Strawberries constipating?
#221110 - 10/25/05 07:32 AM
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Cyndy
Reged: 03/05/05
Posts: 1301
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I just read some IBS Constipation info that says strawberries are constipating because of the seeds? Does any one with C find this to be true? 
I thought they'd be a good IF source. 
Here's the direct quote: "Avoid constipating foods and drinks, such as white flour, cheese, fried foods, sweets, salt, beef, pasteurized milk, all junk food, wine, carbonated drinks, and coffee. Certain berries with a large amount of seeds, such as strawberries, huckleberries, raspberries and blackberries, should be avoided, too, as they have a tendency to constipate."
It also suggests this for spastic like colon (when the stools are more ribbon-like). "For spastic constipation it may be necessary to decrease your fiber intake until the situation is corrected. Drink fruit and vegetable juices to get your supply of vital nutrients."
Essentially, wouldn't this mean NOT taking a SFS or reducing fiber, including IF would help C? I am really confused and don't know what to do.
Please, anyone with opinions, I feel like I'm going crazy! And I'm still so constipated and getting more and more depressed and hopeless.
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This is a great example of why you should just stick to what Heather says!
For a start, that statement makes no diferentiation between SF and IF. It also makes no mention of how SF can be used to cushion the effect of IF.
Like many places/people/sites, that statement has got the rough idea of how to EFI without the detail!
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I for one can't handle proper oatmeal. I'm okay with the (trigger free) instant stuff but real oats makes me ill.
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According to this article at least.
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...and we all know that IF on it's own can actually make IBS-C worse. That's a basis of Heather's diet!
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Hi Cyndy, Where did you find that info? I've never noticed
strawberries or any of the other berries to constipate me.
If anything, they helped make me go a bit better, particularly
blackberries which have the most seeds. I also didn't find
much difference when I switched from bananas to pears.However,
lately I have found that drinking hot chamomile tea during
the morning seems to be noticably helping.Usually two to
three 10 to 12 oz.cups get me going. Yesterday I had to
dash straight to the bathroom after my second class. I got
the idea from Astrochick, she said that drinking lots of
hot fluids was one of the keys to her stability. Since I
hadn't been doing that, I thought hmm...there's something
to try. Also, I think Linz mentioned that chamomile can
help with GERD, and I've noticed that I'm burping a lot
less since I've been drinking it. To tell you the truth,
I think it works better than the(expensive!)Prevacid.
Well, if you haven't been drinking lots of hot fluids,try
it. It might just do the trick. Hang in there! -Bob
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I got the info from this web site. Constipation-Health911
what did you mean when you said you didn't notice any difference when you switched from bananas to pears? Did you mean the pears didn't make you go any more than the bananas did, so that bananas aren't constipating?
I do drink hot tea all morning. In fact, all day. In the morning I drink Anise tea, and then Chamommile, but I reuse the bag for about 2 cups worth. Do use a fresh bag each time? I don't think it matters...I think the hotness is what's suppose to help...and it doesn't help me. Glad it's working for you.
What did you think about the part where it said to reduce overall fiber if your stools are the spastic kind?
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It just concerned me that the author named berries specifically...no other IF fruit.
what did you think about the suggestion to decrease overall fiber, Linz? I've been increasing my SFS and my fiber and I have been having less BMs I'm only at 4 tsp though, so should I go back down? I am stressed so it could be that too.
UGH, this IBS animal is confusing. 
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Bob, that's great news that the chamomile is helping you! Getting enough fluids is definitely a big element in fighting C, and nice warm fluids really help reduce cramping.
Cyndy, reducing fiber hurts, not helps. I know, because that's what I ended up doing before Heather's diet. The cramps from raw veggies and bran outweighed my desire to be regular! Now, though, I eat lots of fruits and vegetables without pain because I get enough SF before I eat them. Plus, following the other guidelines makes my gut less reactive.
Stress will definitely cause IBS to act up. My suggestion is to go up to a full dose of SFS while still getting IF at every meal. Get enough fluids and exercise and try to reduce your stress, and you really will start feeling better!
--AC, eating an apple after some chicken and bean chili, sourdough bread, and rooibos chai 
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Cyndy, Yes, I don't think the bananas were constipating. Also,
yes, I do use a fresh bag for each cup of tea. Additionally,
yes, I think it is the hotness of the tea that makes you go.
I don't know if the people that run this web site are too
on the ball. I eat tons of fiber and yet my stools don't float
. Also, this business of getting poisoned from toxins in the
stools is evidentally not true. I forget where I read it
recently, but it said that it hasn't happenend to anyone.
I've never heard any GI doc saying to reduce fiber,the
fiber is what helps bulk the stool up. Sorry to hear that
the hot teas aren't working for you. Are you sure you're
eating enough fiber at breakfast?
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Hi, Cyndy!
You said, "I do drink hot tea all morning. In fact, all day. In the morning I drink Anise tea, and then Chamommile, but I reuse the bag for about 2 cups worth. Do use a fresh bag each time? I don't think it matters...I think the hotness is what's suppose to help...and it doesn't help me. "
It's not just the heat of drinking hot tea that helps. There are actually active ingredients in chamomile that have anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and smooth-muscle relaxing effects on the GI tract. However, I've found that I have to use two tea bags of chamomile tea in order to feel its effects; Linz once pointed out that not enough of the herb is used in one little tea bag. Here's an article about chamomile tea, Chamomile Tea May Have Medicinal Value, at medicinenet.com which also references a study published in January.
I haven't been able to find much info about anise, but Heather provides plenty of information about fennel tea, which is a carminative herb that helps to regulate intestinal contractions and aids in releasing gas. Have you tried fennel? You might have better results with this than with the anise.
Of course, you'll find plenty of studies about peppermint tea and how it alleviates cramps, regulates contractions, and eases pain. Here's a recently published article on Peppermint oil in irritable bowel syndrome .
I'm sure you probably already know that these teas/herbs have been studied and shown to reduce IBS symptoms, but I wasn't sure since you mentioned you thought it was mostly the heat. I think you just need to drink stronger teas, by doubling the bags and not reusing them. I know that Heather's fennel tea has a high volatile content.
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I think the reference was to pure IF...which as we know, eaten unsafely, can worsen C. But you don't NEED to cut it out...just eat it safer.
If you're taking Acacia, then your dose isn't significant yet...I'd blame the stress. Also, please read and re-read the diet guidelines so you absorb ALL the guidelines about HOW to eat, particularly how to eat IF safely.
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D when I was a kid and I ate too many. Do you think that would happen again? (Raw) ..Would it screw up my diet if I just sat down and ate a bunch of strawberries? I remember I used to regret eating them so much.
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