Constipation remedy

Hi all,

A couple of years ago someone mentioned something that helps with constipation. It’s a kind of grain, I think, but I may have got that wrong, anyway it’s a natural foodstuff rather than a medication. Can anyone remember what it was? I’m not exactly constipated but let’s just say that I’m not regular either and I’ll spare you any more details.

Greetings all round,

Chris

Hi Chris, YES it’s linseeds… sometimes known as flax seeds… and they are absolutely bloody brilliant.

You can buy them on Amazon or health food shops. I always buy the brown organic ones but as far as I know the golden non-organic ones work the same.

You will need a pestle and mortar or a coffee bean grinder.

This is how I do it. Every morning (every single morning!) I measure a flat tablespoon of linseeds into pestle and mortar. I grind them for a bit (not long as it’s hard work). You won’t see them breaking up but what you’re doing is cracking them so the oil releases easier.

Mix with breakfast cereal of your choice.

Half an hour later you will need to go to the toilet… no stomach cramps, no runs (can’t spell the D word!), no hard work… it’s bliss! (anyone who has ever been constipated will know what I mean).

They are very good for you… anti cancer… oh and you can’t taste them…

Let me know if you have any questions,

Is it me or is the forum all different this morning?

Pat xx

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Wow thanks Pat, that was quick! I mean your reply, not the impact of linseed!

I will track it down soon.

One question: after grinding, are they gritty? I always choke on gritty food and try to avoid it as much as possible. Maybe I could blend them into yoghurt?

It’s not you - the forum is all bafflingly different today, and my old bookmarks to it produce erratic and petulant results. So I’ve had to rebookmark everything.

Here’s some Tibetan to delight the eye:

བུམ་པ་མི་རྟག་པ་ཡིན།

pum-ba mi-dak-ba yin

“Pots are impermanent”

Chris

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PS Chris… keep your liquid intake up as well. Px

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Oh Chris I love the Tibetan!!!

Funny thing is this morning I was thinking I must put on the forum how brilliant these linseeds are… and then I come on the forum and there’s your post!

NO they are not at all gritty. I too have a swallowing problem but don’t notice them going down at all. However if you do have a problem some people prefer to soak them in water overnight… you then mix the linseeds AND the water they soaked in into cereal.

Yes you can mix with yoghurt or anything…

Glad it’s not just me who thinks the forum looks different… like pots, this forum’s impermanent …

Pat xx

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I will give that a try.

Don

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I will give that a try.

Don

If you don’t like the texture of linseeds (I’m not a fan of seeds of any sort), alternatives are pears, plums, prunes or licquorice. I don’t like pears much but will happily eat a few plums or some licquorice allsorts - though they are not a good idea on a regular basis if you need to watch your weight. Spicy food also helps - even a mild curry is enough to get things moving again.

None of these is as quick as the linseeds - licquorice and spicy food both take several hours or overnight to take effect.

Thanks, everyone, for your comments & ideas - much appreciated.

Of course sod’s law dictated that the moment I wrote my original posting, things started moving on again. But that doesn’t matter because they will also stop again one day soon and then the linseeds will be there to kick-start it all again. It’s good to know I have something in reserve. One less thing to fret about.

C.

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Aldi do bags of milled linseeds which are crushed ready for you. Harvest Moon makes them and they’re in a yellow sachet, not expensive. I can’t stand the texture of it to eat on its own but it’s palatable with yogurt. And yes, you do need to increase your fluid intake a bit but they do work.

Cath x

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Am i the only person EVER that take linseeds and they dont work ??? i think i need a stick of dynamite… lol… everyone says how good they are for constipation… sadly they do nothing at all for me…was so hoping they would too,cos i am running out of ideas fast

j x

Hi Mrs J, how are you taking them? It’s best to take them all in one go and not spread them out over the day. Also they have to be crushed down or cracked or the oil won’t release. In fact I have just ordered a coffee bean grinder off Amazon as the pestle and mortar is already becoming too tiring. I started with one heaped tablespoon in muesli for breakfast… and now have one level tbls. About half an hour later I need to go to loo. SORRY this is one block of text but return button not working!!! When I first tried linseeds I spread them over the day and they didn’t do a thing. Might be worth having another try? Pat xx Oh NOW I can type after a smilie but can’t use return button… Spell check wanted me to change muesli to Muslim!

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PS Keep linseeds in the fridge esp if they are milled / crushed. Pxx

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Hi Pat, i bought the milled ones from amazon,and i put 2 desertspoons on my bran flakes on a morning.

J x

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Oh dear… obviously not for you. Hope you find something that works. Pat xx

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3-4 Weetabix each morning does it for me!

Pauline x

I mix one part linseeds with 3 parts water (sheeery glass measures) they make an easily swallowed ‘jelly’ like substance, which I take with pro biotic yoghurt. If that doesn’t appeal original All Bran with raisins and drink plenty of water/fluids. My Mother was a great believer in cool boiled water in the morning. Just a few thoughts guysM

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Hurray hurray I bought a small packet of linseeds today as an experiment. The experiment will begin tomorrow morning. I will put a bulletin here after I’ve eaten my first batch, but I promise not to give too much detail if I have success.

Meanwhile here’s some more Tibetan

འདི་དུང་དཀར་པོ་ཡིན།

di tung gar-bo yîn

“This is the white conch-shell”

Chris

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Fingers crossed they work. Remember to keep them in the fridge.

I’ve now bought a coffee grinder to grind my whole linseeds in. Used it first time this morning. Fan-bloody-tastic. Ground them down really well in only a few seconds… and they worked quicker too … was hobbling off to the loo after about 20 minutes.

I read online that it’s better to buy the whole linseeds and grind them yourself. Apparently the oil in the seeds dries up easily so if you buy milled linseeds the oil might already be gone. Sounds sensible… but on other hand some people swear by the milled seeds… so who knows.

Chris if you have any questions come back and ask.

Really hope they work for you.

Pat xx

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I’ve just found a frog in my loo…I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go again with or without linseed

Jan x

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