Tag Archives: Blackstrap Molasses

Constipation Remedies

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Constipation Remedies

Here is a list of remedies for constipation. The best on this list is Grandma’s Power Pudding which was told to me by an old time medical doctor in Atlanta in 1973.

I also like Blackstrap Molasses because it is loaded with minerals especially iron and magnesium

Grandma’s Power Pudding

  • 1 cup applesauce
  • 3/4 cup prune juice
  • 1 cup of unprocessed wheat bran

Mix together in a small storage container; applesauce, prune juice and wheat bran until it forms a pasty pudding. Take one tablespoon every morning followed by a full glass of water. Drink some water throughout the day.

Blackstrap Molasses

One tablespoon of blackstrap molasses before bed should help ease your constipation by morning. Blackstrap molasses is boiled and concentrated three times, so it has significant vitamins and minerals; magnesium in particular will help relieve your constipation

Mint or Ginger Tea

Mint and ginger are both proven home remedies to help alleviate a slew of digestive problems. Peppermint contains menthol, which has an antispasmodic effect that relaxes the muscles of the digestive tract. Ginger is a “warming” herb that causes the inside of the body to generate more heat; herbalists say this can help speed up sluggish digestion. In tea, the hot water will also stimulate digestion and help relieve constipation. Dandelion tea is also a gentle laxative/detoxifier.

Lemon Water

The citric acid in lemon juice acts as a stimulant to your digestive system and can help flush toxins from your body. Squeeze fresh lemon juice into a glass of water every morning, or add lemon to tea; you may find that the refreshingly tart water not only acts as a natural remedy to your constipation but also that it helps you drink more water throughout the day

Raisins

High in fiber, raisins also contain tartaric acid, which has a laxative effect. In one study, doctors determined that panelists who ate 4 1/2 ounces of raisins (one small box) per day had their digested food make it through the digestive track in half the time it took other subjects who did not. Cherries and apricots are also rich in fiber and can help kick your constipation. Eat these fruits with a bowl of yogurt for the added benefits of gut-soothing probiotics.

Prunes

These fiber-rich fruits are a go-to home remedy for getting your digestion back on track. Three prunes have 3 grams of fiber, and they also contain a compound that triggers the intestinal contraction that makes you want to go. Another great dried fruit choice is figs, which may not cause as much bloating as prunes.

**Mix half a glass of prune juice with half a glass of oat milk. Drinking this before you eat or drink anything else in the mornings will help you get rid of constipation for good.

Even having prune juice all by itself can treat constipation easily. Take a glass in the morning and one in the evening while you are suffering from constipation and reduce this intake to half a glass twice a day for maintaining good colon health and avoiding constipation permanently.

Castor Oil

This home remedy for constipation has been handed down for generations. One of the primary uses for castor oil is as a laxative; take 1 to 2 teaspoons on an empty stomach and you should see results in about 8 hours. Why? A component in the oil breaks down into a substance that stimulates your large and small intestines.

Note #1: This information is for those who know they have chronic constipation not related to a specific pathology such as colon cancer or thyroid problems with T4 a & T3

Note # 2: Exercise such as walking and definitely Yoga can be beneficial as well

For additional information regarding constipation, you can contact me directly at [email protected] or 619-231-1778

Magnesium

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After oxygen, water, bicarbonate and iodine, magnesium may be the most important element needed by our bodies.  It is vital for heart health, bone health, mental function and overall body maintenance – yet 80% or more of us are deficient in this vital mineral.

Magnesium is more important than calcium, potassium or sodium, and it regulates all three of them. This vital mineral plays an important role in over 1300 different biochemical reactions.  Contrary to popular misconceptions, it is magnesium that is actually most important in building strong bones and preventing bone loss. Recent research has revealed that lack of magnesium may put your heart and your overall health at significant risk.  This research also found that a deficiency may be linked to cognitive dysfunction and mental decline.

Called the The Forgotten Mineral and the 5-Cent Miracle Tablet by medical researchers, magnesium is a muscle relaxant, and low magnesium intake is associated with muscle spasms, tremors and convulsions. It protects against heart disease and heart attacks, high blood pressure and stroke, type II diabetes and much, much more.

Many researchers have reported that adequate amounts of this mineral in the population at large would greatly diminish the incidence of kidney stones (1 in 11 Americans), calcified mitral heart valve (1 in 12 Americans), premenstrual tension, constipation, miscarriages, stillbirths, strokes, diabetes, thyroid failure, asthma, chronic eyelid twitch (blepharospasm), brittle bones, chronic migraines, muscle spasms and anxiety reactions.

An increasing number of medical scientists also believe that additional magnesium and other minerals missing from today’s diet may prevent cognitive disorders such as ADD, ADHD and bipolar, and help prevent Alzheimer’s and mental decline as we age. Sufficient intake by the American population would likely reduce health care costs by billions of dollars.

In addition to the problems listed above, deficiency of the master mineral has been associated with:

  • Insomnia and other sleep disorders
  • Fatigue and low energy
  • Body-tension
  • Headaches
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • High blood pressure
  • Other heart disorders
  • PMS
  • Backaches
  • Constipation
  • Kidney stones
  • Osteoporosis
  • Accelerated aging
  • Depression
  • Anxiety and irritability

Our depleted soils, processed foods and fast food diet lifestyles have led to a steady increase in mineral deficiencies. Nowhere is this more true than with magnesium.  The U.S. minimum RDA is about 320 mg per day for women and more than 400 mg per day for men, while optimum daily amounts are closer to 500 to 700 mg per day. Yet studies show that after over a century of steadily decreasing intake, today more than 8 out of 10 people do not take enough daily magnesium for even the minimum daily amounts recommended.

In 1900, magnesium consumption was 475-500 mg per day.  By 1990  consumption had dropped to 175-225 mg per day, and it has continued to drop since then.

Following is a list of some of richest sources of the master mineral, including standard serving sizes and calories:

  • Pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted – 1 oz contains 151 mg of magnesium /148 calories
  • Brazil nuts – 1 oz contains 107 mg of magnesium /186 calories
  • Bran ready-to-eat cereal (100%), – 1 oz contains 103 mg of magnesium/74 calories
  • Halibut, cooked – 3 oz contains 151 mg of magnesium /148 calories
  • Quinoa, dry – 1/4 cup contains 89 mg of magnesium /159 calories
  • Spinach, canned – 1/2 cup contains 81 mg of magnesium / 5 calories
  • Almonds – 1 oz contains 78 mg of magnesium / 164 calories
  • Spinach, cooked from fresh – 1/2 cup contains 78 mg of magnesium / 20 calories
  • Buckwheat flour – 1/4 cup contains 75 mg of magnesium /101 calories
  • Pine nuts, dried – 1 oz contains 71 mg of magnesium /191 calories
  • Mixed nuts, oil roasted w peanuts –1 oz contains 67 mg of magnesium /175 calories
  • White beans, canned – 1/2 cup contains 67 mg of magnesium /154 calories
  • Pollock, walleye, cooked – 3 oz contains 62 mg of magnesium /96 calories
  • Black beans, cooked – 1/2 cup contains 60 mg of magnesium /114 calories
  • Bulgar, dry – 1/4 cup contains 57 mg of magnesium /120 calories
  • Oat bran, raw – 1/4 cup contains 55 mg of magnesium /58 calories

The list of dietary magnesium sources shows that although it might be possible for a person to obtain optimum, or at least minimum, amounts of magnesium from the diet, doing so on a daily basis would take very careful planning.  When processed food is part of the diet, it becomes even more unlikely for the general public to consume enough magnesium through dietary sources alone on a daily basis.

Only supplementation is likely to make up for such a widespread magnesium deficiency for most people. Since the same problems with soil depletion and diet cause deficiencies in many other vital minerals, it would be a good idea to supplement magnesium and to also supplement with a wide range of other minerals. The very best mineral supplements are those derived from whole food and plant sources because they are more readily absorbed than mined rock minerals.  Taking a tablespoon of molasses daily is an excellent choice for supplementing magnesium as well as many other minerals.

If you want to take a pill instead, it is believed that the best forms of supplemental magnesium are the ones chelated to an amino acid (magnesium glycinate, magnesium taurate) or a Krebs cycle intermediate (magnesium malate, magnesium citrate, magnesium fumarate).  The only side effect of too much magnesium is loose stool. Reducing the dosage or dividing daily doses into smaller amounts resolves the problem.

Blood tests for magnesium are notoriously inaccurate since only about 1 percent of the total body magnesium pool exists outside of living cells. Thus, blood serum levels are inaccurate and your doctor can’t easily tell by a blood test if your magnesium levels are low.

For optimum health, magnesium and calcium intake needs to be at about a 1 to 2 ratio. So, if you supplement with 500 mg of magnesium, you should supplement with 1000 mg of calcium (or less if you get plenty of dietary calcium and little dietary magnesium).