Simple remedies for constipation

Whether your constipation is chronic or acute, there are some simple things you can do to correct it without releasing chemical drugs into your bloodstream (increasing eliminations from the body even more).

There are a couple of simple things your intestines need to keep things moving:

Humidity so those things don’t get stuck

Volume to make it a smooth movement without forcing aka fiber

digestive bacteria you get from your saliva, so chew your food completely, completely, completely

Digestive enzymes such as pre and probiotics and a healthy liver.

Now let’s move on to some simple steps to follow for when things aren’t going so well.

acute constipation — This is occasional constipation, not more often than once every month or two. It can occur due to stress, the type of food you ate the day before, lack of body movement, or lack of water.

Most of the time, dehydration and inactivity are the causes, although many medications can also clog the insides. So making sure you drink enough water and exercise every day is the cure.

But what can you do on those occasional days when nothing seems to be moving? There you are sitting in the pot and it’s just not happening. Here are some simple things that could help you move forward:

Raise your arms above your head.

Swing your body to the right and hold that position for a few seconds. Take a few deep breaths.

Then rock to the left and hold that position for a few seconds, taking a deep breath before coming back to center.

This movement lifts the ribcage out of curves, called flexions, in the large intestine. It gives the content room to move beyond the hepatic and splenic angles.

Leaning forward and resting your chest on your lap can also open the nerve supply in your lower back so your colon receives signals to move. Follow this by sitting up very straight while in the pot. Repeat this a few times, and also the side bend.

Another thing to try to stimulate peristalsis is to reach over to the back and lightly scratch the spine with your fingernails. Start at the mid back and lightly scrape down to the base of the spine. This sometimes causes the nerves in the large intestine to start moving (peristalsis). Scratching the sacrum might also work.

If this doesn’t work, you’ll just have to wait until the next day and hope for the best. Drink plenty of water, walk around, and eat a nice large fruit or vegetable salad.

chronic constipation — This is a serious condition that allows too much bacterial waste to remain in the system. When the large intestine can no longer handle the accumulated toxins from the stool, you may experience

skin problems,

body odors,

tired,

Back pain,

decreased immune function,

premature aging,

and a list of disease states that could be avoided if you are willing to make a few simple lifestyle changes.

Here are some of the natural ways to reverse chronic constipation:

Be sure to drink at least a quarter of good water every day. Juices and teas can make up another quarter. Aim coffee, beer, wine and other non-alcoholic beverages not count as hydration. In fact, they cause dehydration in the cells! This goes against the bowel being able to move well. So limit your intake of these substances.

Include overhead stretching movements along with your other exercise. When your muscles become weak from sitting too long each day, it becomes more difficult for them to move intestinal contents.

Repopulate the good gut elements by taking prebiotics and probiotics for several weeks. A lifestyle of smoking, drinking, inactivity, poor diet, and dehydration has likely removed digestive factors from the intestines and need to be replenished.

Change the proportions of your food: more vegetables and fruits, less meat, fat and processed foods.

It may take some time, and you may need help with over-the-counter stool softeners for a while. But restoring the function of your large intestine is

restoring the health of your whole body,

extending your life,

increase your energy and

avoiding colon cancer and many other diseases.

If these aren’t good enough reasons to make some simple changes, good luck.