Hi @annbk and welcome to the Digestive Health group on Connect. I was unfamiliar with amaranth so did a quick internet search and found this:

- Amaranth: An Ancient Grain With Impressive Health Benefits https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/amaranth-health-benefits

Great to read that amaranth is naturally gluten free. Quinoa is another grain that I love that is gluten free. @astaingegerdm @bandaids @darlia @shayshay may also have something to add or learn from this conversation.

Ann: I, too, have to manage constipation despite all plumbing being normal (a bit loopy) and eating well. I'm interested in hearing how you incorporate amaranth in your daily diet. What is its flavor? Do you use it as a grain or simply add it to things like smoothies?

I'd like to try it!

what is Amaranth?

Please try MCT oil. Just a teaspoon in your tea or coffee in the morning, will sort out constipation. It taste like nothing and you will go every day!

It would be great to get your recipe for using Amaranth for natural regularity.
If you or anyone has ideas about the following that would be great. Sorry for how many words I sent. I am exasperated!

Racked with constipation most of my life especially following a near fatal '72 auto accident; pain pills caused such bad constipation manually cleaned. Have been and still am active on an organic farm, did work helping to build seven park hiking trails etc. But also farm surrounded by a big timber company possibly affected by roundup and other herbicides Working on natural regularity and glad colonoscopy OK. Have lived doing organic eating most of my adult life - over 70 yrs

Last colonoscopy I did with no sedative and it was a wondrous trip to see myself from outside in. It turns out, I have a REDUNDANT COLON which makes sense why I'm constipated. There is very little advice + what there is online is contradictory. It appears IBS and redundant colon don't usually happen to the same person. I have some SIBO symptoms along with stress + worry about doing the right things for my health. A person I know with a redundant colon says they eat to keep it moving. She needs more carbs to get the bulk.

Current actions:
- Walk 1 -2 miles on farm trail but have done for years
- Eat organically permaculture veggies and fruit but have done for years
- Eat predominately organic bought food, not processed
- Gastroenterologist who did my last, second colonoscopy without sedation, has me on antibiotic from US and one from India to do SIBO cleaning on my small intestine
- He also has me doing PT to learn not to push and to breathe right for BM. As a gymnast in HS and Jr college I learned to pull in my gut and breathe backwards
- Had hemorrhoids removed a few times over the years by an ND - OK but not complete cure for constipation
- My three ND's feel a redundant colon needs an assist for regularity so trying to find it. Lots of inconsistent advice online
- I WANT NATURAL BUT HAVE NOT FOUND MY REGULARITY CONSISTENT
- Every laxative, softener, etc even natural say things like, DON'T USE MORE THAN A WEEK, ONLY FOR OCCASIONAL IRREGULARITY, etc.
- I use a stool stool my husband made but if I lean too far forward I feel pg and cut off

Thank you for ideas on how to be regular!
Trying:
- Smooth move tea with Senna kind of works but may cause problems if taken continuously
- A quart of warm water am + 3 cups coffee may work but then doesn't
- Lemon juice night and morning seems to help but not always
- Last lesser BM, I threw up my hands and took Citracel (not suppose to take more than a week) + prune juice (not recommended on SIBO cleanse) + winter squash (not recommended for redundant because FODMAP) + rhubarb I froze from the garden. I may try it tomorrow again but will it work two days in a row?
A thought I had: Am I expecting my BM to be in too short a time schedule because of the low motility? If so, how will I manage feeling heavy and pg (I am about right weight) and because my urge is next to non-existence how do I know when to have a BM?
OH BOTHER

@farmer

I kind of think of my colon like the kitchen sink. If you stuff a lot of stuff down the sink it may get stopped up. A little at a time works better. I eat tomatoes as I love them and I eat potato but very seldom. I only eat potato if I am at a restaurant and I eat a few bights.
Our issues will never end so just get with the program😻
That is difficult for me to admit and understand.

I’d love some recipes!

I'd also like to see the recipes. I'm vegetarian so would like recipes without meat if you have them. I include a lot of the grains like farro and amaranth and really like them.

Yes to recipes! I’ve had chronic constipation for as long as I can remember.

I went to a very good health food store and they did not know anything about
amaranth. Where do you purdhase it and do you have guidelines for it's use. Thank you for your information!