Health and Diet Blog

Constipation is a health problem featuring a trouble to have smooth and easy bowel movements. The stools might be very hard that makes them very difficult to pass and a sufferer has to strain a lot. In other case, a sufferer might feel like there is still need to have a bowel movement even after defecation.However, there is no need to get stressed out, as constipation relief is quite possible to achieve as there are many people who face it but successfully get treated. To know about constipation relief, you should understand how and why exactly it occurs? There are plenty of reasons that give rise to constipation, such as; not eating on proper time (improper meal timings) and not eating the right food (appropriate dietary pattern). Junk food, canned/packed foods have always a great contribution in constipation. For constipation relief, one should stop eating it to save the intestines furthermore. No roadside yummier foods to be put into your mouth! For constipation relief, you need to have fully cooked food that is homemade in hygienic conditions.  If you are a non-vegetarian, just leave it for a while since the germs that may present in non-veg foods may also lead to constipation. Some health care providers suggest that any raw food may contain microorganisms and also charcoal grilled corn that all can aid in constipation and hence, to be given up.Constipation relief is also dependent upon the lifestyle you have. This is because constipation is caused by improper dietary habits, eating non-veg in excess, fried-spicy foods, foods with preservatives, inadequate consumption of plain water, taking too cold or chilly water and lack of roughage in diet.  Other tips for constipation relief include: ·    Ripe bael fruit is good remedy as it serves as natural laxatives. It helps up in cleaning and toning up the intestines. It must not be taken in large quantity; just you may have half to one fruit a day. ·    Drink a glass-full of warm milk just before hitting the sack. If you suffer from a severe constipation have two teaspoons of castor oil in that milk. ·    Drink lemon juice along with lukewarm water two to three times a day that helps in breaking up the hard stools.·    Constipation relief is also possible by taking 1-2 teaspoons of Aloe gel two times a day for some weeks.  ·    If you want constipation relief for a child, suppository made of the stalk of betel leaf immersed in castor oil for a few minutes, can be carefully inserted in the rectum. This instantly gets rid of constipation.·    You can also go for one teaspoon of corn syrup along with 8 ounce of water to cure constipation.

Constipation is a symptom, not a disease. It is defined as having fewer bowel movements than usual, with a long or hard passing of stools.Usually, constipation is not serious. To avoid most of the problems related to constipation, it helps to know what causes it, how to prevent it, and how to treat it.Older people are more likely than younger people to have constipation. But experts agree that older people often worry too much about having a bowel movement every day. There is no right number of daily or weekly bowel movements. “Regularity” may mean bowel movements twice a day for some people or just twice a week for others.The list of types of Constipation includes: * Common constipation – occasional constipation * Chronic constipation * Travel-related constipation * Age-related constipation * Pregnancy-related constipationThere are a few remedies you can try, including: * Increasing fiber in your diet * Drinking plenty of fluids * Adding bran to your food * Lifestyle changes.The most common cause of constipation is a diet that is low in fiber and high in fat. People who eat plenty of high-fiber foods are less likely to become constipated.Fibre is an important component of a healthy balanced diet. We get fibre from plant-based foods, but it’s not something the body can absorb. This means fibre is not a nutrient and contains no calories or vitamins. * Fibre helps your digestive system to process food and absorb nutrients. * Fibre lowers blood cholesterol. * Fibre helps to control blood sugar levels, which in turn controls appetite.There are two types of fibre: insoluble and soluble.Soluble fiber dissolves easily in water and takes on a soft, gel-like texture in the intestines. This type of fibre lowers cholesterol levels and controls blood sugar. It can be found in all fruit:

- apples – barley – citrus – guar gum – legumes – oats – pears – strawberries

Insoluble fiber passes through the intestines almost unchanged. The bulk and soft texture of fiber help prevent hard, dry stools that are difficult to pass. Insoluble fibre contains cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. It helps your bowel to pass food by making stools soft and bulky. This type of fibre helps prevent constipation. Insoluble fibre is found in the following foods:

- beans – brown rice – fruits with edible seeds – lentils – maize – oats – wheat bran – wholegrain breads – wholegrain cereals -wholemeal pasta – wholewheat flour

Because fibre is central to your bowel health, be careful about suddenly increasing your intake and overburdening your digestive system. You should only aim for a 5g increase over a three to five day period, and drink plenty of water for it to be effective. Make sure you get both forms of fibre in your diet. Fibre-rich foods are not known as the tastiest foods around. Luckily, some simple measures can increase the fibre content in the average diet almost without you noticing. Switching from white to wholemeal bread, from white to whole-wheat pasta or from white to brown rice is an effective way to boost your fire intake. Adding an extra vegetable to the evening meal is another easy measure, while snacking on fruit can help towards digestive health. While constipation in itself is not a disease, it is definitely a symptom showing that your body’s waste elimination system is not working properly. This can result in causing many other problems and therefore, a colon cleansing is advised for patients who suffer from constipation often. The building up of wastes and toxins causes the colon to start producing mucus in order to prevent the waste from depositing on its walls. Colon cleansing can help you beat constipation, bloating, fatigue and also skin problems while gaining more energy and a flatter stomach. Cleansing the colon is a decision we all will make sometime in our lives. It may be intentional, willingly, or unwillingly. When willingly, it is good. But unwillingly, then it means you were forced to do it as a result of certain health conditions. Either way, you get the colon cleansed. Now there are various methods through which you can get the colon cleaned out.  Choosing the best natural colon cleansing and detoxification program can be difficult and often times confusing. If you’re interested in more info about your constipation and colon cleanse and get free tips, go to the following site Life Health And You

Constipation is a fairly common problem for most people but its symptoms and the discomfort that comes along with it make it a horrible experience for most. Fortunately, it is easy enough to resolve and easy enough to avoid. Here are some simple tips to follow to prevent future bouts of constipation and maintaining regular, healthy bowel movements.

1. Fiber, Fiber, Fiber. A key to fighting constipation is to increase your fiber intake. It helps produce soft, bulky stools that are easy to expel. Beans, whole grains and cereals as wells as fresh fruits and leafy vegetables are foods that are rich in fiber. These vegetables include cabbage, brussel sprouts and carrots.

2. In fighting constipation, one must also increase fluid intake. Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day so there is enough of it to produce soft stools that is easy to eliminate.

3. Eating more fruits and vegetables also helps fight constipation. They contain substances that remove toxins and help them be flushed out of the digestive system.

4. Fighting constipation does not mean sacrificing your protein intake. The key to enjoying the benefits of proteins without constipating is by eating it with a fiber- rich food. Suffering from constipation or being prone to it does not mean you have to give protein up entirely. To keep constipation at bay, balance your protein intake with vegetables so it will not bring out your constipation problem. Proteins that stay very long in the colon may lead to cancer so eating vegetable along with them help eliminate them eventually.

5. Engaging in daily exercise is also known to relieve symptoms of constipation and to promote regular body processes including bowel movement.

6. Ignoring the urge to have a bowel movement is also a no-no in prevention of constipation. It is good to condition one’s body to do bowel movement first thing in the morning to regularly eliminate body wastes and toxins. Even if you are busy, if you feel the urge to eliminate waste do so, before you have problems with constipation by habitually ignoring nature’s call.

7. Maximize the marvels of papaya. Papaya is a fruit that is rich in fiber and has substances that have antioxidant properties. Papaya is an excellent source of relief from constipation. It has a rich, sweet likeable taste that provides not only relief from constipation but is also filling. It makes an excellent desert and can be eaten as it is or as a drink or shake or as an ingredient in salads. It is also known to have anticancer properties so it also protects the cells in the colon against this disease. Papaya also contains papain which is an enzyme that helps breakdown proteins (which is why it is used as a meat tenderizer in many cooking techniques.)

8. Limiting the intake of foods that are poor in fiber is also a key step in preventing constipation. During snacks, go for food that provides fiber such as cereals or wheat bread as well as fruits and vegetables. Fruit juices, especially those prepared from fresh fruits are also excellent sources of fiber that prevent constipation.

9. Go for natural foods rather than processed foods to prevent and fight constipation. This means choosing fresh vegetables and fruits rather than those that are canned or have preservatives in them. Fresh fruits and vegetables mean having all the important nutrients and fibers intact.

10. In cases where constipation had already set in, the best remedy is to take laxatives. There are a lot of over-the-counter laxatives available today but it is still best to consult to doctor before taking some. This is to know which one is the best for your case because it may depend on the cause of your constipation. Fighting constipation through the use of laxatives should also be done in moderation. Treatment with laxatives should only be done until regular bowel movement is achieved and not longer. For children, they should be also be used under the advise of a doctor and should not be used on a long- term basis.

Preventing and fighting constipation is easy enough especially if you could identify the causes of your problem. By following the above tips in fighting constipation, there is no way you should lose the battle and be deprived of a feeling of comfort that could only come from the regular exercise of one of your body’ most important functions: waste elimination.

Constipation is the infrequent and difficult passage of stool. Passing one or more soft, bulky stools every day is a desirable goal. While troublesome, constipation is not usually a serious disorder. However, there may be other underlying problems causing constipation and, therefore, testing is often recommended. The cause of each of these “types” of constipation probably is different, and the approach to each should be tailored to the specific type of constipation. Constipation can also alternate with diarrhea. This pattern is more commonly considered as part of the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). At the extreme end of the constipation spectrum is fecal impaction, a condition in which stool hardens in the rectum and prevents the passage of any stool.

Constipation is one of the most common gastrointestinal complaints in the United States. More than 4 million Americans have frequent constipation, accounting for 2.5 million physician visits a year. Those reporting constipation most often are women and adults ages 65 and older. Pregnant women may have constipation, and it is a common problem following childbirth or surgery. Most people, it is normal for bowel movements to occur from three times a day to three times a week; other people may go a week or more without experiencing discomfort or harmful effects. Normal bowel habits are affected by diet. The average American diet includes 12 to 15 grams of fiber per day, although 25 to 30 grams of fiber and about 60 to 80 ounces of fluid daily are recommended for proper bowel function. Exercise is also beneficial to proper function of the colon.

Most cases of constipation are caused by a low fiber diet or dehydration. Constipation is most common in children and older people, and affects women more than men. One in 200 women have severe, continuous constipation and it is most common before a period and in pregnancy. Constipation in children often occurs if they hold back bowel movements when they aren’t ready for toilet training or are afraid of it. Severe cases (“fecal impaction”) may feature symptoms of bowel obstruction (vomiting, very tender abdomen) and “paradoxical diarrhea”, where soft stool from the small intestine bypasses the impacted matter in the colon.Constipation in children can lead to soiling (enuresis and encopresis).

Home Remedies and Treatment Tips of Constipation

1.Every morning when you wake up, eat two apples. Bite them with the teeth instead of using a knife to cut them into slices.

2.Drink a glass of water with a teaspoonful of honey in it at night before going to bed.

3.The best and simplest medicine is to drink a glass of lemon juice in water with a pinch of salt in it. This will treat any kind of constipation that may be present.

4.Guava when eaten with seeds provides roughage to diet can give relief from constipation.

5.Natural remedy for constipation is to add a little extra sugar or some honey a glass of milk. Drink twice a day

6.Try One tablespoonful of corn syrup added to 8oz of water to cure constipation.

7.Ayurvedic medicine for constipation is Triphala Churna. It is a powder made by grinding three kinds of herbs. A teaspoon of this powder taken with warm water or milk at the time going to bed is beneficial.

8.Ginger tea is a great home remedy for constipation. It helps start bowel movement.

9.Drink a glass of warm water early in the morning, walk around for a while, and then visit the toilet.

10 Eat a lot of raw salads and green vegetables. Drink plenty of water, but not immediately before or after a meal.

11.Have a glass of warm water with fresh lime in the morning.

12.Spinach cooked with green onion stalks, are very good for clearing the bowels.

Constipation is an embarrassing health condition that entails suffering from irregular bowel movements. It is not so critical, but truly embarrassing and sometimes painful. If you are suffering from constipation problem, quite naturally you desperately would like to get constipation relief as well.

Today’s market offers various options for solution for constipation relief; however, the solution might differ on individual basis. That means if a constipation remedy is suitable for adults, it may not be suitable for infants. In this article, we will try to explore different methods aiming for constipation relief. Solution for Infants

In most of the cases, parents become anxious and confused when they find their infants get sick. It happens typically as because infants can not tell or express where and at what point they are not feeling well. To diagnose whether your infant is suffering from constipation problem, you should notice whether their stool pattern has got changed from soft and moist to hard and dry.

In most of the cases, infants are treated with stool softener syrup for their constipation relief.

In that case, parents should depend on all-natural based colon cleanser or softener, so that any possible side effects could be avoided. If an infant is offered with chemical based treatment, it is likely that the infant will acquire negative side effects. However, a long term constipation relief certainly depends on proper and timely diet. In most of the cases, it occurs due to lack of water and fiber. Solution during Pregnancy

During pregnancy, woman’s health becomes fragile and weak. Many women actually suffer from constipation problem during this time, even those who have never been suffered from this problem before in her lifetime. It mainly occurs due to changes in dietary pattern, hormonal changes and pressure of the developing baby. However, not all constipation relief is suitable for her health during that time. Rather, it is recommended that you should increase your daily fiber intake such as fruits, cereals, green vegetables, and wholegrain bread. You need to drink plenty of waters or you may also drink hi-fiber drink. It is not true that pregnant women should sleep all the time or sit ideally.

Truly, during pregnancy exercise is not a easy job to do, but it helps to keep you fit and healthy. Needless to say, it helps to maintain a healthy digestive system as well. Even if you manage time for walking, it will help you a lot and offer you relief from many complications including constipation and other digestive problems. Solution for Immediate Relief

Not always we are looking for an immediate relief; however, if the problem persists for too long time, it may require an immediate attention. In practice, chronic constipation problem may affect our social, personal, and professional life quite significantly. But, we should be careful while choosing our laxatives. Most of the chemical based laxatives have side effects to our health. So, it is always advisable that you should only depend on natural laxatives or laxatives made up of natural ingredients. However, switching over diet rich with hi-fiber content and plenty of water with regular exercise can only do the wonder, especially in chronic cases. Effect of Natural Cure

Almost every one of us agrees that whenever the question comes about constipation, using natural substances is the best solution ever. But not all of us are too inclined over the using of natural remedies for constipation. This is mainly due to their complex and difficult mode of administration compared to the ready made simple swallowing laxatives. In practice, natural remedies are perfect and best solution for constipation. But most of them consume a great amount of time till you prepare them for administering. There are few effective laxatives and colon cleansers available in the market that have the potential to offer you an effective solution for constipation cure and also provide support from future hazards.

It is said doctors interrupt their patients every 18 seconds and spend very little time with them. This gives them a way to sell their drugs and to see more patients.

So if you want to get rid of bloating and constipation or chronic constipation and stay regular, you’re going to have to take charge of your problem. You’re going to want to do this by using natural methods and remedies. If you use drugs or drugstore laxatives you are looking for health troubles as you age.

It’s not your fault you have constipation or chronic constipation. So, why is it not your fault that you have constipation? Well, one reason is, you have constipation because of what you eat. When you were growing up, you learned what, how, and why to eat the way you now eat. This means you were trained how to eat by your parents.

How to get rid of constipation

To get rid of constipation short term is easy. If you are constipated, you can get unplugged in a week or two or less and maybe in a day. Keeping your colon healthy long term so that you have regular bowel movements is harder to do.

Here are three things that you can do to get rid of simple constipation or chronic constipation.

Drink a glass water or natural juice first thing in the morning, before you do any thing else and if you don’t drink enough water during the day, your body takes it from your fecal matter in the colon and makes your stools hard and difficult to eliminate.

Let me ask you, “Do you expect your doctor to help you get rid of constipation or chronic constipation?” And, to tell you what you need to do to keep it from coming back and at the same time tell you how to improve your health. In most cases that will not happen, so here is another remedy for your constipation.

Eat more fruits and their juices – eat only fruits and vegetables and their juices from 8 pm to 12 pm. This helps you to detoxify and eliminate anything that has accumulated in your colon during the night. You’ll also get more fiber since fruits are high in fiber. Then at noon time you can have a nice lunch. But continue to use fruits and their juices as in between meals.

Now, one more thing, and this is how to eat protein. If you don’t eat vegetables with your protein, this is a big problem and you’re going to create constipation. Your protein is going to take a long time going through your colon, and you will be constipation. The longer protein stays in the colon the more susceptible you are to colon cancer and other colon diseases.

So eat smaller protein portions and always eat it with raw vegetables. The vegetables provide fiber to mix in with the digested protein. Don’t eat fruit with your meals or as desert, they interfere with your protein digestion. The fewer vegetables you eat, the less frequently you will have bowel movement.

Use these ideas and you will see that you will slowly start to eliminate constipation and prevent chronic constipation.

Bowel movement is a daily routine for most people. But what about if you have a difficulty releasing those bowels because you are constipated, how could you go on? Constipation causes a lot of unease and heavy feeling to a person.

Constipation is not a disease. It is rather a symptom to a disease in the digestive system. However, most of the time, this isn’t a serious problem. It is usually cause by poor dietary or food intake that helps in the easy digestion process.Know If You Are Constipated

As written above, to most people bowel movement is regular part of everyday. When you are having difficulty in moving or the daily routine becomes fewer in week. When you have constipation, your stools are usually hard, dry, and small in size but are difficult to eliminate. It seems that you are about to move but you just can not move those stools out. Many people find this condition painful because of staining, bloating and cuts in the anus.

Constipation do not exclude any age. Almost all people from a baby to an adult experience such difficulty once in their lives. However, this feeling of unease can be prevented and treated for immediate and longer relief.Causes of Constipation

The causes of constipation begin from the food we choose to eat to the digestion to the elimination. The food we eat contains substances that are difficult for the stomach to digest and for the digestive fluids to break down. Understanding how the large intestine works in the digestion also helps. From the stomach, undigested food and food contents will be transported to the colon where the water is absorbed and the stools and waste products are formed. That is the reason why the stool is almost dry and solid when it reaches the rectum because the water is already absorbed. The peristalsis movement or muscle contractions in the colon push the waste products to rectum. That is the time you feel like eliminating something from inside the body.

Constipation occurs when the colon functions abnormally or improperly. There are times that the colon absorbs too much water that makes the waste products so dry. Because of lack of physical activity, the colon sometimes contracts too slow that makes the stool stays more time in it and becomes hard.

Common cause of constipation is the lack of fiber in the diet. These fibers help in the digestion by acting as sweepers of fats in the food. They also make the food easier to breakdown. When a person lacks exercise or other physical activity especially for people with old age, this also causes constipation. The body parts seem to be all resting, which makes the process of digestion more difficult for the stomach. Medications and abuse of laxatives could also affect food processing. Furthermore, lack of water intake or dehydration also causes constipation.

On the other hand, emotional and physical stress is also proven to cause malfunction is the digestive process and may cause constipation.Treatment and Prevention

Two of the best treatment of constipation is eating high fiber food and increase in water or liquid intake. Fibers are naturally found in fruits and vegetables. Less likely that people who eat such kind of diet that they result to constipation. Low fiber food or high fatty foods like cheese, eggs and meats should be lesser intake. The bulk and soft texture of fiber especially insoluble fiber that passes through the intestine almost unchanged moisten the waste products and prevent them to become hard and dry so it could easily eliminated.

For foods that are difficult to digest, it is recommended that they are to be chewed well into small pieces before swallowing. When constipation is recurring, medical practitioners advise the use of laxatives. This medication helps in easier bowel movement. It has substances that break down the bulk stools.

Live a healthy lifestyle and do away with the difficult and uneasy constipation.

Constipation means that a person has three or fewer bowel movement in a week. The stool can be hard and dry. Sometimes it is painful to pass. At one time or another, almost everyone gets constipated. In most cases, it lasts a short time and is not serious.

Constipation is defined as having a bowel movement fewer than three times per week. With constipation stools are usually hard, dry, small in size, and difficult to eliminate. Some people who are constipated find it painful to have a bowel movement and often experience straining, bloating, and the sensation of a full bowel.

Constipation occurs when bowel movements become difficult or less frequent. The normal length of time between bowel movements ranges widely from person to person. Some people have bowel movements three times a day; others, only one or two times a week. Going longer than three days without a bowel movement is too long. After three days, the stool or feces become harder and more difficult to pass.

Constipation is when you have trouble having bowel movements. Your stools may be very hard, making them so difficult to pass that you have to strain. Or you may feel like you still need to have a bowel movement even after you’ve had one.

Constipation refers to infrequent or hard stools, or difficulty passing stools. Constipation may involve pain during the passage of a bowel movement, inability to pass a bowel movement after straining or pushing for more than 10 minutes, or no bowel movements after more than 3 days. Infants who are still exclusively breastfed may go 7 days without a stool.

Causes of Constipation

Constipation occurs when the colon absorbs too much water or if the colon’s muscle contractions are slow or sluggish, causing the stool to move through the colon too slowly. As a result, stools can become hard and dry. Common causes of constipation are

Constipation is most often caused by a low-fiber diet, lack of physical activity, not drinking enough water, or delay in going to the bathroom when you have the urge to defecate. Stress and travel can also contribute to constipation or other changes in bowel habits.

Laxative abuse – A laxative is a food or chemical substance that acts to loosen the bowels by softening and increasing the bulk of bowel contents, increasing the amount of water in the colon and lubricating the intestinal walls. Over time, laxatives can damage nerve cells in the colon and interfere with the colon’s natural ability to contract.

Medicines (especially strong pain medicines, such as narcotics, antidepressants or iron pills).

As the food you eat passes through your digestive tract, your body takes nutrients and water from the food. This process creates a stool, which is moved through your intestines with muscle contractions (squeezing motions).

One of the reasons constipation is so common is that it has a wide range of potential causes, from diet to disease. Sometimes the problem derives from not having enough fiber or fluid in the diet. Insoluble fiber, which is found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, pulls water into the intestines, helping to soften the stool.

A lack of physical activity also appears to contribute to constipation, though it’s not understood how exactly exercise improves bowel habits.

Not enough liquid – Liquids like water and juice add fluid to the colon and bulk to stools, making movements softer and easier to pass. Recommended daily consumption of liquid is eight, eight-ounce glasses (totaling 64 ounces) per day.

Constipation refers to any irregularity in, or absence of, bowel movements. The slow movement of food through the large intestine and the amount of time the waste remains in the colon are factors that contribute to constipation. More and more water is absorbed while the waste is in our body and the stool becomes drier and bulky thus more difficult to pass. Home remedies can help in relieving constipation.

Constipation is no fun. Sometimes it can be painful. But the cause of your sluggish bowels is often easy to find. It may include a lack of fiber in the diet, insufficient liquid intake, stress, medications, lack of exercise, and bad bowel habits, says Paul Rousseau, M.D., chief of the Department of Geriatrics at the Carl T. Hayden Veterans Administration Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

Home Remedies for Constipation

Grapes have proved very beneficial in overcoming constipation. The combination of the properties of the cellulose, sugar, and organic acid in grapes make them a laxative food. Their field of action is not limited to clearing the bowels only. They also tone up the stomach and intestines and relieve the most chronic constipation. One should take at least 350 gm of this fruit daily to achieve the desired results.

Drink a glass of prune juice 1st thing on an empty stomach to ease or rid any constipation. Prune juice containing fiber is highly recommended.

Very young children and babies should not be given over the counter laxatives, they can contain harsh chemicals that may cause even more embarrassment once they begin to work! These chemicals can also increase cramping and have other side effects.

Food should be properly chewed. Hurried meals and meals at odd times should be avoided. Sugar and sugary foods should be strictly avoided. Foods which constipate are all products made of white flour, rice, bread, pulses, cakes, pastries, biscuits, cheese, fleshy foods, preserves, white sugar, and hard-boiled eggs.

Beware of certain foods, some things may constipate one person but not another. Milk, for instance, can be extremely constipating to some, while it gives others diarrhea. Foods that tend to produce gas, such as beans, cauliflower, and cabbage, should be avoided by those whose constipation is the result of a spastic colon, says Dr. Schuster. You should suspect a spastic colon if your constipation is sharply painful.

A common Ayurvedic medicine for constipation is Triphala Churna. It is a powder made by grinding three kinds of herbs. A teaspoon of this powder taken with warm water or milk at the time going to bed is beneficial.

Conventional thinking on laxatives is that if you must take one, find one that’s psyllium- or fiber-based. Psyllium is a natural fiber that’s much gentler on the system than ingredients in many of the other products available today.

Guava when eaten with seeds provides roughage to diet can give relief from constipation.

Much constipation is caused by lack of physical exercise and poor diet. Every one should have 6-8 8 ounce glasses of liquid every day. The best liquid for preventing constipation and overall good health is water. 20-35 grams of dietary fiber each day is the American Dietetic Association’s adult recommendation. Good sources of fiber are fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Increasing the amount of exercise you get daily can also help to improve bowel movements. Mix dried figs with plum’s concentration; add half a teaspoon of paraffin oil, 1 cup of borsch, honey and lemon and drink.

Constipation is the medical term used to irregular bowel movement usually characterized by incomplete passing of bowel and passage of small quantity of dry and hard bowel movements. Incomplete passing of bowel is only achieved by means of straining hard enough to allow passage. Lack of fiber in the diet and insufficient fluid intake are the culprits of the condition. In some cases it can also be due to an underlying medical condition. During constipation bouts, most rely on doctors in finding solutions; probably because they’re not aware that there are available herbal remedies for constipation.
While there are cases wherein constipation is caused by a presenting disease in the body, still the safest and most effective way to deal with constipation is to observe and follow the most natural approach. Increasing fluid intake and diet modification incorporating foods with high-fiber content are still the most recommendable option to induce proper bowel function. In addition to this practice, several herbal remedies for constipation can be helpful in facilitating ease in bowel movement.
Herbal Remedies for Constipation
Did you know that the humble cabbage can help relieve constipation? Yes, half a cup of cabbage juice can help treat constipation. Cabbage juice must be taken two times a day.
Almond oil mixed in milk helps control constipation and aids in stool voiding the next morning. You should drink this almond oil-milk drink few hours before sleeping.
One effective natural herbal remedy that can provide instant relief for constipation is the mixture of carrot and spinach juices.
Cascara Sagrada also known as California buckthorn has long been used by Native Americans due to its strong laxative effect. This is owed to the presence of the compound anthroquinones that is responsible for stimulating colon contraction to facilitate bowel movement urges. Aside from its strong laxative effect, Cascara Sagrada can also increase and strengthen muscle tone of the walls of the colon. It is available in capsule formulations, liquid extracts, and dried bark. Never attempt to consume fresh bark of Cascara Sagrada because it can lead to vomiting and bloody diarrhea.
Other good herbal remedies you can try:
• Licorice for Constipation: This herb helps the colon bring back its natural balance. Take this herb in tea form. Three to four cups everyday should be good until constipation is gone.
• Tamarind pulp Treatment: Tamarind pulp is the herb that’s widely used in North American country and elsewhere. It is a laxative that can help promote the languid movement of bowels. Just take one to two tablespoons of tamarind pulp in the evening. You can also add this herb as flavoring to food.
• Natural Constipation Treatment with Psyllium: Psyllium is a high soluble fiber called mucilage that absorbs water and provides food for good bacteria.
Psyllium helps the good bacteria multiply. Psyllium fiber helps the colon to ease constipation. Prepare it by stirring in 1 teaspoon of psyllium in a cup of water. Quickly drink 2 teaspoons of the solution before it thickens. Take it once a day, preferably in the mornings. You can add honey or lemon for added flavor.
• Treat Constipation with Ginger: Ginger helps prevent muscle spasms that trigger constipation.
Mix 1 tablespoon ginger with flax seeds and simmer it in 2 cups of water. Let it steep for 15 minutes. Take half-cup doses a day if needed.
• Milk Thistle Treatment: The seed extract of milk thistle helps produce bile secretion that flows in the intestines. This can serve as a mild laxative. Milk thistle is available over-the-counter in the form of pill, teas, and tincture. It should be taken according to the instructions.
While these herbal remedies for constipation are proven to bring about favorable treatment outcomes, nothing can beat the practice of proper diet and lifestyle modification to prevent frequent bout of constipation. This is especially true if constipation is most of the time caused by a sedentary lifestyle and insufficient fiber and fluid intake. Herbal remedies for constipation are preferable than using laxatives in chemical formulations. As always, natural is still the best option so as to prevent encountering negative side effects.