Nearly everyone becomes constipated at one time or another. Dynamic and urban way of life characterized by irregular nutrition and stress may lead to constipation problems. It is one of the most frequent gastrointestinal complaints in Western countries. It is not surprising that over the counter medications for treating constipation are one of the largest selling medications all over the world!
Constipation is defined as having a bowel movement fewer than three times per week. It can occur for a number of reasons, such as: recent travel, sudden change to diet, side effect of medication, lack of exercise, poor diet, and even dehydration. A lot of college students and many women suffer from a slow bowel movement. It may seem very benign and a simple problem, however it can spoil the whole day for the person as it leads to heaviness, fatigue, acne, skin problems and bad breath.
When problems with irregularity arise, most people do not think of all natural remedies for constipation treatment. Instead, they reach for constipation laxatives and hope the problem goes away within a day or two. However, constipation laxatives and other conventional constipation cures tend to have harmful side effects. Some natural possible solutions are:
- If you are intolerant to milk and milk products like cheese, curd, butter and paneer; you can avoid these products in the diet. You will notice that the sluggish bowel movements will clear automatically.
- Avoid over consumption of tea, coffee and cigarettes as it leads to drying up of the intestine and eventually leads to constipation.
- Less water consumption also leads to constipation. It is good to start the day with 1 glass of lukewarm water followed by 2 glasses of fresh water at room temperature. Also, have at least 8 glasses of water during the day.
- Avoid over consumption of refined food like bread, pizza, nan etc as it lacks fiber which leads to constipation.
- Eating a very heavy dinner also leads to constipation because the food does not have enough time to get digested as a result the person is unable to clear oneself in the morning. Besides, heavy dinners are also responsible for a variety of other problems like lethargy, weight gain, hyperglycemia in diabetics, acne and bloating.
- Many people may also have a slight intolerance to the wheat products and it is very easy to diagnose; if you feel uncontrollably sleepy after a meal of roti (chapati)/nan/bread, it means that your body is releasing too much insulin which leads to lethargy, weight gain and constipation. The best way to treat it is by eating roti (chapati) of mixed atta (flour) which may have besan/channa atta (gram/bengal gram flour) 50% and wheat atta 50%.
- Many girls in an attempt to lose weight starve themselves and this leads to severe constipation.
- Medication like anti anxiety medication, blood pressure medication or some preparations of a multivitamins may not suit some people leading to constipation.
For anyone wanting to keep constipation problems at bay, the best route is to eat a healthy balanced diet. Your nutrition must consists foods rich in fibers like grains, fruits and vegetables, as they help the peristalsis of the intestines and therefore keep you away from problems with constipation. Also, you shouldn't forget to exercise for at least 30 minutes every day as it will be enough to keep your digestive system in appropriate mode. Daily exercise combined with a diet rich in fiber and other natural bowel-friendly ingredients can prevent constipation problems before they even appear.
