Constipation

This information is not intended to replace appropriate professional advice.  Please check labels for contraindications and consult your pharmacist if you take prescription drugs.

Chronic constipation can lead to other more serious health problems.   The entire body is dependent upon a healthy digestive tract, from top to bottom (pardon the pun 😊).

A Non-Constipating Diet

• Drink 7 – 10 glasses of unchlorinated water at room temperature.
• Consume a diet that is 75-80% alkaline forming.  Very important.
• Organic foods are the safest way to nourish yourself – a wise investment!
• Rely on fresh fruits, vegetables, raw seeds and nuts, beans, legumes, and whole grains as the mainstays of your diet.  Avoid wheat unless sprouted.
• Limit potatoes to once a week. Higher consumption is linked to colon and rectal cancer.
• Have complete protein no later than lunch for better digestion of amino acids.
• Combine foods for optimum digestion: fruits on an empty stomach 30 minutes before other foods – starches and animal products digest in very different gastric secretions and should not be consumed at the same meal.
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar and raw honey (optional) in room temperature water with meals promotes digestion and elimination. 
• Fermented vegetables and nondairy kefir promote elimination.
• Consume 2-3 tbsp ground flax seed for fiber and hormone balance.
• Have 1-2 cups of organic coffee daily.  Coffee improves elimination and protects the colon from certain forms of cancer.

Supplements - boosting nutrition from adequate to optimum

• Bio-Strath is a fermented wholefood that improves digestion, corrects body pH, and facilitates elimination.
• Vitamin C 1,000-2,000 daily until stools become soft, then 500 mg daily.
• Vitamin D 8,000 IU for one month then reduce to upper limit of 4,000 IU.
• Chlorophyll (a magnesium source) – cleans and draws moisture to the colon, strengthens peristaltic action, heals damaged tissue in intestines and bowel.
• Omega 3 fatty acids – double label dosage for 1 month to “crowd out” candida albicans and other unhealthy pathogens that inhabit a congested colon.
• Probiotic – use daily until your bowels are functioning normally. These are the "good bacteria" that help fight the overgrowth of the bad guys in a congested colon.
• Digestive enzymes with hydrochloric acid HCI - improves digestion and elimination.

Retraining the Bowel

• Make your bathroom a pleasant place to be with plants and candles or an essential oil diffuser.  Elimination is not a hurried procedure if you are committed to colon health.
  
  
• Invest in a toilet stool that elevates the feet allowing the thighs to support the digestive tract.  In many cultures “squatting” is the normal position for elimination. 
  
  
• 35-40 minutes after finishing a meal go and spend some quiet time on the toilet.  Get comfortable.  Very gently contract the muscles of the GI tract as if you were having a bowel movement.  Nothing may move but over time the natural rhythm will return.
  
  
• Never ignore the urge to go.  You are trying to re-establish a relationship with an essential bodily function, so you want to listen when it communicates.

Extra Help for Short Term Use - Try one or more of the following

• On rising, mix 1-2 tbsp NutraCleanse, psyllium husks, or ground flax seed in 8 oz of room temperature water. Follow with a 2^nd glass of water. Wait 20 minutes before having other food.
• Mix 1-2 tsp molasses (or more) in warm water and take before bedtime. 
• Serrapeptase taken on an empty stomach digests waste in a sluggish digestive tract.
• If these suggestions do not get things moving, drink a gentle laxative tea for a few days.

Some Final Thoughts

• Keep abdominal muscles strong to support good intestinal health. The best exercise is to gently, but firmly tuck in your tummy. Check in with your abs regularly!
• Yoga is beneficial for relieving constipation. Many Asanas such as the twist pictured below strengthen abdominal muscles and improve elimination. Seek a qualified instructor.
• Consider performing an ascorbic acid flush when you will be at home for a few days. See directions in The Prescription for Nutritional Healing at any of our stores. This will clean the colon and provide powerful vitamin C antioxidant protection.
• In our experience there is sometimes past emotional trauma that manifests as constipation. Be patient. It may take some practice to learn to “let go”.

When things are functioning normally, we recommend you continue with the dietary suggestions and the supplement recommendations to offset common deficiencies. Spring and Fall (or anytime you need it) perform a thorough body/bowel cleanse. 

Many people experience improvements in multiple areas of health. 

We hope you will too!

*Revised September 2024