Do you often experience constipation? If yes, don’t worry, as there are ways to overcome it. Constipation simply means a difficulty in passing motions or the infrequent passing of stools that are hard. In most cases, you’ll have to exert a tremendous amount of force in order to push the stools out or you may not be able to fully empty your bowels.
Most people may have the misconception that if they don’t have bowel movement every day, they’re most likely to be suffering from constipation. But how often one needs to empty his or her bowel varies from person to person. For instance, this can vary from as frequent as thrice a day for one person, to as infrequent as thrice a week for another. The fact is the consistency of your stool is a good yardstick to define if you’re having constipation. Normal stools should be soft or not lumpy and be passed out easily.
Maintaining regular bowel movement is vital to remove waste products and toxins from the body as soon as possible. And having them “stored” in your body for longer than necessary will only encourage the growth of harmful bacteria in the colon. Try the 7 tips below to ensure that your bowel movements are consistent and regular.
1. Adopt a high fiber diet.Dietary fiber is generally classified into soluble and insoluble, which can prevent constipation. Soluble fiber aids the stool in water absorption and retention, thus making the stool softer and easier to pass out. Insoluble fiber moves through the digestive tract to build up the bulk of the stool and speed up the bowel movement. Good examples of soluble fiber are oats, barley and peaches and those of insoluble fiber are cauliflower, wheat bran and nuts.
Healthcare experts often recommend that one should eat at least 25 to 35 grams of total dietary fiber per day. If you’ve not been on a high fiber diet before, it’s advisable for you to increase your fiber intake slowly and at the same time drink slightly more water to prevent gas build up in your stomach, which would cause bloating and discomfort. You can probably increase your fiber intake by 5 grams everyday for the first week and 10 grams for the next and subsequent, until you meet the recommended daily requirements. You can also add soluble fiber supplements to your diet such as psyllium husk, pectin or slippery elm, which are known for softening of stool.
2. Drink more water. Water complements the fiber to improve the regularity of the stool. Adopt a good practice of drinking at least 2½ to 3 liters of water and fluid everyday, no matter if you are thirsty or not. Your fluid intake can include fruit juice, soup and other healthy beverages. Of course, it’s good to cut down on beverages such as alcoholic drinks, carbonated drinks and caffeinated drinks that cause your body to dehydrate.
3. Take natural laxatives. When looking for some faster relief from constipation, go for herbs such as senna. This contains natural laxatives named anthraquinone glycosides, which helps to increase the amount of water and electrolyte in the colon and stimulating contractions of the colon muscles, which help to hasten the evacuation of stool.
4. Maintain regular meals. Studies have shown that one of the best times to have a bowel movement is half an hour after each meal. The reason is that right after you’ve eaten, the food in your stomach will stimulate intestinal peristalsis and subsequently bowel movements.
5. Stay active. Avoid leading a sedentary lifestyle, as it’s a surefire way of getting frequent constipation. By incorporating exercise into your daily routine, you’ll be able to cut down the frequency of constipation quite appreciably. You can try simple exercise like jogging, walking or even stretching, as these are good in stimulating the bowels.
6. Cut down stress. Stress related constipation is also called psychosomatic constipation. This is common in people who are under a great deal of stress or anxiety. Sudden change in the daily routine such as going on traveling or been relocated to a new environment may also give rise to short-term constipation. If you’re under some kind of stress, you can relieve it by taking ginseng or vitamin B-complex. Taking calcium or magnesium supplement is also helpful in relieving stress as it helps in the relaxation of the muscle tissues.
7. Answer the call of nature. If you need to answer the call of nature, just go ahead. Don’t try to resist the urge for a bowel movement. Resisting it may cause unresponsiveness in the rectum. Eventually, the colon will re-absorb the water from the stools and causing them to become hard and difficult to move. To better manage your bowel movement, make it a point to have your bowel movement to about the same time every day. Studies have shown that most people have bowels that are most active in the morning. If you don’t have a fix time to empty your bowels, perhaps you should now try doing it first thing in the morning soon after you wake up. Over time, you’ll get use to this routine and the urge will come naturally.
Try out the above 7 tips and you’ll find yourself constipation free for as long as you’re sticking to the routine.
ChiKoong Chong
