Green smoothies and constipation?

[jakrawr14]

So I've upped my intake of green smoothies and "juices" (usually with a banana and some melon or strawberries added in) and I've been consuming primarily that along with a big lunchtime salad comprised primarily of greens. Sometimes, a regular fruit smoothie with chia seeds in the afternoon. I've been at this for about a week. Usually, it takes my system about three days or so to adjust to an increase in the intake of fiber. ... But it has been a week and I'm still gassy, bloated, and ... well... see subject line!

This is SO frustrating. Anyone have any suggestions? Should I start supplementing with fiber? The only thing I can think of is I'm not the world's best water drinker. I seem to be getting enough of that from my smoothies, though...

Please help!

[Aleesha Sattva]

if your body was having normal bm before... it will return. just give it time. sometimes i find that bananas can be a constipating so perhaps cut down to one a day until you get things moving again.

if you are drinking smoothies and juices you are getting lots of fluids, but nothing wrong with upping your water for a bit. start off with a litre first thing in the morning... and then drink a glass whenever you pee until noon. it'll hydrate ya!

[WanderRA]

tbh.. since regularly taking in smoothies my bowel movement has been totally regular, smooth and clean.

I often have practically nothing to wipe if you know what I mean. Give it time.. perhaps its a detoxing effect. :)

[christinajade]

Um wow...WanderRA, maybe a little too much info.

[sport]

If I mix strawberries and bananas I get gas as it is mixing an acid fruit with a sweet fruit.

[WanderRA]

Um wow...WanderRA, maybe a little too much info.

no need to squeam at something everyone does. Its a natural process. Communication will only be inhibited if we withhold a coherent description.

[Shels]

Green smoothies are usually what er, regulate things for me. Are you adding fats into them? That can slow things down.

[christinajade]

Yeah....yeah..

[jakrawr14]

No fats, learned my lesson on that one. I do throw a banana in here and there just to make it creamy - I miss that. This has been the world's longest detox, I swear! A month! Of course, even though I had been at minimum 75% raw before, this is the first time I've experienced "symptoms".

[montyloree]

that brings out another good question:
if you're just starting into raw foods how long does the detox process take?
a month?

With regards to BMs, I've been doing green juice and then green salads each day. My BMs are regular however, they're black and messy... (I know... to much info) I hope that passes... pardon the pun

[Julianraw]

if you're just starting into raw foods how long does the detox process take?
a month?

for every year you been on cooked foods would equal 1 month.

so 20 years cooked food eater would mean about 20 months of detox, it means the time it will roughly take your body to totally clean and rebuld itself, and reshape itself based on the foods you eat, considering the one law the rules them all, you are what you eat.

thats merely a guide, not a solid thing to follow, it should give a rough idea about how long wit would take.

For jakrawr14,
consume some foods that will make a bowel movement, for example figs, are pretty good for giving you that next day or even night "I have to go" feeling.

you might feel bloated if you eat to many and maybe fartin a bit, but you will have a bowel movement.

[EllieInLondon]

Hey, Ive been experiencing the opposite. Ive got runny poo! Ive been adding bananas to my green smoothies but still have the runs.

Im assuming that its my body adjusting to the green smoothies because ive just started making them (about a week).
Am i right?

Ellie

[Chelz]

I've been lucky in this department. But I've had friends and family who had problems with constipation and high fiber intake (from natural source such as veggies and fruit.) Most of them were fine once they enough drank water.


"Not Enough Liquids

Research shows that although increased fluid intake does not necessarily help relieve constipation, many people report some relief from their constipation if they drink fluids such as water and juice and avoid dehydration. Liquids add fluid to the colon and bulk to stools, making bowel movements softer and easier to pass. People who have problems with constipation should try to drink liquids every day. However, liquids that contain caffeine, such as coffee and cola drinks will worsen one’s symptoms by causing dehydration. Alcohol is another beverage that causes dehydration. It is important to drink fluids that hydrate the body, especially when consuming caffeine containing drinks or alcoholic beverages."
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddise.../constipation/

[sport]

Hey, Ive been experiencing the opposite. Ive got runny poo! Ive been adding bananas to my green smoothies but still have the runs.

Im assuming that its my body adjusting to the green smoothies because ive just started making them (about a week).
Am i right?

Ellie

It has been a few days since you posted this. Any improvement.