Constipation is a common phenomenon that people encounter from time to time. Many factors affect our bowel movement including the food we eat, our physical activity level, and even stress. Often, we take our pooping schedule for granted, but this is actually an important indicator of our health.
Just what exactly constitutes as “constipation” and what can you do to help you poop regularly? Before you reach for that stool softener, know more about this uncomfortable state, what to do, and how to not experience it again.
Constipation Signs and Symptoms
To be considered constipated, you’d have to poop less than four times in the span of a week. If this happens to you for several weeks, then you have what’s called chronic constipation.
What exactly do you experience when you’re constipated?
Besides not pooping at least four times that week, when your poop is very hard and lumpy, you’re constipated. Other constipation danger signs include having to press down on your tummy or squeeze too hard to get it out. Also, feeling like you did an “incomplete” poop or feel something’s blocking your rectum.
What makes you constipated?
Most often dehydration is the first thing doctors look at. People tend to take drinking water for granted. In addition, and especially at night many people mistake thirst for hunger. If you’re not hydrated, of course, your poop will be hard, which will make it difficult to push out.
Another reason is not eating enough dietary fiber. If you do not eat enough leafy greens and other fiber-rich foods, you won’t have things that will sweep your intestines. People who make a drastic change and have too much fiber too quickly often suffer from constipation, in addition to insufficient water.
However, insufficient fiber will cause what you ate to cling to your intestine walls and therefore potentially cause a blockage.
Since bowel movement requires muscle and nerve coordination, people suffering from select diseases and conditions are susceptible to constipation. This includes people who have weak pelvic muscles, injured spinal cord, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, upon many others.
Hormones can also affect your bowel movement. Pregnant women and people with diabetes often experience constipation. Hypothyroidism and hyperparathyroidism also result in this.
However, if you’re suffering from chronic constipation, there could be a more sinister cause. Some of those are colon cancer, rectal cancer, or abdominal cancer.
Our body expels toxins and other harmful substances via urine, sweat, and feces. So going days without pooping means your body is pretty much stewing in its own filth internally. If this persists and you don’t do anything to treat it, this could lead to horrible diseases and other digestive problems.
Tip 1: What Foods to Eat When Constipated
Fiber plays a very important role in an anti-constipation diet. There are two types of fiber – soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fiber creates bulk. This makes your poop travel more quickly down your intestines and colon, in theory. This kind is usually found in veggies and whole grain.
On the other hand, soluble fiber creates a sort of gel that makes your stool softer and easier to pass. This kind is usually found in seeds and nuts like peas, lentil, beans, oat bran, barley, and some fruits and veggies.
You should try to eat a balanced portion of these high fiber foods for constipation for every meal. For fruits, you should stock up on green apples (eat with skin on), pears, berries, and 1 or 2 prunes daily. As for vegetables, eat a lot of leafy greens like kale and lettuce, and broccoli.
A good dose of healthy fat will also help lubricate your stool and help them pass more smoothly. You can get this from avocados, nuts and natural nut butter, as well as oils like olive and castor oil.
Tip 2: What to Drink When Constipated
Water is important. You need lots of water to help lubricate your bowels and flush out residues from your colon. To optimize your water intake, opt for a refreshing glass of infused water or lemon water for your default drink. Not only will you get your much-needed dose of hydration, the lemon will also act as a stimulant for your digestive system. Plus, you’ll get a nice boost in vitamin C!
Probiotics or probiotic drinks can be found in most supermarkets. A study that pooled other studies about probiotics and constipation found that the kind with Bifidobacterium was the most effective in softening stool and increasing bowel movement every week.
Prunes actually contain a substance called sorbitol, which is a natural laxative. Also, it has at least 3g of fiber. Eat no more than 7 prunes a day for maximum effect and to prevent having too much sugar.
Coffee, is said to help with bowel movement. This is because caffeine is a diuretic, which means it makes you go to the toilet more. A side effect of coffee is that it makes you urinate more which dehydrates you. While coffee can be beneficial in the morning, water should substitute your liquids the rest of the day. Coffee could be a hit or miss since this doesn’t work for everyone, but it’s worth a try!
Tip 3: What to Take and Other Home Remedies for Constipation
You can easily buy constipation medicine over the counter. Of course, you will need laxatives. But did you know that there is more than 1 kind?
- Bulking agents contain fiber and mimic the effect of eating food rich in dietary fiber.
- Stimulant laxatives cause your intestines to spasm, forcing the stuff stuck in there to come out.
- Lubricant laxatives are oils that coat the inside of your intestines, making it slippery enough for your poop to easily slide out.
- Osmotic laxatives draw water from nearby tissues into your intestine, helping to make your poop softer and easier to eject.
Other things you can take are Epsom salt and molasses. You can also try a suppository, which is a stool softener that you administer through your rectum.
Tip 4: Exercises for Constipation Relief
Getting your body moving helps with blood circulation. Having better blood circulation in your abdominal area can help stimulate your muscles for toilet time. You can do simple exercises to help bowel movement like deep body squats or brisk walking.
Tip 5: How to Prevent Constipation
Basically, follow tips 1 to 4 and you’ll be okay. But as they say, prevention is better than finding a cure. Here are some things you need to do to keep yourself from getting constipated:
When you feel the urge, answer the call. As much as possible, don’t ignore the need to poop. Leaving poop stuck in your colon for so long can harden it and make it harder to pass. Having a regular pooping schedule is also very helpful for a healthy bowel movement. Keep in mind you’re holding that unwanted bacteria inside of you, you must release it.
Specifically for constipation avoid, red meat dairy and processed food. These foods have very low or no fiber content.
Manage your stress. Do you know why you feel things in your gut when you’re feeling anxious? This is because your gut and your brain have so many nerve connections that your mental state has physical manifestations.
Go on a detox cleanse regularly. Don’t wait until your pipes are all backed up until you do something about it. Flush out toxins and other bodily impurities by going on a cleanse program like our 21-day organic full body cleanse program.
This is the best way to jumpstart a healthy habit for better bowel movement. With our program, you’ll get 30 days’ worth of professional-grade supplements, 10 easy-to-follow exercise videos to get that blood circulating, free ebook and video recipes to help you whip up fiber-rich nutritious meals, 2 fitness ebooks to keep you motivated, and access to expert support 7 days a week!
Related Topic: Digestive Bloating
