3 of my Favorite De-Bloating Recipes

I’ve struggled with constipation for most of my life.

My mom says my constipation began when I was weaned off of breastmilk. By the time I was 19, I was completely dependent on laxatives. I continued abusing laxatives until I was 30, when I switched to magnesium oxide, and I was fully dependent on that until last summer.

It took years of seeing thousands of practitioners, getting countless different types of treatments, tried hundreds of supplements and different protocols, and I eventually figured out how to get regular. I now want to share that information with you so no one else has to suffer from constipation and feel as helpless as I did.

In order to overcome my constipation & get regular, I had to take a holistic, mind-body approach.* Among the changes that I implemented were dietary changes. I learned more about food & nutrition, different types of fiber, and foods that have certain laxative-like properties. I also educated myself on overall gut health, and started developing recipes that stimulate peristalsis, the wave-like contractions of the digestive tract that helps move food along and eliminate waste, and that would support my long-term gut health.

*If you want to hear more about my gut health journey & how I healed my constipation issues, listen to episode 184, “My 7 Step Protocol For Quitting Laxatives & Fixing Your Gut Health,” available anywhere you listen to podcasts (including Apple Podcasts here), and you can watch the whole episode on Spotify (available here).

Here are 3 of those recipes:

UMAMI BOWL

This bowl has: baby gem lettuce, red butterhead lettuce, mesclun, frisée, raddicchio, wakame, tsunomataaka, akanori, tsunomataao, suginorishiro, sugar snap peas, avocado, cucumber, carrot, tomatoes, in a tamara-tahini dressing; topped with sesame seeds, nori strips, chive blossoms, rocket-dame flowers, nasturtium.

I designed this bowl to be a perfect starter salad before eating heavier foods, although it is delicious enough to stand on its own. But what’s important is that it has a lot of bitter greens, which increase bile production & thereby help digest fats & prevent digestive discomfort; stimulate digestive enzymes to help absorb nutrients & prevent bloating and gas; and stimulate peristalsis, the wave-like muscle contractions that move food through the digestive tract, which helps prevent constipation. It’s also filled with soluble fiber, which adds bulk to stools; insoluble fiber, which increases gut motility; healthy fats, which lubricate the digestive tract; hydrating veggies, which help stimulate peristalsis; and pre-and-probiotics, which support your gut microbiome.

You can watch the recipe reel here, and you can find the recipe write-up here.

RHUBARB LENTIL BOWL

This bowl has: lentils, tamari shiitake, maitake, caramelized onions, sunflower greens, avocado, on a bed of hibiscus-rose-rhubarb jam & lemon cashew cream sauce, topped with cilantro blossoms, chive blossoms, fresh rose petals, and dame-rocket flowers.

This bowl is loaded with fiber, but the real star of the show is rhubarb. Rhubarb contains compounds called anthraquinones, which have natural laxative effects. These compounds stimulate the muscles of the colon, encouraging peristalsis. The laxative effect of anthraquinones can provide relatively quick relief from constipation by promoting bowel movements. The combination of soluble fiber from rhubarb & lentils; the hydration from lemons, greens, and rhubarb; and the healthy fats from avocado & cashews create a laxative-like effect. The combination of probiotics from miso & prebiotic fibers is really nourishing to the gut, help improve your gut microbiome, and support the intestinal barrier. Plus, in traditional Persian medicine, we use rose as a de-bloating herb.

You can watch the recipe reel here, and you can find the recipe write-up here.

BEET TARTARE

This beet tartare has: Red beets, Chioggia beets, golden beets, badger flame beets, avocado, on a red beet navy bean spread, drizzled with a cashew lemon sauce, topped with cilantro blossoms, chive flowers, dame-rocket flowers, gem marigold, and pansies.

I have found beets to be one of the best things for my gut health & bowel regularity. The fiber in beets can help produce mucilage, a gel-like substance that can lubricate the intestines and facilitate smoother passage of stool; they can stimulate bile production, which is important for the digestion and absorption of fats. Improved fat digestion can help prevent bloating associated with high-fat meals; they are rich in betalains, which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and help reduce inflammation in the gut; and they support liver function, which is crucial for detoxification processes in the body. A well-functioning liver can help process and eliminate waste more efficiently, reducing the risk of bloating from toxins and waste buildup. The healthy fats from cashews & avocados pair nicely with the fiber in the beets & beans to create a laxative-like effect, and the lemon & cilantro support the detoxification process.

You can watch the recipe reel here, and you can find the recipe write-up here.

For More on Constipation & Gut Health…

This week on the pod, I break down exactly what I did to quit laxatives and be able to have natural bowel movements. Listen to episode 184, “My 7 Step Protocol For Quitting Laxatives & Fixing Your Gut Health,” to hear the whole journey—you can listen to the full episode anywhere you listen to podcasts (including Apple Podcasts here), and you can watch the whole episode on Spotify (available here).