Constipation Relief Without Laxatives

It is not surprising that the United States is a nation of slow bowels or constipation. We eat fast foods, processed foods, diet foods and foods extremely low in fiber. Our habits are sedentary. We also tend to consume too few fluids.

Fiber is important for regular bowel movements. Everyone should consume 20-35 grams of fiber per day from fresh fruits and vegetables. We should drink at least six to eight glasses of fluids per day. Physical activity should be a daily habit.

When your body tells you it is "time to go," you should listen to it. Habitually ignoring the urge weakens your intestinal muscles, and they will not work, as they should. The result is constipation.

Because water helps swell fiber, fluids should be included in your diet for healthy elimination. Fluids are also extremely important to avoid hard stools. Hard stools are more difficult and, sometimes, painful to eliminate.

Additional culprits, especially for older people, include muscle weakness, difficulty in chewing high fiber foods and certain medications. These issues should be discussed with your doctor, if anything is needed above the addition of fiber, water, physical activity, and going as your body indicates you have the need.

Almost everyone tends to experience constipation at one time or another. It is not normal to go a day, or several days without a bowel movement. It is important to move your bowels daily. Most often, constipation is temporary and may be triggered by travel.

Some good ideas to cope with constipation include the following.

1. In the morning, eat a high fiber (or bran) cereal with prunes or figs and soymilk. (Rice milk is not always a good option because it tends to help bind stools and is used for the treatment of diarrhea.) Eat this in the morning. It should act as a natural laxative.

2. Have a hot beverage or hot cereal in the morning. This helps to stimulate the reflex that propels bowel contents.

3. Add a walk to your routine. That should get things moving.

4. Another option is Smooth Move Tea made by Traditional Medicinals. It is recommended to start with one-half cup of tea the first time, to verify your body's tolerance. It is a good idea to stay in your home when using this tea, because it certainly does work. This works well with the bran cereal mentioned above.

There are other options, such as psyllium, which bind the water and expand the stool for easier elimination. Please check with your doctor before using any of these.

If you have any further questions, please contact the Center's nutritional consultant or Dr. Guyer.