As we in the West eat an increasingly more refined, over-processed diet and take less and less exercise, we pay the price with our health. There are many ailments brought on by poor diet, but one of the most common and often the first indication that our diet is inadequate is constipation. It is the direct result of not taking in enough fiber to help the body rid itself of waste products.
There is no standard frequency that denotes “normal” bowel movements – it varies considerably from person to person, however, nutritionists and colonics experts agree that everyone should pass a motion at least twice a day.
Constipation is if your stools are small and hard and you pass them only infrequently. Moreover, if your constipation lasts more than three days, it is worth seeking advice from a physician. In rare cases, constipation, particularly if there is blood in the stools when you do finally pass a motion, can signal cancer of the bowel.
Apart from the most common culprit of not enough fiber in our food, other causes of constipation include eating too much meat or dairy produce, not drinking enough fluids (fiber needs water to form soft motions), food allergy, lack of exercise, ignoring the need to pass a motion, dependence on laxatives, the side-effects of some medicines, pregnancy (the pregnancy hormone progesterone relaxes the muscles of the intestine, which slows down bowel movements, making you more likely to become constipated), anxiety, stress, and tension.
If you are having a problem in this area, we can help you, naturally at our Clearwater clinic. For an appointment or more information,call the New Patient Scheduler at (727) 466-6789.