Constipation-Do You Go Every Day?
As a general rule, you should have at least one daily, preferably two motions and not too far away from your meals either. If you do not at least have one bowel motion each and every day, or if you have inconsistent motions-in terms of how often (frequency), how they look (texture) then you have constipation. In this article we will explore some causes and effects of constipation, and also take a look at how some diets can be a real problem with this annoying complaint and I'll also give you some tips on how to improve this complaint. I have yet to find a case yet which cannot be corrected with natural methods, and over 90% of constipation will respond to simple adjustMents in lifestyle. The doctor's answer is generally either a laxative, or fiber suppleMent likeMetamucil ®. I've got a better idea, let's find and treat the actual cause of the constipation. Some practitioners would define constipation as the passage of hard stool. Whilst another therapist I once knew told a patient that it was perfectly acceptable for her to have a bowel motion every ten days, if that was normal for her! In my opinion, it is the frequency and texture of your bowel motions which are all important factors, not the term constipation, which will always remain arbitrary. The frequency of bowel motions (how often you go) is important because it tells me how good your gut is functioning, and also how well your ' gastro-colic reflex ' is working. Of course we are not taking account here if you have acute diarrhoea from an infection or parasites, giardia, appendicitis,etc. When you eat Food from your mouth it passes down the oesophagus and into your stomach. The stomach then tells the colon to empty, and this is why (you should) after a meal feel like going to the toilet. This communication between the top end of the digestive system and the bottom end is called the ' gastro-colic reflex '. In other words, the top tells the bottom that it must empty, because there is Food coming down its way.
The Eyeball Test
Constipation-Do You Go Every Day?
Constipation-Do You Go Every Day?
Constipation-Do You Go Every Day?
Constipation-Do You Go Every Day?
OK, let's get over it, poo, bottoms, toilets-this is an area we are not comfortable with, let alone talk about. Do you ever look at your bowel motions? I call this the eyeball test. It surprises me how many patients I speak with do not look at their motions. Do look regularly, it will give you a valuable insight into how your digestivesystem is functioning.
The texture of the stool is important, and will determine not only how easy the motion is passed, but can also tell us a lot about the actual health of your digestive system. The longer a motion is in the bowel, the more likely that it will become increasingly dry by way of the bowel absorbing water from it, and therefore make the motion much more difficult to pass. Very loose stools on the other hand, can pass much too easily, and have not been long enough in the bowel to firm up, you will know all about this with a campylobacter infection. Take a look at the Bristol Stool Chart, it was developed by Dr. Heaton at the University of Bristol and was first published in the British Medical Journal in 1990. If you are in category 1-2, you are quite constipatedindeed. No. 3 is starting to look more like a normal motion. I'll bet many out there can relate to the "snake" motions in no. 4, this tells me that you are having problems with constipation and/or peristalsis, particularly in the recent past. Colonics are great for restoring the bowel in this situation. Peristalsis basically means a distinctive pattern of smooth muscle contractions that propels foodstuffs and through your esophagus and intestines. Stress has quite an amazing effect here, and this is why many will be able to relate to snake like motions-periods of stress have a potent effect on the peristaltic impAiring effects in your bowel. Perhaps you felt "gutted" about something? Stress draws blood away from the gut towards the muscles. This in turn can slow digestion andperistalsis down considerably, then constipation occurs. Will a laxative work here?, don't waste your time, try a chill pill instead.
Have you noticed that when animals eat, many will want to have a motion not long after? You will commonly find this with young children as well. They have a very active gastro-colic reflex, and in my experience the elderly have a poor one. As adults, many unfortunately "hang on" until the last minute-we all have something too important, and go to the toilet when it is more convenient to actually do so. I have found this to particularly so with the always busy people with occupations like real estate, taxi, truck or courier drivers, shop keepers, etc. Many have consulted me over the years with bowel issues-constipation generally.
If youignore the subtle signs of "needing to go" long enough, your bowel can become quite lazy, and so will you. And then when you really want to go-your bowel won't! So what are you going to do from now? If you feel like going, you should GO.
Constipation Causes
Diet & Lifestyle
The most common causes of constipation in Western cultures would have to be a lack of dietary fibers combined with a poor sedentary lifestyle. I can remember years ago reading a book about the San Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert in Africa. These little bush people are hunter-gatherers who for many thousands of years have supported themselves living in the desert. They hunt mainly various kinds of antelope, but their daily diet has always consisted more of the nuts and fruits, roots and seeds whichthey seek out in the harsh desert. It has been found that the bushmen pass many small motions daily, rather than their Western counterparts, who go on average once daily. The bushmen rarely if ever suffer from any type of digestive problem because of their naturally high fibre whole food and diet-based. We have not only reduced our fiber intake slowly over the years, and eaten a diet high in processed foods increasingly with substantial amounts of sugar, salt and fat, we have also adopted strange diets to control our weight which includes little fiber, low carbs and high protein.
For many years, fat was public enemy # 1, but the Atkins and South Beach diet gurus are blaming obesity on eating too many carbs primarily. Bread sales are down, people have become more reluctant tobuy the humble spud. Pasta makers in the USA were so panicky that they actually recently sponsored a conference of scientists and nutrition experts to say that their product is healthy. On the other hand, eggs, formerly shunned for cholesterol, are selling more than ever. Animal protein has all of a sudden become king of the hill-and so have the health problems associated with it.
These diets started the "low GI craze around the world as millions embraced the Atkins and South Beach diets. The drug companies even jumped onto this bandwagon, battling for a market once dominated by our older citizens, the market for dietary laxatives. Because many Kiwis have gone completely crazy carbo in diets that are low in fiber and high in fiber-less animal protein, they arealso less likely to face a big movement-towards the bathroom. As a result, sales of fiber laxatives in NZ were booming by 2004, when the high-protein & low carb craze was at its height. Hopefully, Atkins and the South Beach diet are passing food fads. If not, Kiwis may awake one day to find that they are not only more obese but they have numerous digestive health problems like constipation, kidney stones and high cholesterol & hemorrhoids caused by these diets. It is interesting to note that both diets were developed by medical doctors, naturopaths and not. Have these diets really contributed to excellent health to those who created them? Questions arise about the personal health of both these doctors. Dr. Atkins death was supposedly the result of a fall, but doubts havesurfaced about his health at the time of his death at age 72.
The Atkins Diet
How many people have tried the Atkins diet and ended up fatigued, muscle aches & pains, constipated or with other digestive problems? I'll bet many of you out there can relate to this, after going onto a low carb and high protein diet, high in saturated fats and cholesterol. Dr. Atkins can't help but grants the health benefits associated with fiber, in his own words: "plenty of fiber can be found in vegetables, nuts and seeds, fruits, beans and whole unrefined grains" The 2 week Induction phase "of this diet tells you to completely avoid the starchier carbohydrate foods-the ones that most Kiwis like to eat the foods which help to bulk up the bowel motions: breads, Pasta, carrots,corn, parsnips, peas, potatoes in all forms and squash, but pumpkin is allowed. In addition, this diet also allows a person to have 2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream or one ounce of sour cream daily, along with lashings of meats, eggs and bacon. No wonder this is a popular diet with Kiwis, but spare a thought for your poor bowel and liver and kidneys groaning under the strain. The fatty tissue of an animal is also generally where the toxins are stored, so this is not my favourite way to encourage a patient towards a healthier diet and permanent weight management. Atkins is certainly not ideal for vegetarians or co-as it is a meat-heavy based (protein) diet. This diet has been linked in the States to osteoporosis, heart disease, colon cancer and kidney disease. It is also belowthe recommended daily values for vitamins and minerals several such as calcium, potassium and magnesium.
I know that there will be many people out there who have benefited from this short-term approach, but I'll bet there are probably many more who didn't benefit at all long term. According to medical examiner's reports, Atkins had a history of heart disease and heart attacks. His weight of 129 kg would have placed the 6-foot-tall doctor in the obese category, perhaps a good candidate for ... a healthy weight loss program?
Constipation-Do You Go Every Day?