Natural Remedies for Constipation: Help is On The Way!

Photo by Worak

The other day I tweeted about giving a friend of mine a green smoothie, and then being delighted when she told me that it solved her constipation.

I was happy, and so was she. People were kind of shocked about how open my friend and I were when it came to our bowel movements.

Poo talk, as I like to call it.

Talking about your bowel movements and how “regular” you are is perfectly normal at my witchy castle.

Maybe it’s because my friend and I are really close. Or maybe it’s because she was raised in an Asian country where discussing your health and daily elimination isn’t such a big deal.

Let’s get the poo discussion going, I say! It may not be proper, but if you want to be healthy, lose weight, or just feel your best – you need to eliminate properly!

Major causes for constipation

I know everyone wants to take a magic pill and have perfect regular bowel movements. But first, we need to address the reason why you might be experiencing constipation.

Don’t skip this section, it’s really useful to know if your habits might be causing constipation. Then all you’ll need to do is tweak your habits a little and you won’t need any pills, potions, or magick spells.

• Stress: Stress is a major contributing factor to constipation, and irregular bowel movements. If you’re a highly sensitive person, chances are your stomach is one of the first places that “feels” your stress. That can totally upset your digestion and elimination.
• Anger or negative emotions: This one is a bit of a catch-22. When you’re constipated, the toxicity and waste in your body tends to make you angrier and more prone to emotional issues. But being angry on a consistent basis, as well as frowning or being depressed, can actually lead to tightened anal passages and more constipation.
• Changed routines or environments: This is one that I experience personally, and that is more common in females. Whenever I travel or spend the night at a relative’s home, it takes a few days for my routine to catch up. So if you find yourself constipated when you’re traveling, know that it’s very common!
• Not enough time: If you’re always in a hurry and you don’t take the time to make going to the bathroom a priority, your body isn’t going to feel ready to eliminate. You can remedy this by earmarking 10 to 15 minutes of your morning routine for elimination. Be gentle on yourself, and give yourself the time it takes on a daily basis.
• Not drinking enough water: This is probably one of the biggest culprits to constipation. First, find out how much water you need to drink in a day, and then make it a priority. If your body cannot get enough water, it will take it from every source it can find, making your stools dry and hard to eliminate. Find out how to drink more water here!
• Stomach traffic jams: If you experience bloating, gas, and generally feel as though your digestion isn’t working, this could be contributing to your constipation. The body has a hard time eliminating food that was not properly digested, so it might just give up and store it elsewhere as toxins.

A simple way to make elimination easier

I’m a huge fan of technology and I respect the human brain and all the inventions it is responsible for.

However, if there’s one thing that didn’t need tampering with it’s the pooing process.

That’s right, I said it! I don’t think that modern day toilets are very helpful for making it easy to eliminate your bowels.

Here’s the thing: before we had toilets we used to squat down to do our business. This position straightens the rectum and makes it so much easier, faster, and more natural to poo.

Reference: Tagart REB. The Anal Canal and Rectum: Their Varying Relationship and
Its Effect on Anal Continence, Diseases of the Colon and Rectum 1966: 9, 449-452. Via Natural Platform site.

I can definitely vouch for the difference from personal experience while traveling in China. You see, there weren’t a lot of “normal toilets” there.

In fact, in quite a few areas the toilets were nothing more than a hole in the ground. But contrary to what you might be thinking, there was nothing barbaric about it. In fact, it made for much easier elimination.

Now I’m not telling you to throw out your toilet and just go outside behind a bush. My hydrocolon therapist actually sells a special stool to put your legs up on when you’re doing your business.

Personally, I just made it a point to buy a small trash can with a lid that I can put my legs on when I have to go.

Natalia Rose says to use a stool for your stool. And I concur!

Constipation remedies

If you still need some help getting the plumbing going, here are some specific tips.

• High Fiber Diet: Okay, this one is pretty important. You can’t just expect to solve a constipation issue in one meal. So I don’t think that buying “fiber cereal” will ever fix constipation for good. That’s because you need to be eating fiber rich foods on a consistent basis, not just when you need “to go”. Eating a high fiber diet means eating a lot of fruits, vegetables, and nuts/seeds/grains.
• Green smoothies: This whole article started because of the magick of green smoothies. I recommend drinking a green smoothie in the morning to really help keep you regular. It worked for my friend and it keeps me happily regular too.
• Laxative teas: I personally don’t use these teas because I don’t feel the need. However if you’re really in a bind, find yourself traveling and plugged up, then these teas can come in handy. Try Triphala Yogi Tea Healing Formula tea.
• Chewing thoroughly: This tip goes hand in hand with not rushing yourself. When you chew your food thoroughly, not only does it make it easier to digest, and thus easier to eliminate. It also sends a signal to your body to “make way” for new food. This will start bowel movements and help you go to the bathroom.
• Oils and fats: Another tip to help eliminate is to make sure you’re eating enough healthy fats and cold pressed oils. These help lubricate and eliminate easily. So don’t fret about adding “fat” to your salad by drizzling some olive oil onto it!

Smiling, laughing, and exercise

Photo by E. Herndon

Even though most of the tips for dealing with constipation relate to food, I think it’s important to have an overall healthy lifestyle.

That means lots of exercise, smiling, and laughing. You want to have strong core muscles that help move things through.

You also want to laugh and smile, because that relaxes your passage ways and makes going to the bathroom that much easier.

And come on, after reading so much about pooing, you’re bound to have chuckled a little. Let yourself smile, and enjoy this funny topic!

Colonics and Enemas

If you’re really having severe issues with constipation then maybe it’s time to consider colonics and enemas.

Enemas are self administered, whereas colonics are performed by a certified hydrocolon therapist.

Although enemas can be very beneficial, I would recommend you visit a hydrocolon therapist in your area so you can figure out the best course of action to get things moving again.

Got any tips to share?

So what say you? If this article was useful, too taboo for your tastes, or just plain funny, let me know in the comments!

And leave any tips you might have about treating constipation too.

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