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Magnesium
Supplementing with Magnesium Glycinate has been the best in our family. It's probably the most accessible form for your body. We take 300-500mg 1-2 hrs before bedtime. Magnesium is involved in 300+ essential metabolic reactions in our body, including regularity and better sleep, but many are deficient causing numerous health issues. If you like soaking in the tub you can add Epsom Salts (a magnesium sulfate compound) to your bath to boost your magnesium levels. For us, magnesium (and Lugol's Iodine!) supplementation are must-haves for general good health.
Also for constipation, insoluble fiber helps. Insoluble is usually better for preventing constipation compared to soluble, though both can be helpful. Insoluble fiber stays intact and won't ferment in the gut - But soluble fiber does, which can lead to bloating and gas. (Soluble fiber is digested by bacteria in the large intestine, which end up releasing gas that sometimes causes a lot of gas when following a high fiber diet). This is why very high fiber diets sometimes make IBS symptoms worse (depending on the person). So, because each person reacts to various fiber-containing foods differently, it's important to increase these foods in the diet gradually and also drink plenty of water.
For constipation, insoluble fiber foods like:
- Wheat bran and wheat germ, Oat bran
- Beans, lentils and legumes of all kinds (kidney, black, garbanzo, edamame, split peas, lima, navy, white, etc.)
- Berries including blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc.
- Whole grains, especially barley, quinoa, sorghum, millet, amaranth, oatmeal and rye
- Turnips
- Green peas
- Okra
- Spinach
- Radishes
- Rutabaga
- Coconut (grated flakes or flour)
- Cocoa
- Apples with skin
- Pears with skin
- Flaxseeds
- Avocado (Florida avocados have more than California avocados)
- Sunflower seeds
- Potatoes and sweet potatoes
- Dried apricots, prunes, raisins, dates and figs
- Almonds
- Walnuts
Magnesium
★★★★★
Magnesium
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Magnesium
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Magnesium
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Magnesium
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Magnesium
Magnesium
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Magnesium
Magnesium
★★★★★
Magnesium
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On earthclinic there were many testimonials about using magnesium citrate for constipation. Although it is a good thing, many people might find that they need too much magnesium citrate. Taking the magnesium citrate with one half to one cup room temperature water (or hot water) that contains two or three or four teaspoons of erythritol can help one need less magnesium citrate. (Erythritol is a good tasting natural sugar substitute. The NOW Company and Organic Zero both sell erithritol.) Also, and even better, is taking the erythritol and water together with around four to ten Brewers Yeast tablets (Solgars sells Brewers Yeast tablets -- the tablets are much easier to take than the powder) twice a day in addition to the one or more magnesium citrate tablets. The brewers yeast might create some discomfort from gas in the beginning and so one might start off with less of the yeast tablets and increase their number slowly. Taking a sweet hot drink, with some spices in it, shortly after taking the yeast tablets, can often stop the intestinal discomfort. The combination of brewers yeast, magnesium citrate and erythritol in water, all taken at the same time, can often help even stubborn problems with elimination.
One should also eat a diet high in fiber containing foods such as fruits (grapes, papaya, also figs, raisins prunes stewed or soaked with olive oil or soaked overnight in plain water) vegetables (lettuce, escarole, hot sauerkraut, beets) whole grains, bran. One should also eat oily fish (recommended by Maimonides) and have a hot drink after meals.
Nat
P.S. In books on Yoga exercises, there are at times exercise recommendations that can help improve intestinal motility. Has anyone tried these exercises?
Magnesium
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Magnesium and other stimulant supplements (such as senna leaf) may help tremendously in the beginning. But over time, more and more is required, and then they stop working.
Magnesium Citrate (and other magnesium forms) if taken in larger dosages should only be used short-term or from time to time.
Magnesium
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Magnesium
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Your site showed that magnesium citrate (600 Mg) was very helpful for overcoming constipation. It is very good especially when implemented together with some other things. Here is how it seemed to work best. In the morning, one takes three magnesium citrate tablets (one hundred mg in each) with a glass of tap water mixed with a few drops of Ume Plum vinegar (which has salt in it) available from Eden foods. Maybe any vinegar mixed with salt might also work well. The mixture should not be overly salty, just pleasantly salty. Vitamin C - 300 to 1000 - can also be taken together with the magnesium citrate. A short while after that one takes a glass or two of plain cold water from the tap. Let it run for short while. Then a little after that (or even right after that), one takes boiled hot water mixed with one or two tablespoons toasted bran (Kretchmers sells toasted bran), (regular raw bran might also work well), and about the same amount, or a little bit less, toasted wheat germ, adding some more plum vinegar (or maybe any vinegar with salt) to the mixture to make it pleasantly salty. Stir and sip or drink this mixture. One may need a spoon to eat the bran and wheat germ that has settled to the bottom. (At times, a papain tablet and a betaine hydrochloride tablet can be taken with the magnesium citrate, though it may not be necessary. Vitamin C is helpful. It also helps improve the quality of one's sleep and may help a person fall back asleep when awakening in middle of the night.)
After all this, one can eat some fruit, such as papaya, which is excellent for overcoming constipation, or stewed figs, raisins or prunes, stewed or soaked in water and olive oil, and eaten when still hot or at least warm. One can also eat any other fruit or even a regular breakfast.
In general, raw fruits, vegetables and vegetable salads should be an important part of one's daily food. Lettuce (romaine in particular) and escarole are especially helpful. Hot drinks and hot soups are also helpful.
In the late afternoon one takes another three magnesium citrate tablets together with a glass of water mixed with a few more drops of the salty plum vinegar and if one feels the need, another tablespoon or two of bran and wheat germ.
One should also avoid drinking a lot of milk and any hard cheeses or fried foods or other such foods and eat clean simple foods.
There should, with help from Above, be significant improvement.
The suggestion for using bran and wheat germ in a hot drink came from the letters from readers section of a health magazine* from many years ago. It was later written up in a book on natural healing **The person, who suggested it in her letter, said to use it in hot coffee twice a day.
The book also mentions bran, papaya, sunflower seeds, garlic and escarole. (Garlic is recommended in the name of Hippocrates and also in the name of a leading expert in garlic therapy who recommends mixing garlic with (milk?) or yogurt. Garlic is also recommended for relieve of diarrhea.) Escarole is recommended by someone who found miraculous help from the suggestion to cook escarole in water and to drink this escarole water and by another person who ate the escarole raw.
Thank you for letting me share this.
Nat
*Prevention Magazine
**(Miracle Medicine Foods by Rex Adams, published by Warner Books. This book is probably out of print.)
Magnesium
Magnesium
But dietary changes to include more fiber and water is the best way to rid oneself of constipation problems and this is done by switching to whole grain breads and cereals and eating lots of those good old healthy leafy green vegetables.
Magnesium
