How do you get a soft stool

Submitted by Kerry on May 22, 2013 - 8:22am
Body: 

I think I've finally posted this question in the right forum!

Hi I'm new to this community. I posted my question in the wrong forum...sorry! Just getting the hang of things here. I ordered the Saving the Whole Woman book and the First Aid for Prolapse DVD. I'm hoping to get started on the postures ASAP. For now, I'm interested in a question regarding soft stools.

I have to take 600 to 800 mg of magnesium daily, eat lots of fiber, drink two 8oz glasses of green juice mixed with 2oz of aloe Vera juice to help soften stool. I have my one cup of tea that I use to drink in the morning bc I was trying to rely alkalinize my body BUT it really stimulated my urge to go first thing in the morning. I also start my day drinking about 25 oz of water along witn hot water and lemon. I'm a very conscious water drinker throughout the day as well. I know about splinting which has helped. Occasionally I drink apple cider vinegar. The pectin is suppose to help. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get the softest stool? Im thinking about starting my one cup of tea again, unfortunately.

I have tried high fiber diets but have really had intestinal cramping and bloating- even with all of the water I drink. I don't think my diet is lacking in fibre. I just need softer stools. I did some research and found that these food items soften food:

Prunes,
Pears,
Black strap molasses
Apple pectin

Anyway, if anyone does anything that really helps, I would love to know.

Thanks for your advice!!

Forum:

Surviving60

May 22, 2013 - 9:16am

Hi Kerry and welcome. Not really necessary to keep reposting the question, as I suspect most people probably don’t check the forums strictly by category. When searching for information (and there is LOTS of it out there) the best source might be for you to put some terms in the search box and see what pops up. There are lots of opinions and different people’s experiences to draw upon. It sounds like you are already doing a lot….still not soft enough? - Surviving

Kerry

May 22, 2013 - 10:36am

Ok, sorry. Too much of a perfectionist here!

Yes, I'm almost thinking I've been consuming too much fiber. I really like magnesium but worried the dose I was on was going to hurt my kidneys or heart, which was about 800 mg. I have an appt with my nurse practioner in a couple of weeks to discuss any risks of magnesium. I actually asked the group here on one of the forums as to what their experience might be regarding magnesium.

I'll do as you suggested and do a search. Thank you!

Surviving60

May 22, 2013 - 11:16am

Besides what you can find using search, there are others here who will give you good advice. I personally have never found lots of fiber to be helpful, and I'm not alone in that. I have rectocele and lots of bowel issues, but I don't watch my diet well enough to say how much is diet related. Lots of good magnesium posts and users here. - Surviving

fab

May 22, 2013 - 8:07pm

I don’t know how old you are, not that you need tell me, it’s just that I do believe as we go through different ages, we require different diets. So within that kind of constraint I can only talk generally. For a soft stool we need the following: saturated fat (only a little and well within health guidelines), potassium, calcium, magnesium and Vitamin C. Make sure you include these things in your daily diet. Notice, I have not included fibre. Fibre also caused me boating and cramping. Fresh fruit (peeled) and cooked veg as far as I am concerned should be your basic fibre. The prunes etc are fine but you don’t need to go to excess with them because the fructose is an irritant, that’s how they work, and a lot of people experience the gripes with them. Something you don’t need as it can start you on the roller coaster of gripe/constipation. As to the water, I don’t see what harm it would do you, except to make you piddle a lot and it is a good appetite suppressor, but too much water can dilute your nutrients, so since not eating insoluble fibre I myself have limited my water intake. But that’s up to you.
As to the magnesium, there are all types as you would have discovered. Someone on one of these threads mentioned that magnesium citrate is the best for soft stools. One day I take magnesium citrate with 927.64mg mixed with black pepper extract and the second day I take a tablet containing magnesium orotate (200mg), aspartate (200mg), amino acid chelate (150mg) and phosphate (73mg). These work for me. Also, having eaten insoluble fibre all my life, and ancient now, I take a probiotic (with as many multis as I can find).
For someone young and healthy just making sure you include most of these things in your diet would in most cases be sufficient, but there will be stressful and or hormonal change times when you may need a little assistance and so in supplement form they could be helpful.

Kerry

May 24, 2013 - 1:20pm

I haven't tried the magnesium citrate only chelated magnesium glycinate but I have to have at least 600 mg to soften my stool. I have been doing a lot of green juice for the enzymes and green smoothies for fiber. I also think a tablespoon of raw apple cider mixed with a little stevia and 8oz of water helps. Still trying to find the balance. I do keep organic prunes and try to hold off eating them unless I have had a sluggish day. I try to eat them only at night.

Travel is a big deal too. I have to take extra magnesium for about 2 days to get on track and hope my kidneys aren't being compromised. I've always had low motility. As a child, I was always working on "going".

alemama

May 24, 2013 - 5:13pm

vitamin C and probiotic
VSL is a great one, but you have to get it from the pharmacy. I also like Naturen healthy trinity.

and of course if you are not eating fermented foods, now's the time to start. Living foods are your friend.

fab

May 24, 2013 - 9:00pm

Just on the apple cider vinegar. People usually take it for indigestion which is a broad term used to describe two different things. I just want to quibble a bit. If your indigestion leads to acid reflux, this means you have too much acid already, and then it’s better for you to use an antacid. If the indigestion is a matter of not having enough acid to digest then taking apple cider vinegar is helpful.

Surviving60

May 25, 2013 - 5:43am

Interesting point fab, I am wondering how one would know whether they had too much or too little. How to know if you don't have enough stomach acid? Tests? - Surviving

fab

May 25, 2013 - 9:24pm

Indigestion usually has to do with having too much food and water in the stomach and delayed digestion. So if you get a lot of bloating and burping etc look first to whether you are maybe overloading the stomach at any one time and hold back a bit or spread it out a little more. Then if it is still occurring have a look at what foods might cause this. With acid reflux you will feel the acid come up past the esophagus, and this one is better treated with antacid otherwise, with the vinegar you are just adding more acid and it is probably counterproductive. The other indigestion after you have eaten too much or food hasn't digested for some reason is well treated with acid as in a small amount of apple cider vinegar and water mixture. I don't know about acid level testing as such surviving, or whether there is any need.

jennifer91

September 14, 2014 - 1:57am

prunes, any high fiber food, but high fiber veggies and fruits are best.

I think not only should you be looking at foods to ADD to the diet, but looking at foods to take out of the diet.

I would really restrict foods like cheese, bananas, and rice.