Gillian McKeith's Food Bible (165 page)

Red meat.

Saturated fats.

Dairy products.

Spicy, hot foods.

Sugar and sweets.

Tea and coffee.

HERBS AND SUPPLEMENTS

Drink herbal teas such as nettle, dandelion, and fengugreek, and dandelion coffee.

Supplement with magnesium. The mineral magnesium is essential for both bowel regularity and liver function.

Slippery elm powder.

If there is no movement at all, try the herbs cascara sagrada, senne, or turkey rhubarb.

EXTRA TIPS

Drink a cup of warm water with some lemon squeezed in it when you wake in the morning; do it again about two hours before bedtime. It’s very cleansing.

Take moderate exercise. Not getting any form of exercise contributes to constipation. Gentle exercise stimulates the peristalsis of the large intestine, the wavelike motion that helps to move the fecal matter through the body.

Eat very slowly. Chew food thoroughly. Digestion starts in the mouth. Bowel elimination is dependent upon good digestion.