Constipation
Facts
The relief plan
Words of wisdom
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Facts
- A word that means bowel movements are infrequent, difficult and seemingly incomplete and stools appear hard and dry. This could be due to diet, stress, dehydration, anxiety, illness, drugs and minimum physical activity.
- Constipation can be treated and prevented by combining a high-fiber diet, exercise and careful use of laxatives. However if a disease is causing constipation then the disease needs to be treated.
- The squat position is still the best position to release bowels.
The relief plan
- Vegetables, whole grains (e.g. brown rice) and fruits are fibrous and must be consumed daily. Drink lots of fluid as well.
- Prune juice which has a laxative-promoting substance called diphenylisatin.
- Pear juice or fresh beet juice can hasten slow bowel traffic.
- Drink 30 to 60 ml of noni juice in the morning to witness bowel movement. Drink at least a glass of water after drinking every 30ml of noni juice to help the body absorb the juice and flush toxins from the system. See Recommended dosing.
More about noni.
- Take ground psyllium or flaxseeds (they may contribute to more gas for some people) - mix 1 tablespoon of powder with water or fruit juice, followed by another glass of water, once daily.
- Drink french tarragon tea. Steep and cover 1 teaspoon of dried leaves in a cup of boiled water for 5 to 10 minutes. Strain.
- Avoid sugar and processed food.
- Regular exercise can do wonders.
- Chemical laxatives can be addictive and harmful to the large intestine (that's where the stools are) after long-term use.
- Reject not the body's call for bowel movement.
Words of wisdom
Hear these words from Dr. Denis Burkitt in Brian Kellock's book 'The Fibre Man' (Lion Publishing plc, 1985) :
"If you put fibre into a glass of water, what happens? It absorbs water and swells. In the gut fibre will hold the water partly by mechanical attraction and partly by providing food for the bacteria which are 80 per cent water anyway. So fibre ensures the presence of a large soft, easy-moving mass. It is strongly protective against constipation, and by this and other means provides protection against many diseases of the gut."
Find out more about what Dr. Bukitt said on -
Fiber
Diverticular disease
Varicose veins
Reader's tips
- I have a friend who began getting much needed relief from constipation using this recipe she read in a local paper: Mix equal amounts (about 6 ounces each ingredient per recipe) of oat bran, apple sauce and prune juice; mix well; place in tight-lid refrigerator bowl for storage. Each day, take 2-3 tablespoons (you will find your own proper amount in just a few days). I have tasted it and it is not bad at all.
...Sandi via email
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