Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Constipation - A Sign of Poor Digestive Health

By Sue Thompson

Are you having difficulty maintaining regular bowel movements?

Good digestive health is basically characterized by regular elimination. Constipation usually indicates that there is a more serious medical condition involved. Over 95% of health problems begin in the digestive system and in many cases the cause is often traced to constipation.

Frequency in bowel movements should be determined by the number of meals eaten. If you take three meals in a day, you should also have the same number of bowel movements within that time period, otherwise you are constipated. According to statistics, over 65% of Americans are constipated.

Holistic Opinion offers an entirely different view of constipation from that of Traditional Opinion.

In Traditional Medicine, constipation is defined as the passage of small amounts of hard dry stool. It also explains that frequency of elimination is dependent on an individual's level of metabolism. Since people's level of metabolism vary, the frequency of elimination also varies among each individual.

In contrast, Holistic Medicine says that frequency of elimination is determined by the number of meals taken. A healthy digestive system efficiently absorbs food and nutrients during intake and expels the toxic matter 12 - 18 hours later. Food that stays in the body for longer than 18 hours rots and develops toxins that are absorbed in the bloodstream which then leads to different sorts of health problems.

The good news is, it is actually quite easy to get rid of constipation. The tips outlined here will help you have easy and regular bowel movements.

1) Drink, drink, drink water to keep your digestive system constantly hydrated. You should drink one ounce of water for every pound of your body weight.

2) Engage in a regular exercise regimen. This need not be extremely strenuous but challenging enough to get your blood pumping. This increased blood flow will help facilitate elimination.

3) Take a good daily fiber supplement that consists of ground flax.

4) Include Essential Fatty Acids like Flax, Borage and Fish Oils in your dietary supplements because these lubricate your digestive system and help ease elimination.

Constipation is something to be concerned about. When waste matter clogs the digestive system, the resulting toxins are absorbed by the body. The organs that function to get rid of these poisons such as the liver, lungs, lymphatic system, blood, skin, colon, and kidneys are forced to work harder to flush these out.

When faced with a health condition such as constipation, it would be wise to consult with a naturopathic medical practitioner who can give you sound advice on supplements and healthy alternatives; even share reading materials that would be useful in helping you deal with problems caused by poor digestive health. - 17944

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