Detoxification and bowel cleansing recipes

A detoxification and bowel cleansing recipe that is truly friendly to the intestines and has no side effects is essentially a daily diet structure of "soluble dietary fiber + insoluble dietary fiber, appropriate amount of high-quality protein, low processing and low free sugar". There is no "magic formula" that can be quick and fast for 7 days. All methods that make you only drink fruit and vegetable juices for more than 3 days in a row and not eat staple protein at all will damage the intestinal mucosal barrier and disrupt the intestinal flora.

Damn, how did I know this before? In the past two years, I followed the trend and stocked up on the "3-day bowel cleansing package" recommended by several Internet celebrity bloggers. I also drank 1L of iced celery juice on an empty stomach, and also drank only fruit and vegetable juices during a vegetarian fast. On the third day, my legs became weak. I thought I had really excreted a lot of "fecal toxins". However, after I stopped, the constipation became more serious. I went to the hospital to see the nutrition department, and they found out that I had irritable bowel syndrome. She told me that there are actually two mainstream ideas about bowel cleansing diets, each with its own applicable groups, and there is no one-size-fits-all standard answer.

One is a more popular natural diet idea in Europe and the United States, which focuses on using fresh, raw, high-fiber fruits and vegetables and fermented foods to "reduce" the intestinal burden, such as raw celery, mixed kale salad, and foods with probiotics such as sugar-free yogurt, natto, and fermented kimchi. It is suitable for people who usually have a hot body, are prone to constipation, and do not suffer from stomachache or diarrhea when eating cold foods. I have a fitness friend who eats this way. His bowel movements are very regular and his skin is stable. But I don’t dare to touch it because I have a cold constitution that makes my stomach hurt when I eat iced milk tea. Last time I ate raw kale salad, my stomach was bloated all afternoon, and I farted so much that it was embarrassing.

The other is the idea of ​​our traditional Chinese medicine food nutrition. We believe that the first thing to cleanse the intestines is to take care of the spleen and stomach. You cannot eat raw or cold foods without adding burden to the stomach and intestines. Use warm, steamed high-fiber ingredients, such as steamed sweet potatoes, steamed yams, pumpkins, boiled soft fungus, white fungus, and fried green leafy vegetables. Try to drink warm water as much as possible. This is especially suitable for people like me who have a weak spleen and stomach and often have loose stools but always feel bloated and unable to pass bowel movements. I ate steamed yam with warm yogurt for a week and had regular bowel movements every morning. I didn’t feel the cramping feeling I had before having diarrhea at all. I felt very comfortable.

To put it bluntly, it's not complicated. You don't need to follow recipes that are accurate to the gram. Just pay more attention when you eat. For example, if you are commuting in the morning, grab a steamed sweet potato, a small box of sugar-free yogurt, and a boiled egg. It is much less burdensome than eating fried dough sticks and soy milk. ； If you bring lunch, replace half of the white rice with brown rice or half corn, stir-fry a plate of spinach or broccoli, and add a piece of fried chicken breast or boiled shrimp. Just don’t add too much oil, and you don’t have to be a vegetarian. I tried a vegetarian bowel cleanse before, and after three days of eating it, my stomach was bloated like a bulge, and my farts were ridiculously smelly. After asking about it, I learned that the peristalsis of intestinal smooth muscles also requires protein. I don’t eat protein at all, and fiber alone can’t push the stool.

Don’t tell me, many people have a lot of misunderstandings about bowel cleansing. Some friends asked me before if it is useful to buy enzymes that cost hundreds of yuan per box. In fact, regular enzymes are fermented fruit and vegetable extracts, supplemented with dietary fiber and probiotics. If you have diarrhea after drinking it, If you can't stop it, you must have secretly added ingredients such as phenolphthalein and senna, as well as the kind of intestinal cleansing tea that has been sold for many years. Most of them contain anthraquinone laxatives. It can be used occasionally as an emergency. If you drink it continuously for more than a month, it can easily induce melanosis of the colon. I'm not scaring you.

I don’t pursue the gimmick of “completely clearing the intestines” anymore. Last week, I went out with my friends to eat a heavy oily and spicy Chongqing hot pot. I didn’t fast the next day, so I cooked a bowl of oatmeal porridge with some cold fungus and boiled eggs. I didn’t feel bloated or constipated, and I felt very comfortable. After all, the intestines have a complete detoxification and metabolism function. The so-called "toxins" are not mysterious things, but food residues and metabolic wastes that have not been excreted. If you give it enough fiber, enough water, and enough nutrients, don't torment it with a bunch of fried and high-sugar junk food.