Constipation Natural Remedies

Although most of us are a bit embarrassed to talk about it, constipation is something many of us have to deal with from time to time. Staying regular is very important to maintaining proper health and finding natural cures for constipation is a good alternative for those of us not comfortable with the idea of taking laxatives to solve the problem.

If you experience frequent irregularity, your diet might be at fault.  Often constipation is the result of not getting enough fiber and roughage in the diet. To fix this problem simply make an effort to add more fiber to your diet. Adding fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet is a good start, as these foods have been found to be wonderful natural cures for constipation.  Eating a serving of greens (spinach, collards, mustard, turnip), or cabbage, or okra, at dinner have been known to help keep you regular.

The best time to move your bowels is usually within a couple of hours of awakening each morning. Drinking a cup of warm water with the juice of half a lemon on an empty stomach usually stimulates the bowels.

Thirty minutes of aerobic exercise in the mornings, also, acts as an excellent laxative.

Not everyone is aware of this and researchers have no idea why it works, but hot coffee, whether it be decaffeinated or regular, helps to treat constipation. If you’re constipated upon awakening in the mornings, drink six ounces on an empty stomach before you eat breakfast. The good thing about this remedy is that it yields almost immediate results.  For reasons that have researchers baffled, the coffee for constipation cure works more effectively for women than it does men.

One of the best known, as well as nutritious ways to keep your body’s digestive system functioning the way nature intended, is with prunes. Prunes are one of the natural cures for constipation that are safe, effective and inexpensive. Almost everyone enjoys the taste of prunes and they can easily be worked into anyone’s diet. If a person isn’t fond of eating prunes they can certainly drink a glass of prune juice every few days to keep things moving.  The amount that is required to help a person tends to vary with the individual situation. The worse your constipation is, the more prunes or prune juice you will need to consume.

If you don’t like prunes, then dried dates, figs, persimmons, or raisins might do the trick. Soak the dried fruit in water overnight, then in the morning, drink the water and eat the fruit.  You should be good “to go” within six hours. Also, grapes are lovely little pieces of fruit that offer great roughage for your digestive system. The skins on the grapes are natural cures for constipation that work well and taste fantastic. If you have a sweet tooth then grapes make the perfect snack.

Another remedy for constipation is to eat bran, and to drink as much water as possible. Bran needs water to work properly and vice versa. You should aim for at least six to eight glasses of water on a day. It is recommended, however, that you don’t bombard your digestive system with a tremendous amount of fiber right away, but start adding a little bit of it gradually each day. The body needs time to adjust to the addition of fiber to the system, especially when you are not accustomed to consuming much at all. Water needs to accompany fiber because the fiber absorbs the water which causes an increase in the amount of bulk that makes up the stools.

Also, bran has rough edges and it is these rough edges that serve to stimulate the nerve endings in the bowel to start working to eliminate waste and in particular to increase the work of the colon.

Licorice isn’t only a favorite candy of millions of children, but it has another lesser known appeal. It’s actually one of the most effective natural cures for constipation. Anyone who has over indulged in black licorice has probably already discovered this. Parents will sometimes use licorice as natural cures for constipation with children. It’s much easier than trying to convince a child to take an over the counter medication. In fact, as one of the most flavorful natural cures for constipation, parents should keep a close eye on just how much licorice their children are consuming. Too much licorice, too often, can actually lead to too many trips to the bathroom.

Taking care of yourself by eating a balanced diet, drinking lots of water and staying active will likely help keep your bowels regular. If you do need a little extra help, remember these constipation remedies. They’ll get the job done with few side-effects.

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