Constipated? Try This

(Updated 4th March, 2025)

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Beating Constipation_ A FreeRanger's Guide to Gut Health

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Introduction

I have been burning to write more about how to get Kiwis healthy again — not just patched up, but thriving like the tough, free-range creatures we were in the 1960s when I was a kid. Back then, we were FreeRangers — robust, resilient, roaming the hills and paddocks, fuelled by Sunday roasts, free-range eggs, and creamy milk. We were not cooped up and fragile like today's caged, fearful lot, fed an anti-nutrient diet of GE corn and wheat, soaked in all kinds of chemicals that masquerade as healthy, while kept barely alive with an ever-expanding range of toxic drugs.

We once were truly free-range children — and so, so healthy!

Just one thing before proceeding: Start Low and Go Slow!

Especially if you have sensitive digestion. Your gut is smart, but it needs time to learn how to handle new foods, so take your time. Start with small changes and, over about three months, gradually make your desired changes. It is a good principle for all of us to apply to just about any aspect of health and fitness.

Start Low and Go Slow!

That is the ethos I am chasing: the FreeRanger spirit, where health is not about rules or restrictions, but about unshackling ourselves from bad advice and reclaiming our natural vigour. Over the last five years, though, health politics and scandals have thrown spanners in the works, sapping my time and energy. Still, I am doing my best, and this topic — how to beat constipation naturally — has been gnawing at me for ages. Here it is, finally — a piece of the puzzle to set us free, to make New Zealanders the hardy, happy, free-range creatures we once were!

Let's start with a curious observation: if you have ever changed the nappy of a breastfed baby, you will know they are poo-poo machines. Despite their diet being entirely liquid and lacking the "fibre" we are told is essential, their digestion hums along effortlessly. Why? Here is the proviso: this assumes the mother's diet is rich in healthy fats and oils — think butter, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado, flax seed oil, and animal fats — not the low-fat, plant-based nonsense that has caged us in today. Could the secret lie not in fibre, but in the lubricants that FreeRanger mums pass on to their little ones?

If you are mechanically minded, you will know fats and oils grease the gears. It is no leap to speculate that these "lubricants," delivered via breast milk, keep a baby's system flowing smoothly. A healthy breastfed bub rarely battles constipation, and I would bet it is because the mummy's fat-rich diet — echoing the dripping and cream of the '60s — keeps their guts humming. (Check out my post on Nutrition for Healthy Breast Milk for more.)

But here is the rub — and it is a contentious one. For decades, health experts have been selling the line that fibre fixes constipation. Yet health economist David H. Freeman's work begs us to question all health dogma, including the fibre (myth). Freeman has uncovered layers of shaky medical advice. He thinks that much of what we believe to be true will later prove to be either partly or completely wrong. About 70 percent of what we believe to be true will later be proven to be either partly or completely wrong. (Dig into his book, which I have on my desk called "Wrong: Why Experts Keep Failing Us", or his articles online — his stuff's worth a search, even if I cannot pin down a link here.) Is the fibre fetish one of those caged myths ready to be busted?

I have got my doubts. I have watched many distressed people on high-fibre vegetarian diets waddle around with distended bellies, lugging several kilos of backed-up sludge in their guts. Compare that to FreeRangers on high-fat, high-protein diets with just a modest sprinkle of plants (Rule of thumb for vegetables: 70 percent cooked - 30 percent raw) — their bellies are flat, no bloat in sight. That is not just chatter — it is a signal. Fibre might pad things out, but does it really free up the flow? I am sceptical.

Rule of thumb for vegetables: 70 percent cooked - 30 percent raw

Picture a mud-and-straw hut. Mix mud with straw, mould it into bricks, and let the water dry out. The bricks harden into rock-solid blocks. Now imagine your lower gut: the large intestine, colon, and bowel suck water back from waste as it moves through. If that waste stalls — say, a fibrous clump from today's chemical-soaked grains — it dries and sets like a brick. Not healthy, not FreeRanger. Fats and oils, though? They are the slick that keeps it sliding, no roughage required.

So, how do we break free? It is less about choking down bran and more about rhythm and real fuel.

Guidelines for optimal daily routine:

Establish a consistent bedtime and wake-up time, follow a regular eating and exercise schedule, and train your body to have regular bowel movements. For people with sedentary jobs, two to three substantial meals per day are sufficient and snacking should be avoided. This principle has been extensively discussed in my article, The No-Snack Diet. Consuming two substantial meals each day will provide sustained energy without causing digestive issues. Add a third meal if you are young and growing, pregnant or very physically active.

For improved morning energy and digestion, I recommend this tip: for coffee lovers, add a small amount of grass-fed NZ cream and a small spoonful of coconut oil. Not only is this a delicious indulgence, but it also acts as a "gut-lubricating grenade" that can aid in regular bowel movements. You can still do this without the coffee, by the way. Progressively delay eating ("Break Fast") until closer to midday, then break the gentle fasting with a mostly fat and protein meal. I have observed remarkable results for people transitioning to a higher-fat lifestyle, such as gentle ketosis as outlined in my program. But, transition to this way of eating over several months, rather than diving into the deep end. Give your digestion and physiology time to learn and adapt.

Your 3-Month Free-Ranger Plan

Are you ready to ditch the cage and beat constipation? Here is a three-month trial to reclaim your gut's freedom. Stick it out, then take stock: Are you consistently better? Be patient — your body needs time to shake off the shackles and root into health.

However, take your time — make gradual changes if you are sensitive to new foods and ways of eating! If you are new to protein powder, then start with a teaspoon a day for a week or so. Then, increase the amount a little more, while watching how your stomach feels.

• Lock in a Rhythm: Bed and wake-up at fixed times. Eat your 2–3 meals at set hours. Carve out a daily "Number Two" window — mornings work best — and sit for a quiet spell to let it roll.

• Ditch the Snacks: Two satisfying meals if you are sedentary, three if you are roaming. No nibbling — free your gut from the constant grind. (See The No-Snack Diet.)

• Load Up on Fats: Pile on the good stuff — grass-fed butter, coconut oil, olive oil, flax oil, fatty freerange meats. Try that coffee, if you are into coffee: cream and a teaspoon of coconut oil to grease the rails.

• Drop the Fibre Trap: Skip the bran, GE grains, and veggie overload. Plants are a sidekick, not the star — focus on fat and protein, Free-Ranger style.

• Roam a Bit: Walk or stretch daily, same time each day. Nothing fancy or extreme is needed — just enough to keep the engine purring.

• Drink Free: Sip water between meals, not with them, to keep digestion sharp. Steady does it — no drowning yourself.

• Track Your Freedom: Note daily — bloating, regularity, and anything else that comes to mind. After three months, check: Belly flatter? Flow steady? Are you Free-Ranger-ready to stride out with confidence to take on whatever comes your way?

Constipation's no life sentence. Maybe it is time to kick the fibre cage and tap into what kept '60s babies — and their fat-loving mums — humming. A bit of grease, a solid rhythm, and a FreeRanger's pluck could spark a rare condition of RISE within you — Revive Internal Strength and energy.

Are you curious how this links to sharp minds? Peek at my article about Breastfeeding and Your Child's Brain.

Give it a crack — what is to lose but a few stubborn bricks?

I have a respectful plea for your assistance

Because of my health politics, Big Tech is shadow-banning my articles, including this one. This makes it hard to find them unless you search for my name. Otherwise, they are hidden on the less visible pages of the internet. Despite my continuous efforts to improve as a writer, my work is slowly diminishing. Your support would greatly benefit me — please consider liking and sharing this article with as many people as possible and encourage them to subscribe to my emails. Thank you in advance.