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 Oh!
Another Day
Without “Going”
If
you have trouble with constipation, you are
certainly not alone.
There is a popular belief
that one should ‘go’ every day if he/she
is not having constipation.
It is natural therefore, that many
people begin to worry if they haven’t
‘been’ for two or three days. And if the situation
lasts another day, panic sets in.
In reality, in most cases,
there is nothing to worry about. Nothing
serious at any rate. Some people have to go
twice a day, while others may go only twice
a week.
In both cases there is no cause for
concern. At
the most, a person who goes only twice a week
should pay more attention to his/her daily
menu or lifestyle in general as it may be
lacking something.
Countless
people go on to treat themselves with all
kinds of remedies–from allopathic to Ayurvedic/Unani
and what not. The purpose of this write up
is to warn against this taking all sorts of
laxatives on one’s own initiative and to tell
you what
you really ought to do instead.
Congestions
and Delays
:
To
understand what constipation actually is,
you need to have some idea of how the bowel
works. The food that goes into your stomach
is channeled through to the small intestine
only when it has been so well kneaded and
mixed with saliva and gastric juices that
it has reached a liquid state.
The small intestine contains a liquid
pap which slowly moves towards the outlet
by the movements of the intestinal muscles.
In the meantime, the valuable nutrients
are broken down by all kinds of intestinal
juices into smaller components which are absorbed
through the intestinal wall as building materials
for our bodies.
In the large intestine, on the other
hand, the contents of the bowel are thickened
up because of removal of water.
What
is left is a quantity of indigestible residues,
some digestive juices, and a handful of intestinal
bacteria. On the way, congestion
and delays can occur if the large intestine
does its work too slowly.
Know
the nature of Laxatives: When
people are dissatisfied with their bowel motions,
they try to give a helping
hand to nature. This
they do by taking various types of laxatives
unaware of the fact that there is every chance
that they will get into a habit they may not
get rid of so easily. There are many kinds
of laxatives. For instance:
The
stimulant laxatives, often
of vegetable origin,
which irritate bowel so much that it causes
cramps and diarrhea.
The
Laxative Salts which
retain water but have the drawback that they
can also penetrate the intestinal wall.
Bulk-forming
Preparations, which
are intended to provide the bowel a firmer
grip on the contents.
Lubricants
and others
intended to make bowel movements easier or
produce increased bowel activity.
Besides
that these laxatives can cause cramps and
diarrhea, the worst is that they can make
the bowel
thoroughly lazy.
A lazy bowel will, in many cases, refuses
to work unless the patient keeps on taking
the laxatives. Then there are side-effects.
Eleven
Commandments for
Overcoming Constipation
-
Do
drink plenty of fluids– at least two litres
a day. Drink a generous glass of water on
an empty stomach.
-
Do
eat regularly without skipping any meal.
-
Start
the day with a hearty breakfast
-
Then
within an hour, go and sit on the toilet
for about ten minutes. Take a newspaper
or a magazine with you to keep you engaged.
If it does not work, it is not the end of
the of the world. May be next day it will
work. A daily bowel movement is not absolutely
necessary for good health.
-
Always
chew your food thoroughly and eat slowly
-
Do
preferably eat unpeeled fruits, raw vegetables,
nuts, figs, prunes, wholemeal products,
ginger and drink lot of buttermilk.
-
Do
make sure that that you take enough exercise.
The best is if you go for a morning walk
for about an hour.
-
Do,
do, do sleep well and that too for about
seven hours.
-
Manage
your emotions to avoid tension, stress,
anxiety, and anger.
-
Never
hold back a bowel movement. As soon as feel
the urge, go right away.
-
Avoid
toast, white bread, rusk, strong tea, bananas,
grated apple, and hard-boil eggs.
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