Natural Remedies for Constipation
Posted By kymom on January 31, 2012
Constipation affects many people everyday. It is frequently the result of an unhealthy lifestyle, such as poor eating habits, lack of exercise, insufficient fiber intake and drinking less water than what is considered optimum.
Constipation can be very uncomfortable. Some common symptoms of constipation are:
- Straining when trying to have a bowel movement
- Hard stools
- Going more than a day without having a bowel movement
- Feeling as if you have not completely emptied your bowels after going to the bathroom
It is likely that if you live a healthy lifestyle, you will not suffer from the discomforts of constipation. Here are some things you can do to help your constipation in the meantime:
Increase your potassium intake by eating foods that naturally contain it. One of the reasons that prunes give the constipation relief that they do is because they are high in potassium.
Potassium stimulates the muscles of the colon causing them to perform the action they need to for your bowels to move. Potassium will also clean the colon walls by stripping off the mucous and fecal matter that have accumulated there.
Some other foods high in potassium are tomatoes, pineapple, bananas, cucumbers, sesame seeds and cauliflower.
Aloe is also a natural remedy for constipation. Aloe is a herb that has some natural laxative properties that can be a powerful cure for constipation. Use it cautiously and not for a long period of time.
A natural remedy used for constipation that also has lots of fiber is psyllium. Make sure to consume it with plenty of water.
Many packaged products that are used to treat constipation have flaxseed in them. You can buy flaxseeds seperately yourself and crush them up to take with water. One or two tablespoons a day will help with your constipation.
Rhubarb is high in fiber and contains laxative properties that are also very powerful. It is similar to senna and should be used with caution.
It is without a doubt much better for you to use natural remedies for constipation than other alternatives. But the best option by far is to practice healthy lifestyles that will prevent constipation from ever occurring.
Hi, here is a bit more on what brings constipation on and some naturals ways of treating it.
The most important causes for chronic constipation are wrong diet and a faulty style of living. All foods in their natural state contain a good percentage of ‘ropughage’ which is most essential in preserving natural balance of foods and also in helping peristalsis – the natural rhythmic action by means of which the food is passed down the alimentary canal. Much of the food we eat today is very deficient in natural bulk or roughage and this results in chronic constipation. Intake of refined and rich food lacking in vitamins and minerals, insufficient intake of water, consumption of meat in large quantities, excessive use of strong tea and coffee, insufficient chewing, overeating and wrong combination of foods, irregular habits of eating and drinking may all contribute to poor bowel function. Other causes include faulty and irregular habit of defeacation, frequent use of purgatives, weakness of abdominal muscles due to sedentary habits, lack of physical activity and emotional stress and strain.
Diseases such as tumours or growths, a sluggish liver, colitis, spastic condition of the intestine, hyperacidity, diseases of the rectum and colon, bad teeth, uterine diseases, diabetes, use of certain drugs for treating other ailments, abnormal condition of the lower spine and enlargement of the prostate glands can also cause chronic constipation.
The most important factor in curing constipation is a natural and simple diet. This should consist of unrefined food such as whole grain celerals, bran, honey, molasses, and lentills; green and leafy vegetables, especially spinach, french beans, tomatoes, lettuce, onion, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels, sprouts, celery, turnip, pumpkin, peas, beets, asparagus, carrot; fresh fruits, especially pears, grapes, figs, papayas, mangoes, grapefruit, gooseberries, guava and oranges ; dry fruits such as figs, raisins, apricots and dates ; milk products in the form of butter, ghee and cream.
The diet alone is not enough. Food should be properly chewed-each morsel for at least 15 times. Hurried meals and meals at odd times should be avoided. Sugar and sugary foods should be strictly avoided because sugar steals B vitamins from the body, without which the intestines cannot function normally. 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.
Source: http://natural-advice.com/constipation_condition_digestive_tract.html