August 2004 | Living Healthy: Clean Food
What Goes In Must Come Out
by Rebecca Ephraim
I’m embarrassed to ask but, when it comes to bowel movements, what’s normal and healthy? —Stool Stumped, Internet
I consider this question fair game for a “Clean Food” column. As a nutritionist, I’m as interested in what comes out of the human body (or if it comes out) as what goes in. Depending on who’s talking, advice can run from “don’t worry if you have only two or three bowel movements a week” to “transit time for waste material should allow for at least one bowel movement a day.” Generally, health practitioners who say it doesn’t matter that you don’t doo-doo every day accept the fact that most people eat a highly refined, high-fat, low-fiber diet ... a sure-shootin’ recipe for constipation. (See, bowel movements are about clean food.)
Nutritional biochemist Ruth DeBusk, Ph.D., R.D., specializes in bowel dysfunctions at a digestive disease clinic in Tallahassee, Fla., and boasts an anti-constipation program she’s never seen fail. First, increase daily fiber intake to 25 to 35 grams by eating fruits, vegetables, dried beans and peas. Figure a serving of fruit or veggies has about two to three grams of fiber ... a half cup of bran cereal gives 11 to 13 grams of fiber, a half day’s worth in one shot!
DeBusk recommends avoiding whole grains because of wheat and/or gluten sensitivities. It’s vital to find out whether you’re gluten intolerant/ sensitive as eliminating it from your diet can make a big difference. DeBusk wants us to drink eight to 10 (eight-ounce) glasses of water every day. Since caffeine is a powerful diuretic that flushes out water, drink a cup of water for every cup of caffeinated beverage, such as coffee, cola or tea. DeBusk pushes regular aerobic exercise to tone the muscles of the intestines to keep them in shape for moving their contents along.
Her final advice is to ingest live active cultures acquired by taking high-quality probiotic supplements that stimulate the growth of friendly gut bacteria. The large intestine alone contains about three pounds of bacteria — both beneficial and detrimental. Constipation can result when this microflora balance is upset.
Then there’s colon hydrotherapy or colonics, where a licensed or certified hydrotherapist gently pumps gallons of filtered water in and out of the colon via the rectum to dislodge accumulations of stagnating fecal waste believed to produce toxins that can poison the body. The treatment may not be appropriate for those with medical issues such as appendicitis, hepatitis and ulcerative colitis, so seek the advice of a naturopathic or integrative medical doctor.
Using laxatives, even herbal laxatives, can be tricky because if used routinely and excessively, they can damage nerve cells in the wall of the colon. Yet, several food sources that are natural laxatives can be part of a daily routine. Drinking a cup of hot water (always filtered!) with the juice of half a lemon first thing in the morning can add a capital R to regularity. A tablespoon of ground flaxseeds, which can be added to juicing ingredients, yogurt, or the like, can be a great intestinal lubricant. Aloe vera juice or capsules are another intestinal helper that aids in forming soft stools. Let’s not forget that old standby, the prune, and its less potent cousin, the fig. Importantly, make sure you respond to nature’s call as repressing your urge to defecate can weaken the signal and make matters worse.
Constipation, in some cases, can be the result of complications that go beyond the scope of this column. Yet, “listening” to your body is a first-rate approach to good health. And if it says, “I need help” I urge you to find an integrative-minded healer who can coach you to inspire your body’s natural healing energies.
Rebecca Ephraim is a registered dietitian and certified clinical nutritionist.
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