Do You Experience
Constipation? Here is What You Need to Know and Do
Constipation: it's not a common topic of conversation, but it is a common
experience.
A healthy colon will eliminate the contents of the lower bowel at least once
per day, ideally in the morning. But with so many common lifestyle factors
contributing to constipation, it's not uncommon for many people to go days
without a bowel movement!
It's a fact of life that no one likes to talk about. Don't let constipation
keep you behind closed doors for too long. The Body Ecology system for
healing can help you overcome constipation and cleanse your colon.
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If you have trouble eliminating, these factors could be why your colon is
backed up:
- Stress! Negative emotions and high stress levels make the body
contract and tighten, causing constipation.
- Dehydration. Most people underestimate the amount of water they
drink, and dehydration hinders the elimination of waste.
- Anti-depressants. Serotonin influences peristaltic action (the
wave-like muscle contractions) in your colon. Anti-depressants elevate your
serotonin levels but one of the side effects is constipation. Too much serotonin
and too little serotonin both cause constipation.
- Travel. Many people become constipated when they travel because
of stress. Your gut is very sensitive to any stress, which causes it to
shut down, tighten and contract. To eliminate well, your body needs to be
in a relaxed mode.
- Diets low in fiber. The Standard American Diet is low in fiber
from too few vegetables, ocean vegetables, fruits and grains. These fiber-rich
foods act as a natural broom to "sweep out" your intestines.
- Too many sugary, floury foods. These kinds of foods 'clog up' your
intestines and make it difficult for them to eliminate waste efficiently.
- Lack of beneficial bacteria in the colon. If you do not have enough
good bacteria (microflora) in your intestines, it becomes a struggle for
them to properly digest and eliminate your food. Keeping your intestines
clean is one of the most important responsibilities of the many beneficial
microflora inside you.
Eat Your Way to a Healthy Colon
Health and disease both begin in the colon. If you struggle
with constipation and want to heal your colon, start with what you eat.
Eat foods that support colon cleansing:
- Avoid large amounts of salt, meat, and poultry. These are
contracting foods that are more difficult to digest. We recommend that only
20-25% of a meal be animal protein. The rest of your plate should contain
high-fiber vegetables, ocean vegetables and cultured vegetables.
- Eat lots of fresh vegetables. Lightly steamed, raw, baked...all
veggies are an excellent source of fiber and several servings should be
eaten at each meal The fiber in these foods helps push the food you've eaten
through your intestines. 80% of each meal should be vegetables.
- Introduce sea vegetables into your diet. Rich in minerals
they top the list with dark green leafy veggies for a daily must if you
want to stay young and healthy. These often-overlooked vegetables provide
trace minerals and nutrients that nourish both your thyroid and your adrenals.
Weak thyroid and adrenals may be one of the most undetected causes of constipation
and both organs need lots of minerals. A common cause of constipation is
an under-active thyroid. Agar has been used in Japan to relieve constipation.
- Fruits. We do allow some limited fruit in the beginning
stages of the Body Ecology Diet. As your candida symptoms disappear and
you are certain your inner ecosystem is on its way to being established
(by eating and drinking fermented foods and beverages), you can add others.
- But some fruits are very sweet and others less so. Choose the very
sour fruits like grapefruit, lemons, limes, unsweetened cranberry juice,
black currant juice, unsweetened blueberry juice concentrate, and pomegranate
juice. These juices are wonderful sources of antioxidants and are great
when you add them to a microflora-rich beverage like Young
Coconut Kefir.
- Avoid the sweet fruits (e.g., dates, bananas, apples, pears, figs and
melons) during the initial stage of the Body Ecology program and maybe forever.
Your body will never need much sugar and when you eat fermented foods, which
are sour, you will no longer desire such sweetness.
- These sweet fruits are always a source for feeding yeast and can contribute
to conditions like diabetes and aging.
- Always include ground flax seed in your diet. We added this
amazing fiber in our own Vitality
SuperGreen formula. Vitality SuperGreen is the only green drink on the
market that was designed to nourish and care for your colon. Flax fiber
is just one of the fibers in this great-tasting green drink. It also has
fermented veggies, algae and cereal grasses. If there was ever a contest
for the best green drink on the planet VitalitySuperGreen would surely win.
- Include fermented foods and drinks. Cultured
vegetables and fermented
beverages populate your gut with good bacteria to help you digest food
and assimilate nutrients.
- Milk kefir has been a remedy
for healthier bowels and better elimination for thousands of years.
- But why? Is it because of the wonderful bacteria and yeast or because
of the tryptophan?
- Tryptophan converts to serotonin in your body and serotonin influences
the peristaltic action in your colon. (An added bonus is that it also improves
your mood.) Be aware of drinking too much kefir or it might also cause constipation
instead of relieving it.
- Milk in large amounts can be dehydrating for some. In ancient Aryuvedie
texts fermented milk was combined with water to create a more balanced food.
This mixture was called "kurdwater" and was recommended often
as a treatment for many different kinds of digestive disturbances.
- Make sure you get your magnesium. Magnesium may top the list of
all the many minerals we are deficient in today. Magnesium is the calming
mineral. A lack of it will contribute to constipation.
Try to increase intake of magnesium in foods or take a magnesium citrate
supplement, like Peter Gilliam's CALM or Magna
Calm
.
These two are powders and can be taken by children to help them move their
bowels.
However, Donna feels it is important to have other types of magnesium
supplements as well. Magnesium chloride from the Pain and Stress Center
in Texas is one of our favorites. You can also purchase Magesium Asparate
from your health food store in capsules. Take 400-1600 mg per day to help
relax you and to help your bowels move on a regular basis.
- Eat garlic. Garlic is a healing, anti-microbial, cleansing food.
Cook with it as much as possible and even swallow it whole.
- Eat Body Ecology grain-like seeds.
Cooked millet, quinoa,
buckwheat and amaranth stimulate your colon, provide fiber and can ease
constipation.
- Drink mineral water. If you feel too energetic at night to sleep
and stay up late yet feel exhausted in the morning, you may be experiencing
signs of dehydration.
Yes, the inability to feel sleepy can come from not drinking water during
the day. Solve the problem by drinking several glasses of mineral-rich
water in those three to four hours between your dinner meal and bedtime.
Drink two more glasses when you wake up. Keep track of your water intake
during the day to make sure are well hydrated.
Dehydration can be a sign of adrenal fatigue, however, and no amount of
water will help until you heal your adrenals. For more, read: Sleeping
Trouble? Discover Why Winter is the Ideal Time to Learn How to Sleep Right.
Constipation and Lifestyle
Food is not the only way to cure constipation. Here are some lifestyle options
to consider:
- Self Massage in the abdominal area for 10-30 minutes per day, stimulates
your peristaltic contractions and eases stress.
- Acupuncture balances you, helping you relax. It will also stimulate
your colon as well.
- Breathing deeply helps your intestines (and the rest of your body)
truly relax.
- Regular, vigorous exercise trains every muscle in your body including
your colon and encourages regular elimination.
- The Emotional
Freedom Technique - can help you balance stress and overcome addictions
to foods and habits that adversely impact your health.
Remember the old saying that all "disease begins in the colon".
Obviously excellent health originates from an efficiently functioning colon
as well. Constipation does not need to be your way of life. Taking care of
your colon allows the rest of your body to eliminate toxins, a great way to
ensure your overall health!
Take a step towards health and let your colon heal your body by treating
it to foods and lifestyle choices that ease elimination.
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