Things You Didn't Know...

The following home remedies are designed to help reduce the discomfort caused by the most common allergies. They may be used in combination with a doctor's treatment or, if your constipation is mild, by themselves.

Home Remedies From the Cupboard

Eat 6 ounces of grain products each day. That's in addition to the five servings of fruits and vegetables just mentioned. Grain products include cereals, breads, and starchy vegetables (such as corn, green peas, potatoes, and lima beans). Whenever possible, choose whole grains such as whole-wheat bread and whole-grain cereal. To get a big dose of fiber early in the day, eat high-fiber cereal for breakfast. Check the labels on cereal boxes; anything with more than five or six grams of fiber per serving qualifies as high fiber. If you don't like high-fiber cereals, try mixing them in with your usual cereal and increasing the amount of high-fiber cereal over time.

Cut back on refined foods. Bump up your fiber intake by switching from refined foods to less-refined foods whenever possible. Switch from a highly processed cereal to a whole grain cereal, move from heavily cooked vegetables to less-cooked vegetables, and choose whole-grain products over products made with white flour. A serving of white rice has 0.5 grams of fiber; a serving of brown rice contains 2.4. And while a serving of potato chips has only 0.6 grams of fiber, a serving of popcorn supplies 2.5 grams.

Bulk up. Sometimes, a little extra dietary fiber is all you need to ensure regularity. Fiber, the indigestible parts of plant foods, adds mass to the stool and stimulates the colon to push things along. Fiber is found naturally in fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans (although refining and processing can significantly decrease their fiber content). Meats, chicken, fish, and fats come up empty-handed in the fiber category. The current recommendations for daily dietary fiber are 20 to 35 grams, but most people eat only 10 to 15 grams a day. Fiber supplements may be helpful, but you're better off getting your fiber from foods, which supply an assortment of other essential nutrients as well. To avoid getting gassy, increase the fiber in your diet gradually, and be sure you drink plenty of water so the fiber can move smoothly through your digestive system.

Barley. Make it a permanent addition to your diet -- it can relieve constipation and keep you regular, and it has cholesterol-lowering properties, too. What more could you ask of a simple grain? Buy some barley flour, flakes, and grits. Add some barley grain to vegetable soup or stew.

Blackstrap molasses. Take 2 tablespoons before going to bed to relieve constipation. Molasses is too high in calories to use it as a daily preventative, but on an occasional basis, it can help to get you moving. It has a pretty strong taste, though, so you may want to add it to milk, fruit juice, or for an extra-powerful laxative punch, prune juice.

Walnuts. Fresh from the shell, they may be just the laxative you need.

Don't forget beans. Dried beans and legumes, whether they're pinto beans, red beans, lima beans, black beans, navy beans, or garbanzo beans, are excellent sources of fiber. Many people don't like them because of the gassiness they may cause. Cooking beans properly, however, can ease this problem considerably. Plus, if you add beans to your diet gradually, you'll minimize gassiness.

Try a cup of coffee. The bitter-tasting constituents in coffee, and all bitter-tasting foods, stimulate the digestive tract. If you don't like coffee, try an herb called Oregon grape. The root of this plant and some close cousins such as barberry have been used safely since ancient times to overcome occasional constipation. Mix 1/2 teaspoon Oregon grape tincture in water and sip slowly before eating for best results.

Home Remedies From the Refrigerator

Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Select a variety of fruits and vegetables, including sweet potatoes, apples, berries, apricots, peaches, pears, oranges, prunes, corn, peas, carrots, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, and cauliflower. And opt for the whole produce over juice as much as possible; a glass of orange juice, for instance, provides 0.1 grams of fiber, while eating an orange gives you 2.9 grams.

Apples. Eat an hour after a meal to prevent constipation.

Apple juice, apple cider. These are natural laxatives for many people. Drink up and enjoy!

Bananas. These may relieve constipation. Try eating two ripe bananas between meals. Avoid green bananas because they're constipating.

Raisins. Eat a handful daily, an hour after a meal.

Rhubarb. This is a natural laxative. Cook it and eat it sweetened with honey, or bake it in a pie. Or, create a drink with cooked, pureed rhubarb, apple juice, and honey.

Home Remedies From the Spice Rack

Sesame seed. These seeds provide roughage and bulk, and they soften the contents of the intestines, which makes elimination easier. Eat no more than 1/2 ounce daily, and drink lots of water as you take the seeds. You may also sprinkle them on salads and other foods, but again, no more than 1/2 ounce. Sesame is also available in a butter or paste and in Middle Eastern dips, such as tahini.

Garlic. In the raw, it has a laxative effect for many. Eat it mixed with onion, raw or cooked, and with milk or yogurt for best results.

Honey. This is a very mild laxative. Try taking 1 tablespoon three times a day, either by itself or mixed into warm water. If it doesn't work on its own, you may have to pep it up by mixing it half and half with blackstrap molasses. Keep in mind, however, that honey (like molasses) is high in calories, so use it as an occasional laxative, not a daily preventative.

Oil. Safflower, soybean, or other vegetable oil can be just the cure you need, as they have a lubricating action in the intestines. Take 2 to 3 tablespoons a day, only until the problem is gone (not on an everyday basis). And remember that on those days when you increase your intake of oils, balance the calorie count by lowering your consumption of butter. Otherwise, you risk packing on extra pounds as you seek relief from constipation. If you don't like taking oil straight from the spoon, mix the oil with herbs and lemon juice or vinegar to use as salad dressing. The combination of the oil and the fiber from the salad ought to fix you right up.

Vinegar. Mix 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon honey in a glass of water, and drink.

Get moving. Exercise not only boosts your fitness level but promotes regularity, as well. When you are active, so are your bowels -- and the more sedentary you are, the more slowly your bowels move. That may partially explain why older people, who tend to be less active, and those who are bedridden are prone to constipation. So gear up and get moving. You don't have to run a marathon; a simple walking workout doesn't take much time and can be very beneficial. When it comes to regularity, even a little exercise is better than none at all.

Don't fight the urge. People sometimes suppress the urge to have a bowel movement because they are busy or have an erratic schedule or because they don't want to use public bathrooms. If at all possible, heed the call when you feel it.

Don't rush. It takes time for your bowels to move, so allow sufficient time and be patient. It will happen.

Take advantage of an inborn reflex. We're all born with a reflex to defecate a short time after we're fed, and as babies, that's what we did. With socialization, we learn to control our bladders and bowels, and we tend to inhibit this reflex. Work on reviving this innate tendency by choosing one mealtime a day and trying to have a movement after it; you may be able to teach your body to pass a stool at the same time each day. (This works better with younger people than with seniors.)

Drink water. Consuming at least 8 glasses of water a day not only improves your general health, but also helps moisten the intestines so that the bowels move easily.

Keep a food diary. If you suffer frequent bouts of constipation, it's possible that your body is reacting to certain foods that you are consuming. By keeping a detailed log of what you eat, you'll see which foods are clogging you up.

Train yourself to a daily routine. Pick a time, possibly after a meal, and retire to the bathroom. Follow that routine every day, whether you have to go or not, and soon it may very well become your time.

Know your medications. A number of prescription and over-the-counter medications can cause constipation. If you are currently taking any medication, you might want to ask your doctor or pharmacist whether it could be causing your constipation. Among the drugs that can cause constipation are calcium-channel blockers taken for high blood pressure, beta blockers, some antidepressants, narcotics and other pain medications, antihistamines (to a lesser degree), certain decongestants, and some antacids. Antacids that contain calcium or aluminum are binding and can cause constipation; antacids that contain magnesium tend not to cause constipation. If you are unsure what's in your antacid, check the label or ask your pharmacist or doctor.

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Home Remedy Treatments for Diarrhea

Unless diarrhea persists, which can signal a more serious problem, you usually don't find out its cause. Treatment for a temporary bout is aimed at easing the symptoms and at preventing dehydration, the most serious consequence of diarrhea. If you're suffering from diarrhea, the following home remedies may ease the symptoms:

Ride it out. If you're not very young or old or suffering from any chronic illness, it may be safe just to put up with it for a couple of days. After all, it's often your body's natural way of getting rid of something that shouldn't be there to begin with.

Keep hydrated. You can lose a lot of liquid in diarrhea, but you also lose electrolytes, minerals such as sodium and potassium that are critical in the running of your body. Here's how to replace what you're losing.

Drink plenty of fluids. Consume two quarts (eight cups) of fluids a day, three quarts (12 cups) if you're running a fever. Plain water lacks electrolytes, but it's a good, gentle-on-the-tummy option that can help you replace some of the fluid that you've lost. Other choices include weak tea with a little sugar, sports drinks such as Gatorade, flat soda pop (decaffeinated flavors such as ginger ale are best), and fruit juices other than apple and prune, which have a laxative effect.

Buy an over-the-counter electrolyte replacement formula. Pedialyte, Rehydralyte, and Ricelyte are available without a prescription from your local drugstore. These formulas contain fluids and minerals in the proper proportion.

Keep your liquids cool but not ice-cold. Whatever you choose to drink, keep it cool; it will be less irritating that way. Sip, don't guzzle; it will be easier on your insides if you take frequent sips of liquid instead of guzzling down a glass at a time.

Sip some chicken broth. Or any broth, but have it lukewarm instead of hot, and add a little salt to it if it's not already salty.

Rest in bed. Give your body a chance to fight the bug that's causing this.

Put a heating pad on your belly. It may help relieve abdominal cramps.

Try yogurt. Choose a brand that contains live lactobacillus cultures, which are friendly bugs that normally live in the gut. (Even people with lactose intolerance can often handle this type of yogurt.)

Eat easy-to-digest foods. Good choices include soup, gelatin, rice, noodles, bananas, potatoes, toast, cooked carrots, soda crackers, and skinless white-meat chicken.

Take the pink stuff. Stopping the diarrhea with an over-the-counter (OTC) medication may not be the best thing for your body, since the diarrhea probably reflects your body's attempt to get rid of a troublesome bug. If you do feel it's necessary, however, Pepto-Bismol is probably the safest OTC antidiarrheal medicine. It also appears to have a mild antibacterial effect, useful against traveler's diarrhea, which is usually bacteria-related.

Take Kaopectate or Imodium A-D. Again, you're probably better off going without antidiarrheal medication. If you absolutely need some relief, however, you can try one of these OTC medications. Imodium A-D slows down the motility, or movement, of the gut; Kaopectate absorbs fluid. Elderly patients should use these medications only with their doctor's approval, because decreased motility can be dangerous in an infection and can lead to bigger problems.

Don't do dairy. Avoid milk, cheese, and other dairy products (except yogurt, unless you don't usually tolerate it well) while you have diarrhea as well as for one to three weeks after it stops. The small intestine, where milk is digested, is affected by diarrhea and simply won't work as well for a while.

Cut out caffeine. Just as it stimulates your nervous system, caffeine jump-starts your intestines. And that's the last thing you need when you have diarrhea.

Say no to sweet treats. High concentrations of sugar can increase diarrhea. The sugar in fruit can do the same.

Steer clear of greasy or high-fiber foods. These are harder for your gut to handle right now. It needs foods that are kinder and gentler.

Wash your hands. Especially before preparing food. You don't want to pass your illness to everyone in the household.

Home Remedies from the Cupboard

Blueberries. Blueberry root is a long-time folk remedy for diarrhea. In Sweden, doctors prescribe a soup made with dried blueberries for tummy problems. Blueberries are rich in anthocyanosides, which have antioxidant and antibacterial properties, as well as tannins, which combat diarrhea.

Chamomile tea. Chamomile is good for treating intestinal inflammation, and it has antispasmodic properties as well. You can brew yourself a cup of chamomile tea from packaged tea bags, or you can buy chamomile flowers and steep 1 teaspoon of them and 1 teaspoon of peppermint leaves in a cup of boiling water for fifteen minutes. Drink 3 cups a day. Also the tannins in ordinary black tea have an anti-diarrheal effect.

Cooked cereals. Starchy foods, such as precooked rice or tapioca cereals, can help ease your tummy. Prepare the cereal according to the directions on the box, making it as thick as you can stomach it. Just avoid adding too much sugar or salt, as these can aggravate diarrhea. It's probably a good idea to avoid oatmeal, since it's high in fiber, and your intestines can't tolerate the added bulk during a bout with diarrhea.

Potatoes. This is another starchy food that can help restore nutrients and comfort your stomach. But eating French fries won't help. Fried foods tend to aggravate an aching tummy. Other root vegetables, such as carrots (cooked, of course) are also easy on an upset stomach, and they are loaded with nutrients.

Rice. Cooked white rice is another starchy food that can be handled by someone recovering from diarrhea.

Home Remedies from the Fruit Basket

Banana. Long known as a soother for tummy trouble, this potassium-rich fruit can restore nutrients and is easy to digest.

Orange peel. Orange peel tea is a folk remedy that is believed to aid in digestion. Place a chopped orange peel (preferably from an organic orange, as peels otherwise may contain pesticides and dyes) into a pot and cover with 1 pint boiling water. Let it stand until the water is cooled. You can sweeten it with sugar or honey.

Home Remedies from the Refrigerator

Yogurt. Look for yogurt with live cultures. These "cultures" are friendly bacteria that can go in and line your intestines, providing you with protection from the bad guys. If you've already got diarrhea, yogurt can help produce lactic acid in your intestines, which can kill off the nasty bacteria and get you feeling better, faster.

Live-culture yogurt (kefir) is also the best way to treat diarrhea caused by oral antibiotics. The antibiotics kill beneficial bacteria in the intestines, but live-culture products replenish those bacteria. Better still, use these from the time you begin the medication, and you may avoid the diarrhea altogether.

Home Remedies from the Spice Rack

Fenugreek seeds. Science has given the nod to this folk remedy--but this one is for adults only (safety for children has not been established). Mix 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds with water and drink up.

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HOME REMEDY TREATMENTS FOR UPSET STOMACH

Avoiding unpleasant gas attacks just takes a little planning and some careful choices. Making educated decisions about what

foods you eat, when and how you eat them and what you do after can make a huge difference in reducing stomach upset.

Here are a few suggestions to get started:

Track your diet. If you've been experiencing temporary stomach upset fairly often, try keeping a food diary for a few weeks to see if you can identify any links. Different foods bother different people. If you can identify the foods that you seem to be sensitive to, you can limit or avoid them -- along with the trouble they cause you.


Opt for less fat. If your stomach has been acting up, reach for foods that are easy to digest, such as whole grains and lean protein. Avoid foods that are fried or high in fat, which can cause or aggravate stomach upset.

Increase fiber gradually. A high-fiber diet is good for your health, but don't go too high too fast. A gradual change of diet, with a slow but continual addition of fiber, will help your system adjust gradually.

Choose veggies carefully. You may love broccoli, but if you're having a problem with gas, cut back. Too much of certain vegetables, namely broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts, can aggravate stomach woes. Cabbage can also cause trouble.

Limit problematic fruits. Some people experience stomach discomfort from eating apples and melon. Pay attention to whether your stomach upset follows eating either of these.

Eat moderately. Take time to enjoy your meal and allow your food to digest properly. Stuffing your stomach can irritate it. But don't skip meals -- it allows acid to build up in your stomach and can leave you with an aching tummy.

Cook gasless beans. If you throw out the water in which you've soaked the beans overnight, then cook them in fresh water, you'll significantly decrease their gas-causing potential. Rinsing canned beans also helps reduce gas.