Constipation can be a very difficult thing to deal with. This type of irregularity can make you feel very uncomfortable which can affect all aspects of your life.

Constipation is basically infrequent bowel movements. Your stool is usually hard and it’s difficult to pass through your system. Never judge your bowel movements against someone else though because what is infrequent for one person might not be frequent for someone else. I think a good rule is that if you have less than two bowel movements a week, you have a constipation problem. Here are some of the symptoms that you might want to look for:

• less than two bowel movements per week
• hard and dry stool that is difficult to pass through your system
• having to strain every time you go to the bathroom
• bloating of your stomach and a general discomfort there

There are many things that can cause constipation. I know with me personally stress can be a big factor. For example if I’m working on a 9 to 5 schedule, I tends to have less frequent bowel movements because of the fact that I am constantly worried about staying within schedule. Most people have a natural bowel movements in the morning which can be in total conflict with the average working schedule.

Unfortunately the only way to deal with this problem is to either;

a) get up early enough that you are able to have a nice comfortable morning before you go to work and in that way give yourself more time to have your natural morning movement.

b) try to get over any stigma that you might have of going to a public washroom. It can be very difficult for many people to go into a public washroom, when you are at work, and as a result they tend to avoid having a bowel movement during work which can really affect your natural bowel movements the day. If you are having problems in this area, try to find a public washroom in your workplace that you might be comfortable with and perhaps find a time during the morning where most people might not be there so that you feel more comfortable. If you’re still having trouble going to a public washroom at work, remember that a good bowel movement is one of the most important things that you can do for your overall health and that it is far more important than any fear or apprehension that you might feel.

Cures for constipation:

One of the best ways to deal with constipation is to eat more roughage; this basically means adding more fiber to your diet; eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. This adds bulk to your stool and helps it move quickly through your digestive tract.

Move your body; by exercising, you are actually helping your body process the food that is in your digestive tract. Things as simple as a quick walk around the block can help your digestive tract move things in your system more smoothly.

Wash it down; this is something that works very well for me; that is to just drink lots of water during the day. Drinking lots of liquid keeps your stool soft which again helps it move easily through to your digestive tract. The amount of water that you drink should be up to you because anybody that’s telling you that you should drink a certain amount of water is forgetting to consider the fact that everyone is different and everyone lives in different environments where there is a variation in the moisture level in the air around you. The dryer the place that you live in, like a desert, the more water that you should drink every day. As long as I am drinking lots of water a day, I tend not to have any kind of problem with constipation.
A good thing to keep in mind is that coffee and tea are diuretics, which means that the actually cause your body to lose water, so if you drink these make sure that you also drink a lot of water to supplement as well.

To be regular, try to stay regular; if you set a time for bowel movements then it will be far easier to stay regular. Try to listen to your body and find out when it is that you seem to have a natural desire to use the washroom and try to use this time on a regular basis.

If you are still having problems with constipation, you will need to take some Laxatives. These come in two forms:

1. The first type of laxatives are what is called “bulk producers”; what they basically do is bulk up and soften the stool. These types of laxative are considered to be safer because they do not or should not damage your bowels.

— Make sure that before you take any laxative that you talk to you and your doctor, especially if you’re a diabetic, pregnant, or taking any kind of medication. I also recommend that you take lots of liquids when you’re using these:

Flax: these usually come in capsules or oil and can be pretty easy to take. Follow the directions on the packaging but it is usually recommended that you take a certain amount up to three times a day.

Glucomanan: these usually come in pill form and again I just recommend that you take whatever the directions on the package are.

Psyllium: these usually, seeds or as powdered husks. Usually take two heaping tablespoons which are usually mixed in a glass with water and drank.

2. The second type of laxative is referred to as a “stimulant”; they tend to have more powerful effect because they work on the smooth muscles of your intestines. Some can provide relief as quickly as two hours after you take them.

— This type of laxative is unsafe if you take it for more than 10 days in a row because they can damage your bowels and make you dependent on this laxative which is never a good idea. If you take them too much or if your system is not used to them they can also cause cramps, diarrhea and dehydration.

Castor oil; usually comes in a capsule or in a liquidy oil. Usually three or 4 tablespoons taken during the day is enough, just make sure you don’t take it before bedtime.

Senna; this usually comes in powder or in a capsule. It’s usually good to take 1 tablespoon with a glass of water and again try to avoid before bedtime.

Cascara sagrada; this usually comes in powder like tablets or capsules and can sometimes even come in liquid form. Having two teaspoons of powder with water will usually do the trick, but make sure that you follow whatever is recommended on the package when you buy this product.

There are many reasons why you can get constipated. It can often be caused by stress or travel when your routines are completely altered. Never get too worried about the fact that you are constipated, just make sure that you drink lots of liquids and your system will eventually correct itself.
Here’s one final remedy just in case you need just one little bit of extra help:

mix 2 tablespoons of honey into a tall glass of warm water and drink it. It tastes pretty good and there’s no way that you get stuck needing to use this laxative all the time because of course it is not something that you or your body can get addicted to, you can also have it as often as you like.
Even drinking warm water by itself can be incredibly good for any kind constipation problems but adding the honey helps with micro-biotic enzymes that you might need and makes the water taste great.