[raven]

Arky,

Thanks for the info on colon cleansing and holysync.

Re mucoid plaque, I don't know whether the psyllium creates a gel which we mistake for plaque. Many people become very uncomfortable with psyllium. I don't know what the better alternative is but your experience with wheatgrass is interesting. I don't know how much I could drink. I think I'd have a strong reaction to more than 2 oz. I never liked it, even back in the 70s when I was at Hippocrates. If I incorporate wheatgrass, which sounds like a great idea, I'll have to buy a manual juicer and grow my own or buy trays. It's too expensive to buy large quanities of fresh juice.

Re Holysync, I have a set of beginner's tapes and I should start using this technology. I've been reading Tolle, Ni and other transformational authors but need the tools which lead to transformative experience. I've read a lot of positive feedback on Holysync. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Suzy

[chilove]

Have her read the ideal book for anyone with bowel issues: Self Healing Colitis and Crohns by Dave Klein. Even though she doesn't have those two issues, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!! I used this program to heal from severe IBS and it really teaches you about bowel health and natural, healthy raw living.

Blessings,

Audrey
www.rawhealing.com

[Arky]

Crystal, that's quite some story you have there! Ironically, I went through a near-fatal RTA many years ago, too, although I recovered without unusual complications. I'm sorry to hear you had a more prolonged recovery but I'm very pleased to hear you made it through eventually, and had the wisdom to see it as an opportunity for growth, along the way. These days, I truly see most life events as an opportunity to grow. This outlook is not only a positive one spiritually, but it is also interesting to note that, on a more mainstream, success-orientated level, a parallel can be seen in that a core psychological characteristic of many successful businessmen and women is that they view hurdles, adversity and mistakes as 'feedback' and a consequent opportunity to grow and learn, rather than as outright, brick-wall, failures. They approach it from a point of view of growth and adaptability, rather than despondency.

To both Crystal and Suzy, if you'd like to continue discussing Holosync in a thread in the 'Personal Growth' sub-forum, I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you might have. Bill Harris was quite heavily involved with Transcendental Meditation during the 1970s, but kept searching for ways to improve his meditation practice further and, reading the exciting resaearch into neuro-entrainment technolgoies that was occuring during that decade, he set up his own company. What is different between his approach to neuro-entrainment and that of others, as I lightly touched upon in my previous post, is that his method, instead of 'chasing' certain brainwave states in order for the user to experience some sort of uncommon state of mind, per se' (a 'trip', if you will) seeks to establish greater communication between the unconscious and conscious mind, and not only during the half an hour or so that the listener is listening to the soundtrack, but, due to the brain's (positive, I might add) response to his technology, this ability to better access the depths of the mind is brought into daily experience. As I said, this involves actual permanent neurophysiological changes, leading to greater integration of thought processes. It is absolutely fascinating stuff but it is incredible that if one is diligent in using the technology, one really does experience noticeably calmer and clearer states of mind in one's life, even not during listening to the soundtracks. Truly life-changing stuff. Having become rather jaded with all the promises and hype in the personal development industry, I was, unsurprisingly, somewhat skeptical about such claims but I had wanted to get into serious meditation for some time, anyway, so I gave Bill's stuff a try and have never looked back!


J.

[RawHeaven]

Thank you J. I will send you an email to inquire more about Holysync if I have any questions. I appreciate the offer to share your experience with it. I agree wholeheartedly about viewing challenging life experiences as opportunities to grow and definately there is a parallel to the corporate world and other business models. I was one of the corp exec people in my former life and can attest to the power of viewing the world in this way. It led to my success and it didn't hurt that I absolutely loved what I was doing either. This is the primary key to success I believe - LOVE what you do. I think the ability to not get too despondant with surface failures is something that's inherent in individuals. It can be learned, but for the most part I think a child who's raised in an environment where this is modeled really brings it forward into their life experience. This is what happened in my case, I watched my parents overcome obstacle after obstacle with determination and strength and it couldn't help but spill over to me. When you've hit rock bottom and risen above it, it becomes easier to rise up again in the future. You don't even think about it and just say "hmmm what's the worst case scenario?" And usually the worst thing is usually not even a big deal. lol. Success to me is no longer about making money, worrying about finances or attaining external power. Simply it's about attaining optimal health, enjoying my time here and sharing with others. I've done a 360 in this regard for sure.

Okay back to the original thread...don't want to hijack it and I will send you a note if I have any questions when I have an opportunity to review the Holosync info.

Thanks again!

[Aleesha Sattva]

okay so after pondering all the fabulously informative suggestions... we have decided to do a 30 day green smoothie feast.

to support my friend, i've gotten 6 other people together and we are all doing this together! some of the people supporting her are not raw (at this time).

i've suggested she gets some golden flax seeds and to grind them the night before, soak them and then add them to her smoothies during the day.

i also have her adding flax oil and soaked chia seeds and taking probiotics.

i'll keep you all posted on how she's doing.

thank you ALL for your loving support!!! she appreciates every word you've posted!

[Aleesha Sattva]

i forgot to mention... she's gotten herself up to 4 cups of green smoothie a day already...

[Arky]

Sounds great!

Don't go crazy with the flaxseeds though, or it'll seriously slow down the digestion of the smoothies - more flax is not necessarily better. I wouldn't use any more than one tablespoon, at least to begin with.

Given the choice between easing her situation with 2 tablespoons of flaxseed or doing so with one tablespoon of flaxseed and, at another time in the day, a tablespoon of sesame seeds, I'd go for the latter option every time.

I wish you the best of success, whatever your chosen path and I'm impressed that you've managed to get others to join in with the green smoothies!


J.

[carolg]

Thanks all for the great wheatgrass tips here. Are you growing your own? I can't stand the smell of this stuff. Drinking has not been part of my lifestyle yet. I do want to get into it.

Any special equipment being used? I've save up some growing tips, but would love to know yours since I haven't tried this more than once. I can use help. Thanks.
carolg

[Arky]

I can't speak for anyone else, but I personally find that in order to affordably (and practically) consume a decent quantity of wheatgrass juice on a regular basis, the only viable option is to grow my own, which I do with a customised and expanded version of one of Val's sprouter kits, which I recently discussed here:

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=38661

In order to make this a regular habit (not just the wheatgrass but also sprouted foods of all kinds), it is critically important to make it as easy as possible or you'll soon get bored of the hassle. Therefore, I suggest you very seriously consider using an automated sprouter of some description, like the one I use or an EasyGreen or Freshlife etc. Do a forum search for these sprouters and you'll find plenty of discussion about the pros and cons.


J.

[Aleesha Sattva]

i buy mine from my organic delivery. $13 a large flat... lasts me the week. ;)

[Aleesha Sattva]

Sounds great!

Don't go crazy with the flaxseeds though, or it'll seriously slow down the digestion of the smoothies - more flax is not necessarily better. I wouldn't use any more than one tablespoon, at least to begin with.

Given the choice between easing her situation with 2 tablespoons of flaxseed or doing so with one tablespoon of flaxseed and, at another time in the day, a tablespoon of sesame seeds, I'd go for the latter option every time.

I wish you the best of success, whatever your chosen path and I'm impressed that you've managed to get others to join in with the green smoothies!


J.

thanks i'll pass that info onto her!

[Veganforlife]

Two words: GREEN SMOOTHIES
They aren't called smoothies for nothing!!! LOL!!!:p

[Apple^^]

Ever since I have been sick I have had terrible constipation (it's been almost two years now) I have read all there is to read on this problem and all they say is water and fiber and honestly it didn't help.

And then I found out that if I eat only a fruit,like grapefruit in the morning and just drink lots of water and ofcourse stay active (staying in bed til late is so not good for bowel movements!), sometime around lunchtime, I have VERY painful stabs in the left side of my lower belly(the first time it was so painful I literally had to stop walking and just stood there till it went away) and suddenly I need to go to toilet. I figured the pains were the hardened waste moving in my intestines.

It's a bit embarrasing for me to admit, at age 21, with severe constipation but I really wanted your friend to know my experience. For me the key was eating a light fruit for breakfast and not eating anything else until elimination. Somehow when I ate something in hunger before then I would have no eliminations the whole day (which is normal for me)

I still don't know the source of my constipation and hers might be different but it's still worth a try. I so understand how your friend must feel.
I really hope that this helps :)
Oh, and green smoothies really help too!

[Aleesha Sattva]

thanks! i'll let her know.

[zig_zag]

CABBAGE!!!! lol

[Cinnamon]

This is a great thread with so many helpful ideas. I've also experienced years of constipation (since my teen years and I'm almost 50 now) until I went to a very high raw food diet. And I thought I was "normal" with only one movement a week (and not easy to get rid of either)!

So the things that work best for me...

warm water first thing in the morning especially with some lemon juice in it

juicing-carrots, apples, lots of greens, cucumber, lemon, ginger (this works better for me than anything else)

green smoothie-I drink at least a quart a day and have for years

flax-if I need extra assistance I make a smoothie (in the evening) with 1 or 2 tablespoons with some fruit, works wonders by morning

prunes!

[Arky]

I forgot to mention that carrot-and-celery juice can work wonders to get things moving.


J.

[carolg]

Add a pinch of beets to juices does wonders too. Also salads if I forgot to mention with little beets and olive oil will get things moving too. Oh, I love the orange beets which I am going to grow this year as the worms are big, juicy and waiting for my plantings to begin. Feel well all!

carolg

[Arky]

Add a pinch of beets to juices does wonders too. Also salads if I forgot to mention with little beets and olive oil will get things moving too. Oh, I love the orange beets which I am going to grow this year as the worms are big, juicy and waiting for my plantings to begin. Feel well all!

carolg

Yes, I think both carrots and beets have a tendency to encourage the liver to purge and the bowel to expel, so perhaps that explains both our experiences.


I envy you your garden - one day I'll settle down and do the same, myself!


J.

[carolg]

Arky,
It's amazing what happens in this garden here. I love heirloom tomatoes and have a great source by Baker Seed for t hose beefstake orange tomatoes. They are unbelievable to grow and worth ordering them from this company too. They are very generous folks and 25 seeds in a package is not always a great count. I wonder if they just throw seeds in and multiplies to bunches too.

Oh, my cukes. I must brag. They grow to be large and great quantities too.

Last year I still bought plants at nursery as if I needed more, but peppers I don't grow and hard to from seed. So bought several bell and Italian peppers and had massive amounts in my earthbox. Wow, but I do plant as earthbox says.

Wish you were closer.

Actually Terilynn is super close by and we met last week.

carolg

[Aleesha Sattva]

i've updated this situation at this thread:

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=39803&page=3

[Angie]

I was constipated for 30 years. I exercise 15 hrs a week and eats TONS of fiber. green smoothies don't handle this for me. I discovered magnesium citrate, take 400 mg a day, and it has changed my life. i don't know why doctors don't know about this. i read on the internet that some people are just deficient in this mineral. magnesium citrate. i love it.

[RaeVynn]

Arky,

I have also been doing the Centerpointe meditation, off and on, for nearly 9 years now.
Mostly off.

As a person that has also suffered from chronic, life-long constipation (sensing a pattern here), I do know that I have deep tension. I expect that it will take years of healing to get over it, if I ever do. I even "know" the source and genesis of this tension, and have worked consiously on letting go of it. It's a deep healing needed, however.

On the physical side, I keep working on drinking more water, wheatgrass in the green smoothies, flax seed, chia seed, sesame seed, lots of fruit... now, I'm doing raw. Eating more good food has been a problem for me -- I've spent the majority of my life overweight, and thus have undernourished myself for decades. I'm working on getting over that. :p

[mamabird1953]

Hi there, I've had constipation problems for years, but no more! Have you looked at any meds you might be taking? Seems like you're trying the right stuff. Raw works miracles in EVERY department of your life. Calms Forte' is a really good product for your problem. Find at any health food store.

[islesgirl]

i'm going to mention here that it's RAW cashews purchased from the health food store... and two oranges. ;)

thanks lifeAgift!

Should these cashews be soaked? Thanks.

[*RayRay*]

Any kind of oranges work??

[Aleesha Sattva]

Enjoy two handfuls RAW of cashews followed by two oranges

and then hold on to your ankles cause in about 30 minutes
she's gonna blow:eek:

i would ask lifeAgift...