The most commonly reported digestive system problem is constipation. Constipation occurs when the faecal matter is condensed and compressed and evacuation becomes infrequent and difficult. A constipated system is one in which the time for toxic material to be removed from the body is slow and the consistency of the stool causes strain. The longer the removal time the longer toxic material sits in your colon and the longer your body is exposed to rotting food and the toxins that they produce and thus the greater the risk of developing disease.

Even with one bowel movement a day you can still have at least three meals worth of waste sitting in your colon. During evacuation hard stools place a strain on the colonic muscles and the lining of the lower part of your colon, rectum and anus. Constipation and straining contributes to the development of hemorrhoids. The stagnant food in your bowel produce poisonous gasses and these gasses enter your bloodstream, irritating your organs and joints. The frequency of bowel actions varies but you should have between one and four actions a day. They should be a brownish color, soft and grainy and pass easily.

When the toxic matter builds up in your intestines and becomes impacted the shape and function of the intestines is affected. The intestines will:

• balloon in certain areas or
• develop diverticula (pouches on the intestinal wall) or
• fall in on itself (called a prolapse).

All of these situations will greatly influence your intestines ability to function – which will place a great strain on your digestive organs. Some of the symptoms that are associated with a blocked or slow moving bowel are:

• pains in the back, neck and shoulders, wrists and hands,
• fatigue and general sluggishness and lethargy,
• colds and flu,
• skin problems,
• mental fogginess,
• many headaches and
• difficulty with thinking and remembering.

There are five major factors that need to be considered when you have sluggish elimination from your bowel.

• Are you getting enough fiber in your diet? Fiber is the bulk that allows the fecal matter to readily pass along the intestines and be eliminated. When there is insufficient fiber in the diet the movement is slowed. Fiber also provides nutrition for your bowel flora (the micro-organisms that live in your bowel). If these ‘good’ bacteria are well fed with certain types of plant fibers they produce a substance called mammalian lignan which increases your resistance to infectious agents and cancer
• Are you drinking enough pure water? It is difficult to overstate the importance of pure water. Water is essential to life and it is generally recommended that we drink 8 – 10 glasses of water each day to maintain our health and if you are detoxifying your body you may need more. About 70 – 75% of our body is water. Water is important for aiding the skin and kidneys in removing toxins and it stimulates and flushes the liver. It also softens the feces and helps waste pass quickly through our intestines.
• Does your diet include high quality essential fatty acids? Essential fatty acids are needed by every cell in the body to make the cell wall and to burn for energy. Without essential fatty acids cells do not work, organs die prematurely and brain function deteriorates. Our body cannot make them we have to get them from our diet or nutritional supplements. The essential fatty acids play a role in hormone and immune system function – both of which are important for bowel health. Our hormones (particularly or thyroid hormones) activate movement in your intestinal muscles to aid in digestion and elimination. Our immune system protects the rest of our body from toxic substances and pathogenic micro-organisms that can otherwise pass from the bowel to the rest of the body. There are two important types of essential fatty acids – Omega 3 and omega 6 and it is important that these are balanced.
• Do you listen to your body when nature calls? Paying attention when nature calls is important for the smooth function of our bowels. If you repeatedly ignore the urge to eliminate you interfere with the body’s ability to respond appropriately and sooner or later your body will not be able to function without artificial stimulation. When you chew your food you set off a series of chemical and electrical events which activate peristalsis. Peristalsis is the muscle contraction that propels food along your digestive tract and feces out of your body. To allow for the body’s natural rhythms and allow for easy elimination it is helpful to be near to a bathroom for about an hour after eating.
• Do you get enough exercise? All of the muscles in your body respond well to appropriate exercise – this includes the muscles that are a part of your digestive tract. One study of a group of people over 65 years showed that those that had regular exercise had more frequent and less difficult bowel movements than those who did not have regular exercise.

Laxatives are used to induce a bowel action and avoid constipation. They may over stimulate the bowel muscle and lining of the bowel leading to spasm and irritation. In the long term they cause dilation (enlargement) and permanent damage to the bowel – for this reason they should not be used on a regular basis. Strong laxative herbs should only be used for severe constipation (it is better to deal with the underlying problem than to use these herbs regularly). However if you are seriously constipated and you need a one-time good clean out you could try this herbal combination:

• Anise seed – 1 part
• Fennel seed – 1 part
• Milk thistle – 5 parts
• Dandelion root – 5 parts
• Psyllium hulls – 5 parts
• Rhubarb root (not the home grown variety) – 5 parts
• Senna- 3 parts

You can get these herbs as dried powder and make up the mixture. Take ½ teaspoon as a single dose. If this is insufficient then increase the dose (very slightly) until you get the desired result. You can also simmer the herbs in water for 15 minutes – allow 1 teaspoon of the mixture to a cup of water and start taking ½ a cup at a time. Remember this mixture contains senna – an intestinal irritant and should not be used long term. It is to be used as a one off clean out. You need to work on changing the underlying problems that caused the constipation and not rely on using purgatives.Case Study: Constipation

Alice, 17 years old and was troubled by constipation and painful menstrual periods. She was able to move her bowels only every three or four days. Her diet was poor and included a lot of white bread, sugary and fatty foods and dairy products.

Her treatment included:

• a change to her diet to remove all processed foods and she was to eat fresh fruit and vegetables and occasional fish.
• multivitamin and minerals supplement,
• increasing her fiber,
• taking probiotics to restore her beneficial bowel bacteria,
• digestive enzyme supplements and
• a program to cleanse her bowel and her liver.

After one month she was able to move her bowels every one or two days and there had been no problem with her period. After another month on the program she was able to move her bowels every day and the freedom from period problems continued.One of the main reasons for toxicity building in our bodies and our digestion not being as effective as it might be is related to the foods that we regularly eat. We often eat foods which contain chemicals that are toxic to our systems, are low in nutritive value and are going to slow the movement of material through our digestive tract. All of these things will lead to a toxic colon and body. To discover how to be free from constipation for life Get your copy of Safe Colon Cleansing: Your Good Health Guide.

Dr Jenny Tylee is an experienced health professional who is passionate about health and wellbeing. She believes that health is not just absence of disease and seeks to actively promote vitality and wellness through empowering others. She encourages people to improve their health by quit smoking, cleansing their body, taking essential vitamin and mineral supplement and many other methods, including herbal remedies.

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