Constipated? Get Moving!

Constipated?

No one wants to talk about or admit to it but according to the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology approximately one million Canadians a year suffers from constipation.

Healthy bowel movements are essential to a healthy body.

Unless we cleanse the system of toxins daily, they can enter the blood stream and harm the body. Constipation slows down the transit time of food which can lead to putrefaction of material in the digestive tract. Health issues can arise that you normally wouldn’t associate with constipation such as arthritis, bad breath, body odor, brain fog, depression, headaches and even obesity. According to conventional medicine, regularity of bowel movements is individual: one person may experience three a day while another may experience one every three days. Natural health practitioners believe that the bowel is the foundation of good health and having 2-3 bowel movements a day is essential to keep not only the bowel healthy but also the whole body. CleanseMORE is a unique, all natural colon support formula that enhances elimination in two ways. The first is through hydration of the colon. CleanseMORE allows for proper hydration of the colon by using the mineral, magnesium hydroxide to regulate water into the bowel. When the colon is fully hydrated, elimination can occur without the need of harsh, purgative laxatives. The second way is peristalsis. Peristalsis is the smooth muscle contraction of the colon. The herb rhubarb root and cape aloe gel contain the active ingredient ‘anthraquinone’ which stimulates peristalsis. Triphala, an Ayurvedic herb traditionally used in India, also stimulates peristalsis. By hydrating the colon, as well as stimulating peristalsis, normal elimination levels can be achieved (2-3 times per day).

Other steps you can take to address if you feel constipated include:

• Drinking plenty of water to keep the bowel well hydrated. This is especially important if you suffer from dry, hard bowel movements aka “rabbit pellets.”
• Changing your diet to include more fruits and vegetables that are both rich in water and fibre.
• Enhancing your digestion by chewing your food well and if needed, use digestive enzymes with meals.
• Exercising which triggers peristalsis and gets things moving through the digestive tract.
• Creating time to go to the bathroom even if it means getting up a little earlier in the morning.
• Putting your feet on a stool or books to lift your knees above the waist for easier bowel movements.

Set the goal to have one bowel movement for every meal that you eat and at the very least, have one bowel movement per day. If you’ve tried everything with little to no relief, a consultation with a natural health care practitioner would be well advised.