Constipation and how to get rid of it

It is amazing to see so many people constipated. Many of them are aware of it due to issues such as toxicity or piles and thousands more go through life blissfully unaware of the fact that they are constipated. We are going to tackle the issue of constipation and just what it does to your body in this article. In a sort of related way, a constipated body will not be efficient and will most certainly not be as muscular and fat-free as a non-constipated one! Read on and see why…

Some people define constipation as not going to the toilet for more than a few days, others for more than a few weeks. For our purposes and for the sake of logic and health, we shall term constipation as anyone not going to the toilet at least once a day. If you are not going to the toilet every day, then you are constipated - make no mistake about it and be sure that it is NOT a healthy state to be in.

Constipation is most certainly not natural. If you are eating food on a daily basis, then you need to get rid of it. You cannot have toxic waste sitting in your bowels after a day. It is unhealthy and can start a chain of other unhealthy conditions including, piles, skin problems, bad breath and bloating.

Constipation almost always comes about from one or a combination of several factors. The most common of which are the following:

• Lack of fibre - If your diet does not contain a daily stream of fibre, then you are not helping your bowels eject food. Fibre is what moves food along and what pushes faeces out of your system.
• Lack of water - You hear this and you probably ignore it! The fact is that your body is made up of water and without it, you will die. Healthy people always drink more water. You need water for your body to run efficiently and for waste matter to get transported out of your body.
• Lack of exercise - If you don't exercise, you will not move food out of your body. You need to be exercising on a regular basis to have a healthy set of bowels. The actual physical movement of your body will help in shifting faeces out of your body.
• Psychological factors - Many people think going to the toilet is dirty or wrong! Due to social, family or work reasons, some people "hold it in" for long periods. This is the beginning of the "hold it in syndrome" where you just hold it and hold it and tell your body to keep holding it! This is wrong, if you have to go, you make sure you go. It is imperative for your health. If you are worried about "the smell" or whatever other silly thing that's in your head, then put your health ahead of it. Whilst we are on the topic of "smell", people's faeces shouldn't usually smell unless they have not been for a long period, they have consumed vast amounts of meat or they have eaten certain foods, such as apricots or certain vegetables.
• Sitting on the toilet for too long - Some people think the toilet is the library. If you are not done in a few minutes, then you weren't ready to go. Going to the toilet to get some reading done or some free time is wrong. Go to a park or the library. The toilet is for getting rid of waste from your body "in the quickest possible time".
• Unhealthy diets - Invariably certain people have diets which lend themselves to creating constipation! Diets high in junk food, salt, sodas and lacking vegetables and fruits are notorious for causing constipation.

The above question was asked on purpose. You see, constipation is not a disease, but all too often doctors treat it like a disease and give you a "cure" for it in the shape of a pill or a suppository.

Almost always, people who suffer from constipation, suffer from it due to their lifestyle. You need to change your lifestyle to get rid of the problem. A pill can be a temporary measure, but it most certainly will not fix the problem long term.

Most people will suffer from constipation and its effects at some stage of their life. Many suffer from it all their lives. You need to recognise what it is and deal with it early on.

Some people need to tweak a couple of things, others need to make dramatic changes in their lives to get rid of the problem. Constipation can be related to things like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, so you need to find out what's causing that. It may be an intolerance to wheat, dairy products or just one individual ingredient or food - such as ketchup for example!

Sure, go to your doctor for a temporary fix, but do remember that constipation often comes back unless you change your lifestyle. Taking Senna tablets daily is not a fix to the problem and is most certainly not natural.

The body is capable of triggering itself to go to the toilet every day. You just need to give it the right tools for it to be able to do this daily.

Without wanting to sound like we are trying to connect a health problem to sports, constipation definitely does have an effect and possibly a major effect on your performance in the gym.

Think about it, constipated people are very often lethargic and have lower energy levels than others. When you carry around toxic waste in your body, you are not going to have as much energy as other people.

Having waste in your lower abdominal region will also not be very aesthetic. Depending on how constipated you are and for what period, you could look really bloated in your abdominal region and thus look like you are carrying more fat than you actually are.

If your body is not disposing of its waste efficiently, then it is not ready for the next batch of food. You are not helping your body's muscle building and fat-loss programme if you are constipated.

Depending on how constipated you are, this can be a matter of a couple of apricots and prunes or a real change in your lifestyle. Try some or all of what is suggested below. Please remember that constipated people often suffer from many conditions, including:

• Bad breath
• Bad skin
• Lack of energy
• Piles
• Infections

Here are some of the ways of beating constipation:

• Drink at least 3 litres of water every day – more if you can (not all in one go!). Mineral water is preferred as tap water is full of additives which cause other health problems (sorry, don't want to get you paranoid!)
• Introduce fibre in to your diet. This can be something like a high fibre cereal in the morning, fruits during the day, vegetables at lunch and dinner and dried fruits like apricots, prunes figs etc later in the day.
• Start some kind of high impact exercise regime. Trampoline, jogging, skipping or stepping are all good.
• Massage your abdominal region from the bottom of your chest to above your genitals, all the way to the sides daily. Do about 10 minutes if you can. This is very good stimulation for your small & large bowels.
• Change your diet. Don't eat white carb products like pastry, don't eat fatty foods and junk. Eat a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables. Eggs & dairy products (yoghurt, milk) are often culprits in creating constipation. Cut them out! You must see your diet as a daily tool for getting rid of constipation. It is your diet that starts your bowels working like normal.
• If you are on any medication or tablet, discuss it with your doctor and once you start seeing improvements, come off them gradually. It is not healthy to pop 20 Senna tablets a day! Your "body" should be taking care of its elimination processes not Pharmaceutical companies - as much as they like to sell you their quick-fixes.
• If you really can't go, try an enema. This is a time-proven method of emptying your bowels. It is safe and natural and gets the job done.
• Reduce stress. Many people have their abdominal region as their "weak" body part so when they get stressed, it is their bowels that suffer first. Find ways of reducing stress, such as yoga, supplements (B-vitamins) etc.
• With one of your knuckles, massage the tip of your nose and the front of your chin vigorously for 30-60 seconds 2-3 times a day. This will help elimination of waste from your body.

Try the above plus elimination of Gluten. If you still suffer from constipation, drop us an email and perhaps we will write a part II to this article. We certainly have lots more research and information on this topic for you.