Constipation Relief with Seeds and Nuts

Here are a variety of home remedies for constipation using flax seeds with other seeds and nuts. They provide the fiber and oils that you need to relieve constipation. Drinking plenty of water with these home remedies will make them more effective.

Mix equal parts of flax seeds, almonds, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds. It is o.k. to mix only three of these seeds, if that is all you have.

Grind them in a coffee grinder to a power. You can eat the power or add it to a nondairy smoothie, a juice, or morning cereal. You can also sprinkle it on your evening salad. Use up to 3 tablespoons twice a day.

This mixture will provide you with extra fiber and a batch of minerals.

Drink plenty of water when using ground up seeds.

Flax seeds are astringent and have laxative action. They are good for mild or moderate symptoms of constipation.

Using an excess of flax seed can contribute to the back up in your colon. Flax seeds also have small traces of prussic acid, which is toxic in large amounts. But it would take a lot of flax seeds to reach the toxic level.

Place between 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of flax seed in 8 oz of warm water and let it sit for one hour. Then just before going to bed, drink the 8 oz. After drinking this glass of flax seed drink another 4-8oz of water.

Flax Seed and Apple Cider Vinegar

Boil 1 ½ cup of distilled water.

Add 1 tablespoon of flax seed and continue boiling the water for 10 minutes - tea will become jelly like.

After this cools down add 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar.

Drink cup of this combination in the morning and until you get good daily bowel movement.

Flax seed contains the essential oil omega 3. If you lack this oil in your diet you will be prone to disease.

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is another extremely important food you should include in your daily eating. ACV is high in various minerals and in particular potassium

Flax seeds and oat bran

To get your bowels moving again, prepare the following mixture.

Mix 1 tablespoon of flax seed and 1 tablespoon of oat bran into a glass of distilled water. Let it sit overnight. First thing in the morning, take 2 tablespoons. Wait half an hour before eating anything. Do this every morning until your bowels start moving

Flax Seed Oil

Our body does not make omega 3 oil and we need to get it in our diet.

For constipation, mix one tablespoon of flax seed oil with goat or cow yogurt. Add a little honey if you like. Take this mixture right about ½ hours before bedtime.

Do not heat flax seed oil and keep it refrigerated. Heating it may cause some cancer causing compounds.

There you have it, a variety of home remedies for constipation. Use these home remedies every day and you will see the difference in your regularity.

By:  Rudy S. Silva

Home Remedies For Gas in Stomach

Build up of gas is a common problem for everyone. Gas in the GI tract consists of mainly oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide.  When stomach acids mix with pancreatic juices and the bile, carbon dioxide is produced.

Causes

Gas usually occurs due to fibrous foods, malt extracts, consuming food and water which is contaminated. Other causes include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and gastroenteritis.

The most important home remedy for gas is garlic soup. Garlic soup not only reduces intestinal gas but also helps to increase digestion. Grind together little garlic with little cumin, black pepper and coriander seeds. Add water, boil and take in two divided doses.

Chooran powders and pills, which are various combinations of common spices improves digestion after having fried foods.

Small pieces of asafetida dissolved in water (half cup) helps to overcome gas trouble. Asafetida is considered as a good carminative and antiflatulent. To one teaspoonful of roasted cumin, add two cups of water and boil for 5-10 minutes till the water quantity reduces to 1 cup. This preparation may be taken once a day to decrease flatulence.

Herbal Home remedy: Decoction of Ajwain ( Carom Seeds ), an anti-flatulent herb, may be prepared like cumin decoction. Soak pineapple pieces in the decoction overnight. Squeeze pineapple pieces next day morning in order to extract its essence in to the decoction. After filtering, the decoction may be taken to decrease overproduction of gas. But pregnant women should avoid pineapple as it is a strong abortifacient.

Take a mixture of crushed fenugreek seeds and sonchal, a pink colored rock salt which is naturally occurring.

By Ben Branklin

Lactoferrin: A Natural Remedy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is the most common gastrointestinal disorder in the United States, affecting 1 out of 5 people. Even with millions of people seeking help for this, the causes are still not well understood. Many seek natural remedies when traditional methods do not bring the relief they need. Researchers believe a combination of physical and mental health problems can lead to the bowels becoming damaged, or sensitive to certain stressors. This can lead to a problem with the information pathway between the brain and the gut, resulting in altered intestinal function.
Symptoms can be a result of an infection or irritation in the stomach and intestines from bacteria or other harmful organisms. One study showed that people who had a bout of gastroenteritis were ten times more likely to develop irritable bowel syndrome. Another condition, called small intestine bacterial overgrowth, is quite common in people with IBS. An overgrowth or change in the type of bacteria in the small intestine causes irritation and symptoms of diarrhea, excess gas, weight loss, and nutritional deficiencies. Some gastrointestinal symptoms can be due to overgrowth of yeast (candida). Intestinal candidiasis can cause symptoms of bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, and cramping, along with fatigue.
IBS can be embarrassing to downright devastating to those who suffer from it. Those who deal with this condition on a daily basis seek relief from whatever source they can find. Traditional medications consist of anti-spasmodics to calm the painful cramps, antidepressants to help with the mental anxiety, and antibiotics to get the bacteria under control. However, all of these come with a large list of side effects or warnings.
There are many natural remedies to help control symptoms. One supplement that has shown some positive results is lactoferrin. It is an immune boosting, bacteria killing protective protein found in all body fluids. It is found in colostrum, and gives a newborn immunity protection from the mother. Almost 70% of our immune function is located in your gut. If your intestines are inflamed or damaged then your immune system won't be able to perform as well as it should.
Lactoferrin helps the symptoms by:
1. Binding to free iron floating around. This is important because most bacteria and candida need iron to grow. Free iron interferes with our immune cell function, so this effectively starves the harmful organisms while keeping our immune systems strong.
2. Entering the bacteria or candida and damaging their cell membrane. This will either kill them directly, or it interfere with their energy and weaken them.
3. Preventing candida from sticking to the lining of the digestive tract and removing it once it is attached.
4. Inhibiting the action of cytokines in the gastrointestinal tract. Cytokines are proteins found in the body that cause inflammation.
5. Nourishing the digestive tract with prebiotic properties, which also help with GI health. Prebiotics nourish the friendly bacteria that live in your digestive tract. A balance of good to harmful bacteria is needed to prevent gastrointestinal symptoms
Lactoferrin has been shown to be a natural remedy for IBS. It protects the lining of your gastrointestinal tract, support your immune system, and aid in destroying organisms that can cause symptoms. It has been labeled by the FDA as GRAS (generally recognized as safe) for the entire population, even those who are allergic to milk and dairy

By Cindy Egersdorfer