Know This Before Using Miralax and Safer Options; The Smoke Point for Cooking Oils and Other Fats;
Which oils to use at what temperatures; Miralax. Why you should avoid it and what to use in its place.
Smoke Points: Know Which Oils to Use and When to Use Them.
Since we have been discussing oils and which are best for cooking, this post divides them into those best for low, medium, and high cooking temperatures.
Cooking oil temperatures; More news on Amazon supplements; Restless leg Syndrome and a new study on a potential useful supplement
Oils and Smoke Points Avoid high omega-6 oils that are often rancid and oxidized and contribute to inflammation. This includes canola, soy, grapeseed, and vegetable oils. Instead, use the cooking options below. Thanks for reading the Trufoods Newsletter! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
Miralax.
What You Need to Know About it and What to Use in Place of it.
I have worked with quite a few parents, helping them to help their children with digestive and bowel issues, so I have heard numerous times of parents giving their child Miralax as a laxative suggested by their allopathic doctor.
I am not sure why allopathic medical doctors are even prescribing MiraLAX for children and teens since it is not recommended for anyone under 17 years old.
This means your doctor is prescribing MiraLAX for your child off-label.
If your doctor does prescribe it for your child, ask why and ask what alternative options they have. There are quite a few, but I would love to hear what the medical doctor suggests.
In children:
The product should be used for 2 weeks or less, yet Children’s Mercy Pediatric Partners state that “most kids need 6-12 months of regular MiraLAX use.”
I am still trying to figure out why a child needs 6 to 12 months of use of MiraLAX!
Or why would any adult need to use MiraLAX?
The Vaccine Reaction article goes on to state:
A Facebook page has over 85,000 members on it, called “Parents Against MiraLAX.”
These parents are suspicious of the ingredient PEG 3350 (polyethylene glycol), which is the main active MiraLAX ingredient. Parents have reported side effects such as tremors, tics, anger, and OCD.
Polyethylene glycol is also in the cov!d shots.
Polyethylene glycol is banned in Europe.
The FDA’s Response
The FDA stated that there is insufficient data to demonstrate a link between PEG 3350 and serious neuropsychiatric issues in children.
As of December 31, 2023, 34,453 adverse reactions following MiraLAX use have been filed with the FDA adverse events reporting system. Two thousand five hundred fifty of these cases were severe, including death.
Someone recently shared this post about Miralax’s effect on this child. It is horrific that a child would need to be on OTC medication for constipation for this long!
What MiraLAX Does to the Gut Microbiome
MiraLAX and other laxatives containing PEG 3350 can disrupt the gut microbiome and alter the immune system. This study by Tropini et al. (2019) found that when diarrhea was induced using a PEG solution given to mice, there was a microbiome shift within the first 24 hours, and it was long-lasting, impacting immune health.
Van der Wulp et al. (2013) drew the same conclusion years earlier and stated that;
“PEG may change the intestinal milieu by accelerating the passage of the luminal contents and/or by increasing the luminal water content, possibly leading to a change in the intestinal microflora. “
If using a harsh laxative such as MiraLAX, re-seed the microbiome after laxative discontinuation.
What is Constipation
I talk to my clients a lot about bowel movements. I ask what they look like, how often they have a BM, and whether they are strained or easy.
I use the Bristol stool chart as a guide.
Bowels can tell you quite a bit about one’s health.
My definition of constipation:
If you eat more than once daily, you should have more than one BM daily. If you aren’t, then I consider that constipation.
If you put food into your body daily, you must remove the waste daily.
But apparently, my definition of constipation is quite different than the mainstream allopathic definition.
Allopathic definition of constipation:
Mainstream medicine considers someone constipated if they have 3 or fewer bowel movements per week. However, according to WebMD, regular bowel movements remove toxins from the body and help to keep gut bacteria in a healthy balance.
I guess they think that 4 times per week is “regular.”
Some Causes of Constipation
I am sure the first one is obvious to you
A processed food diet that lacks fiber
Dehydration
Stress (slows down gut motility)
Excess dairy (or processed dairy such as Velveeta cheese slices)
Antibiotics and other medications (i.e., opioids, antacids, antihistamines, antidepressants, calcium channel blockers, codeine, some blood pressure medication, antipsychotics)
Iron supplements (choose a chelated form to prevent this)
Food sensitivity
Dysbiosis of the gut microbiome
Lack of exercise and movement/a sedentary lifestyle
For severe constipation and when you need relief right now!
In the short term, constipation can be very uncomfortable, and it needs to be addressed.
Magnesium: Specific forms of magnesium are helpful in the short term for occasional constipation. Magnesium citrate is a valuable form in this instance. Purchase powder, not capsules, as the dose will be too low in capsules. Follow the directions on the bottle and only slowly increase the dose if the original dose is ineffective.
Epsom Salt: This is another form of magnesium as magnesium sulfate. I always thought Epson salt was for baths only, but I was told by someone recently that they used it orally for constipation. If you use Epsom salt, ensure the bag ingredients label does not include added ingredients. When used for a bath, oftentimes, you may find herbs and fragrances added to the magnesium. You do not want to consume this.
Senna: This herb is made from the leaves, flowers, and fruit of flowering plants in the legume family. Senna is now grown worldwide, and you can find it in laxative teas. Drinking the tea can stimulate a BM within 6 to 12 hours. Only use short-term to relieve the acute constipation. Using senna long-term may result in laxative dependence to have a BM.
Once you have addressed the acute constipation issue, identify what the leading cause of it is for you.
Identify the cause of the constipation and start working on that.
Stay hydrated with filtered water.
Add movement to your day every day.
Address the stress through meditation, walks in nature, adaptogenic herbs, talk therapy, exercise, or other means. (I know, easier said than done).
Do not eat in a stressed state. This will affect digestion.
Remove processed dairy products.
Add more vegetables and starchy whole foods such as beets, parsnips, squash, and sweet potato.
Add in fermented foods; an easy one is Bubbie’s pickles.
Do testing or an elimination diet to determine if food sensitivities are the culprit for chronic constipation. (I like the ALCAT, and it is in my lab shop. The link is at the end of the post.)
Take a probiotic. (I use Megaspore by Microbiome Labs, but I am sure numerous other high-quality probiotics are on the market).
Do not rely on fiber supplements long-term. Instead, incorporate fiber-rich foods, such as the starchy vegetables I mentioned. Other high-fiber foods include oats, beans, artichokes, apples, and lentils.
Bottom Line: BM frequency depends on how much you eat, what you eat, how active you are, and several other factors, such as medication use and chronic stress. BMs should be easy and relaxed, not strained and infrequent. With each BM, you are filtering toxins from your body.
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This is NOT information allopathic practitioners will share with you.
A kid needs Miralax for that long because they are eating so many ultra processed and processed foods! In my line of work I have been in doctor's offices and there have been kids on Miralax for YEARS!