Looking to Cure Constipation?
Here are 10 Great Tips to Help You Get on to the Road to Recovery
Constipation causes discomfort for millions of people in the UK each year. If you strain or have hard stools or infrequent bowel movements you are constipated. You may also feel tired, have headaches and bad breath. Ideally you should be having at least 1 bowel movement per day.
Doctors generally recommend laxatives to treat constipation. However, although these can be helpful in the shirt-term they also can irritate the gut and cause your body to become dependant on them.
TOP 10 TIPS to Cure Constipation
1. Take Supplements
There are some well-researched supplements that have been shown to be helpful for constipation.
Magnesium for Constipation
If you are constipated, try taking some Magnesium Citrate. Magnesium will not irritate your gut like traditional over the counter laxatives. Magnesium is a mineral that has many benefits including acting as a muscle –relaxant. Other key benefits of Magnesium include helping with stress and insomnia. You should talk to an experienced nutritionist to inform you of the best dose and a high quality brand. Magnesium taken in excess can cause diarrhea.
Probiotics for IBS
If you suffer from constipation then a high quality probiotic will be of great help. Probiotics will help soften your stool and will crowd out any bad bacteria or yeast in your gut. Make sure you keep probiotics in the fridge as they will last longer. You should take a probiotic that contains Lactobacillus and Bifidobacerium.
Digestive enzymes for bloating and constipation
For patients who are experiencing bloating and a feeling of fullness after eating digestive enzymes including lipase, amylase, peptidase and HCL may be beneficial. If you are very stressed or are taking acid-suppressants your own body may not be making enough of its own digestive enzymes needed to break down your food. This can them lead to absorption and malabsorbtion.
Vitamin C- softens stool
Take Vitamin C as this also will help soften your stool.
2. EAT VEGETABLES for lunch and dinner EVERYDAY to Cure Constipation
This seems obvious but many of my patients simply forget to eat their greens. You should aim to eat half a plate of vegetables at lunch and half a plate at dinner.
Include broccoli, cauliflower chard, green beans and spinach as they all contain high amounts of fiber. Sometimes a change to a high fibre diet can initially cause gas and bloating so it is best to be gradual in your dietary changes.
3. Check to see if you have food intolerance. Some patients have food intolerance and for this reason suffer from chronic constipation. Consider getting a food intolerance test or trying an elimination diet with an experienced nutritionist. This is often often the way to curing constipation.
4. Make sure you drink plenty of water – you should drink 8 glasses of water per day.
5. Try to exercise as this will also increase transit time and hopefully keep your bowels regular.
6. Avoid laxatives. Laxatives can cause your bowels to become lazy. Over time you may simply need to increase the dose so please do not become over-reliant. This is not a long-term solution and may cause irritation. If you have been on laxatives for a long-time you will need to re-train your body to have a movement gradually.
7. If you can tolerate dairy products, some plain organic yoghurt can also help you go.
8. If you are taking any medication, please read the side-effects. Many medications can cause constipation including iron supplements, diuretics, blood pressure medication, antacids and pain relievers.
9. If none of the above work, you may want to have a stool test to check for dysbiosis, parasites and yeast overgrowth.
10. Check to see if you have Candida (a yeast overgrowth).
About Victoria Tyler BSc Hons MBANT CHNC
Victoria Tyler is a leading nutritional therapist and her clinic in based 5 minutes from Harley Street in Central London. Victoria helps patient’s worldwide overcome IBS, Thyroid, adrenal issues, food intolerances and weight loss. Victoria is a firm believer in Functional Medicine and her approach is based in trying to understand the real causes of symptoms. Victoria writes nutrition articles regularly for the press and specializes media and also provides consultancy for high food retailers including Prêt a Manger, helping companies provide healthier foods. Victoria is passionate about nutrition and helping others get to the root cause of their symptoms. For more information please contact her on 0845 129 7996.
(https://nutritionandvitality.co.uk)
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