Help! I Can't Poop!
Do you suffer from Constipation or IBS-C?
My book tells you everything you need to know about pooping regularly without laxatives.
The author, Helen Irwin, with her book
Giving a talk at a retirement home
Here's my latest Amazon Review
(Scroll down to the bottom of the page for more great reviews)
Great Dietary Information! By Antoine Me, 4th December.
I found this a very informative read.
Seeking advice for Gut Health and Microbiomes this book holds a plethora of well researched information regarding Diets, Carbs, Vitamins, Supplements, Fibre Foods, Pre- and Pro- Biotics, and good Nutritional information.
I will be keeping this book at hand in my Kitchen library for regular reference.
I recently updated my book cover!
Quite a change from the original!
Here's what's in my book!
Each chapter has a 'My Story' and a 'Fact File'. The Fact Files give information on the chapter topic, and My Story is where I share my own experience of managing my constipation with the information given in the Fact Files. You'll read how my constipation began in childhood, then in recent years, worsened after following a lo-carb diet for a year. The last chapter is the Epilogue that sums up my journey. At the end of each chapter, there is a Titbit of interesting information related to pooping, such as an explanation of Biofeedback Therapy and how a Fecal Microbial transplant is done.
Part 2 - It's All About the Food
The second part of the book has information that will help you choose the food to eat and the food to avoid to help you poop, including recipes and food fibre content.
Chapter Contents
Chapter One - Constipation
My Story: I share how I became constipated as a child, how it worsened in adult life, and then how after following a low-carb diet, I lost the urge to poop.
Fact File: statistics on constipation, what is constipation? how the body gets constipated, common causes of constipation, common symptoms of constipation, how peristalsis works to make us poop, bowel transit time.
Chapter Two - Dietary Fiber
My Story: I share how I worked out the high-fiber foods that helped my constipation and the ones that exacerbated it and caused excess gas.
Fact File: what is dietary fiber? foods that have dietary fiber, how much fiber to eat, how fiber helps you poop and relieves constipation, all about fiber supplements, how fiber produces butyrate a short chain fatty acid which benefits the gut, is it possible to poop without fiber?
Chapter Three - Water
My Story: I share how I found out a particular drink was dehydrating me and causing brick-like stools, and what I added to water to help constipation.
Fact File: how dehydration affects stool, how much water to drink, benefits of sparkling water, how caffeine and tannins in coffee, tea, and carbonated drinks can be dehydrating, some simple guidelines to follow to ensure an adequate water intake.
Chapter Four - Nutritional Supplements
My Story: I share how I had an online vitamin and mineral test and the vitamins and minerals I now take to help me poop.
Fact File: how to get an online test for levels of vitamins and minerals in your body, which vitamins and minerals help or exacerbate constipation, the benefits of certain vitamins and minerals for constipation, some herbs that may work, digestive enzymes.
Chapter Five - Exercise
My Story: I share my experience of trying different exercises to help constipation.
Fact File: how exercise may or may not help with constipation, exercises that target the gut, exercising the vagus nerve, external mechanical vibration.
Chapter Six - Enemas
My Story: I share how enemas have helped me over the years and are my go-to when natural pooping isn’t happening.
Fact file: what is an enema? history of enemas, why you should take enemas for constipation, enema equipment to use, type of water to use in an enema, how to take an enema, difficulties taking enemas, different types of enemas such as coffee enemas, care with enemas, how to clean enema equipment, colonic irrigation, anal irrigation system.
Chapter Seven - Low Carb Constipation
My Story: I share how, after eating a low-carb diet for twelve months, I lost the urge to poop.
Fact File: what is a low-carb diet? how to get adequate fiber on a low-carb diet, the effect of low-carb eating on constipation, a zero-fiber diet but without constipation, a list of the fiber content in low-carb food.
Chapter Eight - The Microbiome and Gut Tests
My Story: I share how I had a gut test and the results which showed exactly what was going on in my gut and the recommendations for specific supplements.
Fact File: an explanation of the gut microbiome, how to get a gut test by stool analysis and tests for common gut issues such as Dysbiosis and SIBO.
Chapter Nine: Prebiotics and Probiotics
My Story: I share my experience of taking numerous probiotics and a cure for parasites.
Fact File: what you need to know about prebiotics and probiotics, which supplements to buy, probiotics in fermented food, soil-based organisms (sbo for short), some of the most effective probiotics.
Chapter Ten: Epilogue
In the Epilogue, I share my thoughts on all I’d tried to help my constipation and outline “Seven Helps” that were beneficial. I also share the natural cure I found for Dysbiosis, an in-balance of the good and bad bacteria in my gut.
Part 2 - “It's All About the Food”
The second part of the book has information that will help you choose the food to eat and the food to avoid to help you poop.
1. Foods that may constipate you
2. Food and drink to help you poop
3. Does the time we eat matter
4. How to use a Food Tracker
5. Calculating the Fiber in Food
6. Lists of the Fiber Content in Fruits and Vegetables
7. Recipes
Reader Review sent by email
Every home should have a copy of this book!
Very easy read, even just to dip into – lots of good material on Constipation – what it is and how you get it. Lots of good supporting material on “dos and don’ts” of food and drink. One such “do” is “drink plenty of water”. But not all day and into the evening she says, or you may spend too much time in the Loo! Helen describes her own experience in trying to find a cure (you may have had similar experiences!). For her, this was a long journey through many trials of cures that simply did not work for her! But the author did succeed in getting relief - and so might you with the help of her book.
Reader Reviews on Amazon
Brilliant book very interesting and educational.
I bought this book tonight and found it so interesting that I read it from start to finish. I love it when I’m so captivated that I read the whole book without putting it down. I loved the honest account on the products the author had tried, to help with constipation and the detailed information on Enema preparation and procedure. I especially loved the wide range of recipes at the end of this amazing book, which I’m sure will become part of my healthier diet. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone.
Very informative.
Having had gut issues myself, I found this book very informative. It was good to hear about the supplements, foods and tests Helen used to help her issues.
Amazing read.
I suffer from IBS and this book has been an amazing read for me I am now going to try out some of these methods to see if it helps me
Other Reader Reviews
"I so much enjoyed reading your book, both the Fact Files and your Personal Story. I found it triggered ideas in me that could be productive.
"You've been so generous with all the information in it. It's a subject that's seldom discussed and I found it very helpful and I'm sure others will too."
Email: help4pooping@gmail.com