Foods to detoxify and cleanse the intestines

There are no rare categories of "intestinal cleansing and detoxifying foods" that are so popular on the market. They are essentially home-made ingredients that can supplement dietary fiber, regulate intestinal flora, and promote normal intestinal peristalsis. However, there is no concept of "intestinal toxins" in medicine. The so-called "detoxification" is actually to maintain normal bowel function and allow metabolic waste to be excreted from the body in a timely manner. Don't pay IQ tax for this.

I just stepped into a trap for my best friend a while ago. She spent more than 300 on the Internet-famous Enzyme Plum to cleanse her intestines. She had diarrhea three or four times a day, and her legs became soft. After she stopped, her constipation became more serious. I went to the hospital for a check-up and found out that the product contains stimulant laxative ingredients. It is useful for temporary bowel movements, but in fact it will destroy the peristaltic rhythm of the intestine itself. Later, I asked her to change her afternoon milk tea to an apple with skin and about 10 original almonds, and to replace one-third of the white rice in her staple food with oatmeal. Within a week, her bowel movements returned to a regular pattern of once a day.

Take prunes, which have been very popular recently, as an example. Half of my friends said they could run to the toilet after eating three prunes, while the other half said they had no reaction after eating a pound. In fact, the reason behind this is that the sorbitol in prunes is a "natural laxative", but different people have different tolerances to sorbitol. For those with poor tolerance, a few pills will be effective. For those with good tolerance, taking more pills will be useless, and will cause bloating. If prunes are of no use to you, don’t panic. I have friends who find it satisfying to eat two crunchy peaches with the skin on, or half an ice-cold Qiuyue pear. The core is actually a combination of the soluble dietary fiber in the fruit plus fructose and sorbitol. Just find one that works for you. There is no need to follow the trend and buy ridiculously expensive imported prunes.

But don’t think that just eating fruits can solve the problem. I have met many people with constipation. The problem basically lies in the staple food, which is polished rice and white noodles. The daily dietary fiber intake is less than one-third of the recommended amount. Intestinal peristalsis has no power. No matter how much prunes are eaten, it is useless. A young man who worked in design came to me for consultation before. He ate takeout rice bowls or instant noodles three times a day, rarely touched vegetables, and only had bowel movements twice a week. I asked him to replace the bean paste bread in the morning with unsweetened oatmeal, sprinkle a small spoonful of chia seeds, and replace half of the white rice at noon with three-color quinoa. Within three days, he said his bowel movements were normal. Of course, many friends who adhere to a low-carb diet will say that the phytic acid in whole grains will affect the absorption of minerals. This is indeed true, but for ordinary people who usually can't eat more than two bites of takeout and vegetables, the harm of intestinal flora disorder and metabolic waste retention caused by constipation is much greater than the impact of that little phytic acid. There is no need to give up eating due to choking. If you really care about phytic acid, just soak oats and quinoa for a few hours before cooking.

Another type of intestinal cleanser that many people ignore is mushrooms and dark green leafy vegetables, especially enoki mushrooms, celery, and spinach. They are not only high in dietary fiber, but also contain a lot of prebiotics, which can "feed" the beneficial bacteria in the intestines. When the bacterial flora is stable, bowel movements will naturally become regular. Oh, by the way, I used to ridicule enoki mushrooms on the Internet as "see you tomorrow", saying that what you eat will come out. In fact, this is precisely the reason why it can promote intestinal peristalsis - the crude fiber that cannot be fully digested will take the waste in the intestines with it. Every time I eat hot pot and cook half a plate of enoki mushrooms, my bowel movements are particularly smooth the next day. However, I would also like to remind you that those who have irritable bowel syndrome, gastric ulcers or weak gastrointestinal conditions should not eat such crude fiber ingredients, which will increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract. You should choose soft dietary fibers such as steamed pumpkins, boiled soft carrots, and peeled tomatoes. They are gentle and non-irritating, and can also help defecation.

To be honest, the most pitfalls to avoid are those health care products that claim to "cleanse the intestines in 7 days and eliminate 10 pounds of feces", such as intestinal cleansing tea, enzyme plum, and defecation jelly. When I was a follower in the nutrition department, I saw too many patients who developed colonic melanosis after taking these products. They were only occasionally constipated. After eating too many of these products with stimulating laxative ingredients, the peristalsis function of the intestines slowly deteriorated, and in the end they had to rely on drugs to defecate. It was completely worth the loss.

Finally, let me tell you a little habit that I have been using for five or six years. When I wake up in the morning, I drink a cup of warm water of about 300ml on an empty stomach. If it doesn't work, I can add a little salt or a spoonful of honey (don't add honey for diabetics). I rub my belly for two minutes while standing in clockwise circles. It is more effective than eating any other bowel-cleansing food. Of course, if you had just masturbated and drank alcohol the night before, and every meal was filled with highly processed foods that are heavy in oil and salt, then no small tricks will work. In the final analysis, the core of colon cleansing and detoxification is not relying on certain foods, but a long-term balanced diet, right?