5 tips to treat constipation at home
5 Tips to treat constipation at home
Is constipation making you miserable – you are not alone – 1 in 7 adults and 1 in 3 children in UK, especially women and becoming more prevalent with age.
A regular healthy bowel movement, is certainly a reflection good health and a goal to aim for:
Why are healthy bowels so important?
Naturopaths have believed for many years that good health starts in the gut, and there is now an abundance of science to support the importance of a healthy digestion & elimination.
How healthy is your digestion?
Indigestion, belching, bloating, gas and diarrhoea are often suffered alongside constipation or alternating with constipation.
Many clients have anxiety related to urgent bowel movements, offensive gas and uncomfortable bloating.
Other issues related to constipation.
Regular healthy bowel movements are essential to eliminate toxins, and waste products. When faecal matter sits around in the bowels for too long, toxins are re- absorbed & inflammation can occur in the bowel causing many other health problems:
Skin disorders
Bad breath
Mood disorders
Head aches
Fatigue
Hamorrhoids
Varicose veins
Hormone disorders
5 Tips to treat constipation at home
1.Eat more FIBRE
Our busy lives make it very easy to grab processed food, packed with sugar, refined flour salt and fat but NO FIBRE.
Simply switch to whole grain carbohydrates – bread, pastries, cakes, biscuits pasta, and rice.
Make 1/4 of every meal different coloured vegetables & fruit. Always eat the skins, which are packed with goodness and fibre, and even those broccoli stems.
Prunes or prune juice work for some people, but not everyone ( me included) – try cautiously
Cut down on low-fibre foods, such as meat, milk, cheese, and replace with high fibre pulses or lentil dishes. If pulses are new to you – include gradually and make sure dried pulses are soaked overnight and cooked well.
Replace sugary snacks with nuts & fruit.
Add milled seeds, (flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds) to whole grain oats for breakfast top with berries & natural yoghurt.
Enjoy fermented foods such as kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi to support gut micro flora.
- Drink more Water
So, do you prefer hot or cold drinks ( it’s definitely hot drinks for me)?
If you prefer hot drinks -simply, switch some of those mugs of tea or coffee with hot water infused with your favourite herb or slice of lemon. Peppermint will help to relieve bloating & pain associated with constipation.
If you prefer cold drinks – simply replace any sugary fizzy drinks, juices with water or make sure that you alternate.
Limit your alcohol consumption, which definitely dehydrate – and make sure that you drink water alongside those alcohol drinks.
- Get Moving
Our modern lifestyle where we spend hours sitting at a desk, on the sofa or in a car is really not great for our digestion.
Simply, get walking – briskly and even better observe your gait and make sure that you are rotating your abdomen left & right as you step forward.
- Probiotics
Probiotics will alleviate constipation by enhancing colonic motility and reduce transit time. Supporting a healthy gut microbiome with Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli will help to alleviate constipation and have multiple health benefits.
5. De- Stress
The gut – brain connection is well documented so it is no surprise that our feelings will impact our digestion. Rushing around in a feeling of stress, ‘ flight or fight’ will not allow our gut muscles to relax or digestive enzymes to be secreted. Ongoing tension & stress, may be the major cause of poor digestion, constipati0n, or irregular embarassing bowels.
Try to take moments during the day to breathe deeply, relax shoulders and look in the distance, Make sure that you are relaxed when eating and eat slowly & mindfully.
When to seek help
If all of the above fails – it may be time to dig a bit deeper:
Diagnostic Tests are available to identify underlying causes which can be treated with natural medicine.
Gut function tests including Food Intolerance, Leaky gut, Candida are all available