Constipation: all links so far

constipation

• Acidophilus 4-1-1

• Constipation anyone?

• How chlorophyll can help your skin (and ease constipation)

• More Chlorophyll Q & As

• Problem skin profile: Donna—constipated with problem skin

• Triphala—to promote your health 

   

More Chlorophyll Q & As

Chlorophyll is basically alfalfa juice concentrate. Chlorophyll loosens hardened fecal matter off the colon wall. Toxins abound in your intestines, and you want to keep as much old, hardened matter from hanging around. Even if constipation isn’t a concern for you, I recommend taking a month’s worth of chlorophyll as a preventative a few times during the year—every three or four months. As always, it is advisable to consult with your primary care health practitioner before adding or eliminating this or any supplement.

I read in your book [Timeless Skin] to use chlorophyll; four tablespoons in water twice a day. So you recommend starting with eight tablespoons each day? Will I see results within the month? Also, do you have any ideas on making this more palatable or could I take the tablets? Are they as effective as the liquid?

I recommend taking four tablespoons twice a day for three to four weeks if you are experiencing a lot of breakout. This way you are getting a good deal of this clearing aid into your digestive system, and hopefully it will do just that—help to clear up your skin. (If nothing else, it should help your colon rid itself of toxic buildup.) Then, after that first month, you can take the dosage that is commonly recommended on the chlorophyll bottle, which is one tablespoon twice a day. This would be your maintenance dosage.

Your blemishes are not going to be “cured” by taking chlorophyll, and you may not see results that are earth-shattering. You ought to have a change in your daily eliminations, though. They should be more full and pronounced. This indicates that you are eliminating the waste your body has produced, which reduces the chance for those toxins to get into your blood and potentially cause problems with your skin.

As far as the tablets go, you have to take a bunch of them to equal the two to four tablespoons of liquid. The thing you have to understand about tablets (or capsules) is they are void of water. That’s why they are in that hardened form: all of the water has been taken out. So it takes a lot of water to rehydrate them and bring them to the same hydration level that the liquid, for instance, would have.

Personally, I think you are better off with the liquid. If you find it unpalatable, you can try taking the capsules or tablets, or perhaps try the mint-flavored version of liquid chlorophyll. You could even double the amount of water you are mixing the liquid with and see if that helps with the taste.

Is there any reason I should stop taking chlorophyll?

I don’t know of any reason why you shouldn’t take chlorophyll. My own personal routine is to take something for a period of time and then take a day, a week, or even a month off and let it clear out of my body. There may not be any reason—technically—to do this; it’s just what feels right for me and for my body. You have to come to your own conclusion about taking supplements. What works for you may not work for someone else. Let your body be your guide. During the time you are taking chlorophyll, notice any differences there might be. Has your elimination changed for the better? Has your skin been clearer? Do you have more energy? If you answered yes to any of these questions, I would say keep taking it!

For more information, see:

• How chlorophyll can help your skin (and ease constipation)
• Constipation anyone?
• More Benefits from Chlorophyll: Q & A

Acidophilus 4-1-1

What is acidophilus? Acidophilus, or technically lactobacillus acidophilus, is the friendly bacteria found in your intestines. These health providers are always present in varying numbers, helping to defend their territory against pathogens and invaders.

There is a balance of friendly and unfriendly bacteria in the colon. This balance is so vital to the health and vitality of your colon that making sure you have enough friendly bacteria is of great importance. This is especially true if you are or have been taking antibiotics. As you will read, antibiotics take a toll on friendly bacteria. In essence, taking acidophilus helps to balance. It helps restore a healthy intestinal environment so jobs like digestion and elimination go smoothly day in, day out.

Acidophilus and antibiotics. Antibiotics, as we all know, are important tools for our health. And just like many things in life, they can also have adverse effects, especially if overused or abused. In some cases colitis, which is essentially inflammation of the bowel, has been linked with taking antibiotics.

For anyone currently taking antibiotics or even if you have just recently been on a round of antibiotics, I highly recommend taking acidophilus. Why? To reinstate and ensure a healthy balance of good bacteria in your colon, which was probably destroyed or in some way altered by the use of antibiotics.

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The following is reproduced with permission of The Mc Graw-Hill Companies (1999). It comes from a wonderful little booklet called The Friendly Bacteria: How Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria Can Transform Your Health, by William H. Lee, R.Ph., Ph.D.

Antibiotics: The Destructive Lifesavers

Antibiotic drugs have a valued and necessary place in therapy, and have been focally instrumental in saving immense numbers of lives. They are an effective emergency measure, destroying disease-producing bacteria in a manner which seemed miraculous to those who first experienced and observed their action. Many diseases, such as pneumonia, which had been at best life-threatening, became routinely curable.

But antibiotic means, literally, “against life.” When the “life” that is destroyed is that of harmful micro-organisms, all well and good. Antibiotics are not selective, though, and, like aerial bombing, are not geared to spare the friendly organisms which inhabit the same space as the hostile ones. After a course of antibiotic treatment, the intestinal flora are severely diminished, the good along with the bad.

At the least, this is likely to cause some digestive upset, anything from diarrhea and flatulence [gas] to severe constipation. As a routine precaution, many people have now learned to add yogurt [plain, not flavored with sugar added] to their diets—making sure that it has live cultures and is not pasteurized—after such treatment, or to take a guaranteed high-potency supplement of acidophilus or bifidobacteria.

An upset stomach* is not the worst result of the destruction of your population of friendly bacteria. In their absence, other organisms normally present and innocuous can seize the opportunity offered and expand their numbers explosively and dangerously.

One of the most prevalent and troublesome—and sometimes deadly—of these organisms is the yeast Candida albicans.

*As I tell my clients, usually when they are talking about their stomach, as in a stomach ache or upset stomach, they usually mean their small intestine or transverse colon. Why do I say this? Because when I ask them to point to the place they are talking about, they point to the area around the belly button, which is where these organs are located. The stomach is much further up and to the left.

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Although antibiotics are taken to restore our body’s health, they also create a threat to the bacterium in the intestines that are designed to support health. Antibiotics have a place in the world of medicine and treatment, but their overuse is common and can cause real problems.

Treating problem skin with antibiotics is a good example of this. I have come across hundreds of people who have been on antibiotics for their skin for years! This cannot be a good thing! After reading the previous excerpt from the acidophilus booklet, I hope you begin to understand that long-term use of antibiotics—for whatever reason—can be a real threat to your body’s balanced state of health.

What and when to take acidophilus. There are approximately 11 trillion bacteria in residence in your intestines. Eleven trillion! That’s about 3 1/2 pounds of bacteria—the good kind. I mention this not only because it is an amazing fact, but also because some clients have expressed concern over taking acidophilus, which can (and should) contain up to a billion live bacteria in a single dose. When you compare these numbers, a billion vs. 11 trillion, it doesn’t seem so daunting.

After talking with several health care professionals, they all agree you want to take acidophilus that requires refrigeration. These supplements usually come in capsule form, although powdered acidophilus is also available. There are several brand names, so I recommend talking to a qualified person who works in the herb and supplement section of your health food store. They will (or should) be well-versed in what the store offers and what the best source of acidophilus is for you. Directions vary on when to take acidophilus, but generally it is recommended to take one to three capsules 20 to 60 minutes after eating.

I started taking acidophilus after I was on antibiotics. Now that I’ve stopped the antibiotics, should I keep taking acidophilus?

I would continue taking acidophilus because it is just so important for colon health. Perhaps after a few months off antibiotics and taking acidophilus you could stop, but I would give your colon plenty of time to regroup and regain a healthy balance after antibiotic use. There isn’t any reason that I know of to stop taking acidophilus. It will do you no harm to continue using it, whether or not you are currently taking antibiotics.

For more information, see:

• Constipation anyone?
• Oral Antibiotics: Good for clearing up your skin or not?
• Triphala—to promote your health

Problem skin profile: Donna—constipated with problem skin

Donna has blackheads on her nose and rarely gets whiteheads. She experiences most of her breakouts in the hollows of her cheeks. She complains of oily eyelids. Other than her normal daily routine, she uses a peel-off mask now and then.

For breakfast, she has oatmeal or cereal, and sometimes a bagel and eggs. On a normal work day, she has fast food for lunch. The sugar she knows she eats comes in the form of muffins, which is just like cake in terms of sugar content—no matter how healthy they may appear to be. Donna says she is “very constipated.”

Donna used Proactiv for three months; then she said it stopped working. This is something a lot of people have told me. But I will say this: No matter what regime you are using product-wise, if you don’t change your eating habits, there is no guarantee your skin troubles will exit your life.

Donna’s case is actually easy to help. She wasn’t really aware of how much sugar she was getting just by eating cereal and muffins, which are loaded with sugar, let alone other sugary foods she did know about. Fast food is not good for either her skin or her colon. Without eating at least as much good food as bad food in her diet, she shouldn’t expect constipation and problem skin to be out of the ordinary. Diet is key here.

Preparation is going to be Donna’s challenge as well as her saving grace. Usually the reason we eat fast food is convenience. If she were to be very organized and prepare lunch for herself, which would also include healthy snacks for her work week, she would be able to eliminate a lot of her problem foods. Getting away from all the sugar is a little harder. Sugar is physically addicting and an acquired craving not so readily dismissed by the body.

I would recommend Donna immediately start taking both chlorophyll and acidophilus. Chlorophyll, if taken regularly, can really help with constipation and elimination. Because of the buildup of old debris in her colon, there is no doubt an unhealthy amount of bad bacteria growing there as well. Taking acidophilus will help to restore a healthy balance of good and bad bacteria.

Above all else, water is essential to Donna’s skin care program. I can’t stress this enough: Drink more water! For Donna, it will help with her constipation (keeping her colon hydrated will help things to move along), it will help with her skin (it takes water to eliminate toxins from the body), and it will indeed help every cell in her body function better (each cell contains up to 2/3 water). Without adequate amounts of water, our entire body’s health is compromised.

I believe with conscientious design, Donna’s skin problems can be a thing of the past. She has to be willing to let go of old patterns of eating and accept some new lifestyle changes. If clear skin really is a priority for her, Donna will make these all-important changes.

For more information, see:

• How chlorophyll can help your skin (and ease constipation
• Tips to help you Drink More Water!
• “I don’t eat much sugar”—really?

How chlorophyll can help your skin (and ease constipation)

My FAVORITE herb book!

The following was reprinted in my book, Timeless Skin, with permission from the authors of The How To Herb Book.  If you’re looking for a great book on herbs and how to use them for better health, get this book! It is out of print, so a bit harder to find, but still work looking for it.

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Chlorophyll is the “blood of plant life.” It is the life force of plants and contains life-giving nutrients that are easily assimilated by the human body. Its molecular structure is very similar to the molecular structure of the human red blood cell—hemoglobin. It has the same effect as iron and is a natural blood builder.
 

Nutrition and Digestion
Chlorophyll:

• helps to control and regulate calcium levels in the blood. Studies show menstrual blood has 40% more calcium in it than normal blood. Chlorophyll helps control this monthly loss of calcium.
• aids in blood sugar problems.
• lubricates ileocecal valve to keep it functioning properly.
• increases iron in milk of nursing mothers.
• is excellent to use in a cleansing diet because its fluids clean the structure of the cell and its important minerals build new cell life. It has been called “liquid sunshine” because it absorbs energy from the sun.

Cleansing and Healing of Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll:

• is a great natural healer and cleanser for chronic conditions internally and externally.
• stops growth and development of toxic bacteria. Disease-causing bacteria find it difficult to live in the presence of chlorophyll. Counteracts toxins.
• accelerates tissue cell activity and normal regrowth of cells, which helps the body heal faster.
• has been used in salves and ointments for external use.
• can be used as a gargle for tonsils.
• inhibits the metabolic action of carcinogens (cancer causing elements).

Purifying Qualities of Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll:

• helps purify the liver and eliminate drug deposits, old toxic material, chemical spray on food, artificial flavoring, colors and other coal tar products that may become stored in it.
• helps to get bile moving regularly.
• acts as a detergent in the body.
• has been used to remove toxic metal from children.

Bowel
Chlorophyll:

• deodorizes the bowel and entire body; a natural antiseptic to the intestinal tract.
• goes unchanged until it reaches the small intestine.
• aids in rebuilding damaged bowel tissue and helps to eliminate mucus.
• reduces acid, which produces putrefaction in bowel.
• helps to keep colon healthy because it destroys toxic and disease causing bacteria.
• one teaspoon of concentrated chlorophyll (liquid form) to one cup of water equals a glass of green drink.

Because the information on chlorophyll is so abundant, it is difficult to condense it. However, one thing is clear, chlorophyll is so valuable to the body that green drinks or chlorophyll should be part of a daily regime.

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As you can see, chlorophyll can help keep you healthy in many, varied ways. And it is an important addition to any problem skin program.

When I have clients who are broken out, I ask if they are eliminating regularly, or are they constipated. This is important to know because when your colon is holding on to toxins (when you’re constipated), many times your skin, being the largest organ of elimination, will take on the job of releasing this toxic buildup. Being broken out is a reflection of toxicity that may be due to improper elimination. Chlorophyll helps to loosen hardened debris off the walls of your colon and gets things moving along. This can help stop toxins from being reabsorbed into your body, which might otherwise result in breakouts. If you’re constipated, try chlorophyll, and remember how important your colon’s health is to clear and blemish-free skin. 

“Back” to chlorophyll. One of my clients had major back surgery. She was told not to put any strain on her back muscles, including straining during elimination. Worried about the constipation she was experiencing due to the medication she was taking, this client called me looking for help. The first words out of my mouth were “Take chlorophyll.” I knew it would do a lot to get things flowing and relieve her constipation. My client called back a few days later with excellent news. She was no longer constipated and therefore not endangering her back.

Chlorophyll can be purchased at your local health food store and comes in a liquid (my preference) or in capsules. Chlorophyll is basically concentrated alfalfa juice and tastes a bit like grass. Some brands add mint flavoring in an attempt to mask the taste of the alfalfa, but once chlorophyll is mixed with water, it doesn’t have a strong taste. I prefer the non-mint types, but you can decide for yourself which flavor you like best. Also be aware that chlorophyll will stain like grass. Be careful not to spill it on a porous countertop or drip it on your clothes. Mixing your green drink over or in the sink would be best.

The recommendation on the bottle is to take one tablespoon of chlorophyll in a glass of water twice daily. If you have breakout, I recommend taking four tablespoons in water twice a day for at least three to four weeks. You want to get enough chlorophyll in your system to effect a change. After a month or so of using this higher dosage, you can take one tablespoon twice a day if you prefer or continue with the higher dose. Four tablespoons is equivalent to a full shot or saki glass.

Consider taking a small bottle of chlorophyll with you if you tend to get constipated while traveling. If I’m going to a city where I know I can pick some up at a health food store, I’ll wait to buy it there. Chlorophyll needs to be kept in glass, and because it stains, you certainly don’t want the bottle to break in your travel bag. I recommend putting it in one or two Ziploc baggies just to be safe. If that’s too much trouble, chlorophyll does come in capsule form.

For more information, see:

• Constipation anyone?
• Triphala—to promote your health 
• Tips to help you Drink More Water!

Constipation anyone?

We freely and easily talk about what we’re putting into our bodies, but rarely if ever do we discuss elimination. However you want to portray the event, proper elimination is essential to a healthy body and, therefore, healthy skin.

All of your eliminating organs need to be functioning optimally for the toxins in your body to be dealt with and removed. If your colon is sluggish, sooner or later there will be trouble. Have you ever forgotten to take out your kitchen garbage? You can smell the gases and toxins building up inside the plastic. Your colon goes through a similar process when you are constipated. Like the garbage, food that is stuck in your colon will ferment and cause noxious gases to form. These gases keep building up until the waste is removed. In the meantime, the toxins can be reabsorbed into your system and released through your skin (the largest organ of elimination).

This is actually a good book

So what’s the solution? There are several answers to this question. The first thing I recommend is to read about colon health so you will have a better understanding of this barely talked about but vital process. There is, of course, a lot of information on the Internet and books, too. I have written an article on triphala (see below), which will give you some helpful information on a supplement you can take to promote colon health.

Water. Water. Water. One reason your bowels aren’t moving might be because your large intestine has become dehydrated. Your body requires adequate amounts of water in order to pass waste through the length of your intestines. The best way to get water into your system is to drink water. Anytime I have clients who complain of constipation, I instruct them to start drinking more water. Water is essential in helping to relieve constipation.

Chlorophyll is another key ingredient when it comes to colon health. If a client comes to me with a lot of blemishes, I inquire about the possibility of constipation. The colon contains a lot of toxins that can get reabsorbed into the bloodstream and come out of your skin as breakout. Chlorophyll helps to loosen hardened matter off the colon wall and gets debris moving through the intestines. Taking chlorophyll is an excellent way to get things cleared out of your colon, and therefore, your skin. Chlorophyll is a liquid supplement that is mixed into a glass of water. It can be found at better health food stores like Whole Foods.

Eating high-quality foods for colon health goes without saying—I hope. Poor-quality foods (fast-foods, for instance) and low water-content foods (basically anything that isn’t a fruit or vegetable) take a lot of water to digest. Fruits and vegetables not only contain a lot of water but are also good sources of vitamins and minerals.

Exercise is another key to healthy bowel movements. Peristalsis (the muscular contractions that occur in your large intestine to move waste toward its final destination) is stimulated with exercise. Aside from toning your legs and other muscles, exercise (even simply walking) helps to tone your inner organs as well, which includes your colon. Walking is one of the best and easiest ways to tone your body and help alleviate constipation.

If you are constipated, start walking, drink more water, try taking chlorophyll or triphala, and eating high water-content foods (fruits and vegetables). See if these suggestions help to lessen your troubles. I bet they will!

For more information, see:

• Triphala—to promote your health
• Tips to help you Drink More Water!
• How chlorophyll can help your skin (and ease constipation)

Triphala—to promote your health

You may not have heard of triphala until now. Years ago, I hadn’t either. I was having some trouble with my colon (chronic constipation with on again off again pain) and my acupuncturist recommended triphala. It is a digestive tonic, helping to tone and strengthen the lining of the colon. It is also a digestive aid, helping to gently purge waste and debris stagnated (stuck) within the large intestine. It is nontoxic and non-habit forming, making it an ideal supplement for anyone having digestive problems, most notably constipation.

Triphala is an Ayurvedic formula from India. Ayurvedic medicine is the most ancient form of medicine documented. It revolves around three different constitutions of the human body: pitta, vata, and kapha. Ayurvedic medicine has become more popular in recent years here in the West, and for good reason. Rather than go into a lengthy explanation of Ayurveda, I will simply tell you this approach offers a fascinating view of the body. If you are interested in finding out about yourself through the eyes of this ancient medical way, there are many books on the subject as well as a ton of information on the Internet.

You may be wondering what triphala has to do with your skin. The reason I have included it here is due to the constipation connection. If you have chronic or even occasional constipation, you are not eliminating toxins efficiently. If your body’s toxins are not being released on a daily basis, most notably from the large intestine, this can and will affect the health of your skin. If you suffer from problem skin and you also experience constipation, triphala may be able to help.

What is triphala? Triphala, which means three trees or fruits, is a preparation that combines three of India’s premium herbs into a traditional Ayurvedic formula; amalaki (emblica officinalis); haritaki (chedulic myrobalan); and bhibitaki (beleric myrobalan). It is so popular in India that doctors recommend it for many other maladies other than constipation. Although triphala is sold over the counter, it won’t be found in the grocery or drug store. I have only seen it in health food stores.

What results will I achieve? Triphala is traditionally used to treat constipation. Not only does it offer a laxative effect, but triphala also supports and actually strengthens the digestive tract, especially the lining of the colon walls. It has tremendous detoxifying qualities yet does not deplete the body of essential nutrients. In fact, triphala offers a wide range of beneficial vitamins and nutrients that add to the health of your entire system.

Purgative laxatives (such as Ex-Lax®, for instance) speed up the elimination of debris by irritating the lining of the intestines. Over the counter laxatives like these are not recommended to be used on a regular basis. Herbal laxatives like psyllium husks and flax seeds work by swelling and absorbing the fluids in the intestines and moving stuck mass along in the large intestine and are generally called bulking agents. Triphala works by toning and strengthening the entire large intestine and helping to deep clean the G.I. tract. This helps to alleviate all kinds of built-up toxic residue. This cleansing will give you more energy and help with the overall health of your entire intestinal system.

Triphala is known to:

• improve digestion 
• has been found to reduce serum cholesterol 
• can improve liver function 
• it has proven anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties 
• contains linoleic acid (a component in essential fatty acids (EFAs) important to cell integrity and overall health
• may help lower high blood pressure

Why wouldn’t I take triphala? The only contraindications I could find for this supplement are pregnancy and diarrhea. Otherwise, at least in India, triphala is taken by most people since it is so good on so many levels for supporting health. Check with your healthcare practitioner to be sure triphala is right for you.

Do I need to take triphala? If you suffer from chronic (or even occasional) constipation, you might want to at least try triphala for a period of time to see if it does indeed help you eliminate more efficiently. If you are not getting the garbage out of your body, you are inviting trouble. Toxic waste that is reabsorbed into the bloodstream can bring about a whole host of problems, short- and long-term.

What is the dosage? You will want to experiment with dosage when using triphala. When I first started using it years ago, I had chronic constipation. I started with a low dose (1-2 capsules 2x daily) to get it into my system and let my body get used to its tonic effect. After a week, I upped my dosage since I wasn’t getting any appreciable effects from taking the lower dose. I went up to 2-3 capsules morning and evening. Three seemed to make my bowels too loose, so I went down to 2 capsules twice a day. This seemed to be my personal best dosage.

Experiment for yourself and find the dosage that works for you. The recommendations I have found range from taking 4-6 capsules daily to taking large doses at night (3-4 capsules) to help cleanse and detoxify and then 1-2 capsules before meals for the health building and rejuvenating effects. Triphala is meant to be taken 2 hours before or after meals. In other words—on an empty stomach.

How long should I take triphala? You can take it for a course of treatment to help the constipation you may be experiencing once in a while. But if you have chronic constipation, I would consider taking triphala as a daily supplement to help tone and condition your colon as well as keep your bowels moving. Triphala is actually intended to be used as a regular supplement to your diet, rather than just when symptoms of constipation are present. And the longer you use this tonic preparation, the greater the benefit you will receive.

If you don’t suffer with digestive trouble, you could still try triphala simply because it benefits the system on so many levels. Based on my own experience with taking this supplement, triphala will certainly help support and promote your health.

For a few more ideas for your colon and/or constipation, see:

• Constipation anyone?
• How chlorophyll can help your skin (and ease constipation)  
• Tips to help you Drink More Water!