Tuesday, December 23, 2008

The Hidden Dangers of Constipation

By Sue Thompson

Do you have regular bowel movements?

An odd question but a very practical one. Good digestive health starts with having regular bowel movements. It has been found that over 95% of health problems start in the digestive system. In many of these, constipation has been identified as the main cause.

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.

Holistic Opinion offers an entirely different view of constipation from that of Traditional Opinion.

In Traditional Medicine, constipation is defined as the passage of small amounts of hard dry stool. It also explains that frequency of elimination is dependent on an individual's level of metabolism. Since people's level of metabolism vary, the frequency of elimination also varies among each individual.

In contrast, Holistic Medicine says that frequency of elimination is determined by the number of meals taken. A healthy digestive system efficiently absorbs food and nutrients during intake and expels the toxic matter 12 - 18 hours later. Food that stays in the body for longer than 18 hours rots and develops toxins that are absorbed in the bloodstream which then leads to different sorts of health 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) Have a regular form of exercise. It may be a sport, a gym work-out, or a daily task that involve physical activity. What is important is to be able to increase blood flow which helps ease bowel movement..

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

4) Include Essential Fatty Acids like Flax, Borage and Fish Oils to your daily supplements to lubricate your digestive system. A smooth digestive passage will make elimination easier.

It is very important that we maintain good digestive health. We should make sure that our body is efficiently getting rid of waste matter through regular elimination. A digestive system that is constantly crammed with waste creates a toxic environment. This puts a lot of stress on the liver, lungs, lymphatic system, blood, skin, colon, and kidneys as these organs work in cleansing your body off these toxins.

When faced with a health condition such as constipation, it would be wise to consult with a naturopathic medical practitioner who can give you sound advice on supplements and healthy alternatives; even share reading materials that would be useful in helping you deal with problems caused by poor digestive health. - 15683

About the Author: