Constipation

By Sarah Wittekind and Debby Padilla-Hudson

It is a good idea to be sure you are really constipated before trying to do anything to treat constipation. When people change the way they eat, their bowel habits often change. When people change to a very nutrient-dense diet (like the Candida diet we recommend), not only are bowel movements less frequent, but they're less bulky too.

You can still have bloat, gas, and bowel distension from Candida die-off, but this doesn't necessarily mean that you're constipated. If you are truly constipated, there are a couple good places to start when dealing with this issue:

  1. Bad supplements and foods: Increasing fiber and/or eating more vegetables, particularly raw vegetables, or taking supplements besides the ones recommended will likely cause further issues, not less issues. Much of the high fiber foods can't be digested and often get stuck in the colon.

    Additionally low amounts of friendly bacteria due to candida overgrowth will complicate the issue further as the job of the friendly bacteria is to help remove waste from the colon. More fiber actually creates more waste for the friendly bacteria to clean up.
  2. Fats: Make sure to get plenty of good fats in. Your ratios should be:
    • 75-80% daily calories from fat
    • 10-15% daily calories from protein
    • 5-10% daily calories from carbs
    Be sure you are fully on the MOVES plan as some foods you may still be eating may be complicating the issue. Fats help lubricate waste so it can move through the bowel.
  3. Water: Increase water intake. Water works along with fat to lubricate the body and to help waste matter move through the bowel.
  4. Food Intolerance: Constipation (and diarrhea) are often Candida related, and they can also indicate food sensitivities. Try switching the foods around that you are eating, and see if this helps at all.
  5. Probiotics: Food in the colon gets "digested" by friendly bacteria, and this helps keep the colon unblocked. Try adding probiotics to your routine in small amounts, and see if this helps. You'll want a good probiotic that is dairy free and contains no sugar, soy or other harmful fillers.
  6. Vitamin C: Increase your Vitamin C to 5-10 grams a day which will help your immune system and help with constipation.
  7. Magnesium Citrate: If none of the above items help, try taking magnesium citrate. If isn't part of your daily supplement regimen, you'll want to start out slow. Try 200mg in the AM and 200mg in the PM the first day.

    If that doesn't cause you issues but doesn't give you relief from constipation either, add another 200mg the next day. Keep adding magnesium citrate until either you experience relief or you have reached 1000mg, but do not go over this amount.

Constipation may take a while to be corrected, so do not expect any of the treatments to work immediately. If none of the above suggestions help, you may want to consult a doctor as you may have a colon obstruction or other medical issue.