cascara sagrada

[Alicyn]

I have read conflicting information on cascara sagrada and it's use. One is that you should only use it for short periods of time or the bowels will get used to it and not work properly, the other that it will actually heal the bowels so that they can work properly.

I had no constipation when I was eating poorly, now that I'm eating the Candida diet, I am having problems. So I started taking a cascara sagrada/ Aloe supplement. It helps a lot

How long should I take this for?


thanks

Ali

[shelley]

Everyone is different! Would you expect everyone to react the same way to alcohol? Would you expect anyone to be able to predict for you how much and what kind of alcoholic beverages you can drink without getting totally sick?

Treat yourself as a unique individual with a real body. It's smart to read up on things, but you can't manage your body in your head, you have to manage your body by letting your BODY tell you the truth about things.

I do absolutely fine with cascara but I don't take it every day. If the candida diet has slowed down your transit times, and you've never ever had a problem before (always had at least one BM a day ) then you first need to take a look at what you're eating and how you're preparing it. Most people read candida diet guidelines taht are completely wrong because those guidelines do not address the power of digestion. They expect you to eat tons of raw, cold foods, which are very hard on the spleen and immune system. They say not to eat any grains whatsoever, which is totally wrong. You may not be getting enough fiber or fats. So be sure to read my candida diet guidelines in the candida forum.

To manage candida properly you do need to be taking a good fiber shake. A well-prepared fiber shake should be all the laxative you need. If it's not enough, then take Triphala if you can find it, it's excellent for candida people. Heals leaky gut, and is an anti-fungal, and is strengthening, not weakening.

Keep cascara on hand for emergencies, when you've skipped a BM. You have to have at least one a day, you shouldn't take laxatives to have more than one a day, that IS weakening.

[Alicyn]

thanks your answer makes sense

I have found that I can't take psyllium, it just makes me nauseaus. I was on a fast years ago that was lots of psyllium shakes a day and near the end I just couldn't touch it. Even now, I gag just smelling it. I just found a fiber drink that's psyllium free, and am trying that. I can't remember the brand, garden of life or something like that. It has cinamon in it and flax seeds, lots of seeds.

I am following the diet with grains, I eat some form of grain every day like oats, barley, brown rice

I also am mostly eating hot foods because that's what feels right.

I'm really strict with no sugar, fruit, wheat or corn

I'm not sure what about the diet caused the constipation. Over the weekend I stopped the cascara sagrada and the bm's stopped with it. I will have one a day without it, but used to have 3-4 every day before.

I'm working with my holistic practioner this afternnon on my diet. He uses applied Kinesiology. He told me to bring all my supplements and he'll test it all. Hopefully that helps clear some of this up.

thanks for your help

Ali

[shelley]

Ah, oats and barley are both gluten grains. They go under the wheat category. Plus they're very cold in digestive effect. You may want to switch to a brown rice farina cereal, and Quinoa. Kinesiology will tell you which grains are best.

G of L is excellent, it's a bit slow to move, however.

What I would try next is to take a spoonful of good oil (olive, Udo's Choice, nut oils) 3x a day. I think you just aren't producing enough bile to induce peristaltic action.