The most common causes of constipation include:
Laxative abuse: If you take laxatives over a long period of time, you can become dependent on them. While at first you may require higher dosages to have a bowel movement, eventually, your intestines may fail to work properly.
Hypothyroidism: An underactive thyroid gland is also a common cause of constipation.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): This can cause spasms in your colon that slow the speed at which the contents of your intestine move through your digestive tract.
Ignoring the urge to go: If you consistently ignore the urge to have a bowel movement, for instance to avoid using a public toilet, you may eventually stop feeling the urge.
Why Laxatives are NOT a Good Option:
According to the American Gastroenterological Association, Americans spend three-quarters of a billion dollars every year on laxatives. This is not only a waste of money but a potentially harmful move.
One of the biggest risks of laxatives, especially stimulant laxatives, is that your body can become dependent on them for normal bowel function. When you stop using them, it takes a long time to restore regular activity of your bowel.
This is true even of senna or cassia laxatives, which are frequently marketed as 'natural'. These laxatives, when used for a period of weeks or months, may even decrease your colon’s natural ability to contract, which worsens constipation. Further, overuse of laxatives can damage the nerves, muscles and tissues of your large intestine.
If you absolutely must use a laxative, make sure you do so only for a very short-term period. Remember that laxatives do absolutely nothing to address the underlying causes of your constipation, but fortunately, the natural tips found in the next section do.
Relieving Constipation Naturally
If staying regular is a struggle for you, here are my top recommendations:
Get checked for hypothyroidism, especially if you’re a woman over 40. Constipation is one of the hidden symptoms of hypothyroidism.
Try squatting. This is the best, natural position to help expel stool from your colon and reduce your risk of hemorrhoids, and it’s still the way many people around the world go to the bathroom. In your home, you can get many of the same benefits by placing a stool near your toilet to raise your knees, by purchasing a special squatting device to modify your toilet, or simply squatting on your own toilet.
Eat plenty of fiber-rich foods. Vegetables are phenomenal sources of fiber, and I suggest eating those that correspond with your nutritional type.
For added fiber to help normalize your stool, try whole organic flaxseeds. Grind the seeds in a coffee grinder, then add a tablespoon or two to your food.
Exercise regularly. This helps stimulate circulation and intestinal function, causing your bowels to move properly.
Take a high-quality probiotic. This helps to balance the good and bad bacteria in your gut, which is essential for proper digestive function. Probiotics are also useful in fighting IBS, which can contribute to constipation.
Aloe Vera and magnesium supplements are also useful in helping speed up your bowel movements.
If you integrate this advice into your lifestyle, you should be able to virtually eliminate your risk of constipation and any reliance you have on laxatives.
One final tip: make sure you heed nature’s call. The longer you ignore the urge to have a bowel movement, the more water is absorbed from the stool. This makes it harder and ultimately can make it more difficult to stay regular.
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Colon Care:
Oxygen Colon Cleanse Programs
7-Day Oxygen Colon Cleanse
6-Day Advanced Oxygen Colon Cleanse
The “Overnight Colon Cleanse” -
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Another option is to mix your own cleansing drink. Here's a recipe that also works well. They act like a broom sweeping through your intestinal tract and clearing away all the debris.
Colon Cleanse Drink
1/3-cup pure organic Aloe Vera juice or gel
1 ½ cups pure water
1 oz. fresh wheat grass – optional (or 1 tsp. powder form)
1 tsp. powdered acidophilus
2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
Blend the ingredients in the blender and drink right away, before going to bed or on empty stomach.
