What to do about a Jammed Gut?
by Nívia Gomes
Jammed Gut or a Constipated Intestine is a problem that people have suffered from, for generations. Some inherit a lazy intestine while others abuse their digestive system. Note: For a list of foods that cause a constipated intestine, go to the bottom of this article.
The“Jaboticaba” Story
When I was a child at my grandparents’ farm, the “jammed-gut” phenomena happened quite often for all of us kids, especially during times of guava and “jaboticaba” harvest. In those seasons, we hung on the “jaboticaba” tree the whole day eating the mouthwatering fruit. No one had the patience to throw away the seeds, and that’s when our problems began.
For those who do not know “jaboticaba,” let me try to describe it to you. It is a sweet little fruit the size of an Italian grape, which houses inside a teeny seed. That teeny seed holds within itself the power to jam your intestine and cause you to horrendously bloat with gas.
“Jaboticaba” only grows during the months of September and October here in Brazil. After a good rain, the peel becomes super soft and once you bite into that sweet and succulent juicy fruit, you can’t think of anything else except to swallow as many “jaboticabas” as you possibly can. Normally you plant it near the rivers because the tree loves a lot of water so that its fruits can soften and grow in size.
It was a long holiday weekend and all of us went to the farm. The “jaboticaba” trees were loaded. Those little black fruits were glued to their branches as if awaiting our arrival. Oh, we ate “jaboticaba” until we could not eat anymore. They were so delicious!!! However, the next day it was a disaster! Most of us had a horrible stomach ache and our intestines were bloated with gas from being constipated. Then, as always, my grandmother came to the rescue.
Grandma’s Concoction for a Constipated Intestine
She had a medication, I don’t even know if I can consider that a medication, called Castor oil: an oil made from castor beans, very common here in Brasil. The castor beans were medicinally used in ancient Egypt because of their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant powers. When the medical field did not have many resources, they used Castor oil to treat several illnesses because it was considered an excellent stimulant to the immune system. The flavor is horrendous but my grandmother leveraged the effect by blending 1 spoon of Castor oil with the freshly squee
zed juice from two oranges and one de-seeded half ripen papaya. That was it. After a few minutes of swallowing her concoction, all of us kids were fighting for the bathrooms, hehe!! Our intestines had gone from jammed to loose.
Besides this potent oil, my grandmother would also make some herbal teas such as “Sene” or “Cascara Sagrada” and put them in our juice or porridge.
See more of her recipes below. Besides following these recipes, you must drink a lot of water! During “crisis times” the ideal is to drink a full gallon of water, which is about 8 oz. an hour, considering that you spend 16 hours awake.
Sene Tea
Ingredients:
1 tbs. of Sene leaves
1 cup of hot water
Directions:
Add one tablespoon of Sene tea leaves in a cup and add boiling boiling water. Let the water cool and then strain it. Drink it warm, in the mornings. Important: I do not recommend this for nursing women or for women on their menstrual periods, as well as for anyone who may have intestinal inflammation. Another important point: do not consume this tea for a period longer than one week. .
Laxative Juice
Ingredients:
1/2 papaya (peeled and de-seeded)
7 oz. of orange juice
1 oz. of Chia seeds
Directions:
Soak the chia seeds.
Blend the papaya, the prunes and the orange juice. Add the softened chia seeds and blend some more. Consume this juice in the morning.
Laxative Porridge
Ingredients:
1 papaya
2 oz. of wheat bran or rolled oats
Directions:
Blend the ingredients for about 30 seconds or until they are soft. Next, pour the mixture in small 2 oz. containers and store them in the refrigerator. Every morning, upon waking, eat a 2 oz. portion of laxative porridge on an empty stomach.
Laxative Black Liquid
Ingredients:
1 glass of water or a 16 oz. Mason jar
Directions:
Before going to bed, place the 8 prunes in the glass of water and cover it with a small plate. In the case of a Mason jar, then cover it with its lid.
The next day, drink the liquid and eat 2 prunes. Adjust the number of prunes eaten, depending on need.
You can use the left-over prunes on a separate recipe called “Manjar de Côco” or Coconut Custard (pudding).
Final Thoughts
If you prefer to take something instead of making something, a daily dosage of magnesium and vitamin C is the best solution.
Here is a list of foods and liquids to increase the consumption of:
• Every morning, upon awakening and while still fasting, drink a tall glass of warm water with freshly-squeezed lime juice and a dash of Celtic salt (for minerals). Did you know that this small daily routine will improve your health in more ways than one?
• Flaxseeds (you can add it to your morning smoothies)
• Prunes, Berries, Papayas and other fruits
• Spinach, lettuce, kale, leafy greens
• Some say coffee helps
Here is a list of foods to eat less of:
• Red meat — it is high in iron, and iron is known to cause constipation
• Calcium-containing foods, i.e.: milk and cheese
• Fried foods
• White flour breads
Originally published at livinghealth.tv on March 28, 2017. 2017 © by Living Health TV and Living Health Magazine. Reproduction in whole or in part requires written authorization from the publisher.
