Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Constipation - A Sign of Poor Digestive Health

By Sue Thompson

Are you having difficulty maintaining regular bowel movements?

If your answer is no to the first question and yes to the second one, then you are suffering from constipation. Regularity and ease of bowel movements are signs of good digestive health. More than 95% of health problems start in the digestive system and in many cases these are directly attributed to constipation.

Frequency in bowel movements should be determined by the number of meals eaten. If you take three meals in a day, you should also have the same number of bowel movements within that time period, otherwise you are constipated. According to statistics, over 65% of Americans are constipated.

Traditional Medicine and Holistic Medicine have different theories regarding constipation.

It is defined by Traditional Medicine as the passage of small amounts of hard dry stool and states no rule regarding frequency of elimination. Traditional Medicine believes that frequency is determined by an individual's level of metabolism and therefore varies from individual to individual.

Holistic Medicine, on the other hand, prescribes one bowel movement for every meal eaten everyday. According to practitioners of holistic medicine, a healthy digestive system in its best condition goes through the complete cycle of digestion to excretion within 12 - 18 hours. If the food stays in the body for more than 18 hours, the rotting food will cause a build up of toxins that will eventually enter the bloodstream. This unhealthy condition then puts a person at a higher risk for other health-related problems.

The good news is, it is actually quite easy to get rid of constipation. The tips outlined here will help you have easy and regular bowel movements.

1) Drink, drink, drink water to keep your digestive system constantly hydrated. You should drink one ounce of water for every pound of your body weight.

2) Engage in a regular exercise regimen. This need not be extremely strenuous but challenging enough to get your blood pumping. This increased blood flow will help facilitate elimination.

3) Take a fiber supplement that has ground flax..

4) Make sure your digestive system is well lubricated with Essential Fatty Acids like Flax, Borage and Fish Oils.

The hard fact is -- constipation is a serious health matter. The digestive system absorbs whatever is put into it. Waste that is not been expelled from your body will clog it and result in the accumulation of toxins. When this happens your liver, lungs, lymphatic system, blood, skin, colon, and kidneys have to work overtime to clean up the poisonous matter from your body. This is a situation that you wouldn't want to happen as it may spell more trouble.

If you have constipation, why not visit a naturopathic medical practitioner? He can offer you healthy alternatives, give you good advice regarding supplements and even share reading materials to help you deal with conditions caused by poor digestive health. - 16650

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