Home Remedy For Constipation.

Anything from three bowel movements a day to three a week is normal. That's the word from no less an authority than the National Institutes of Health-but alternative doctors will tell you that what's generally considered normal is not necessarily healthy.

"A minimum of one complete, soft bowel movement a day is healthy," says Mark Stengler, N.D., a naturopathic physician in San Diego.
If you have fewer bowel movements, he says, toxins from the stool can be reabsorbed into the bloodstream, causing or complicating many different health problems.

It doesn't take a doctor (conventional or alternative) to tell you that not having a daily bowel movement is just plain uncomfortable-which is why Americans spend $725 million a year seeking relief with laxatives.

Just because you can buy laxatives over the counter, how ever, doesn't mean that they're without risk. In fact, consistent use of a laxative weakens the muscles of the bowel so that you can actually become addicted, meaning that you'll have trouble having a bowel movement without taking one. Laxatives can also drain your body of energy-giving minerals and protein.
Most important, though, you don't need them.
"Almost everyone can clear up constipation with drug-free home remedy for constipation methods," says William B. Salt II, M.D., clinical associate professor of medicine at Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health in Columbus.

FIBER: Double Your Intake
Most Americans get only half the daily amount of fiber that they need to prevent constipation, says Elizabeth Lipski, a certified clinical nutritionist in Kauai, Hawaii. To get what you need, she recommends a daily minimum of five servings of fruits and vegetables, three servings of whole-grain foods, and one serving of beans.

WATER: Stimulate the Intestines
When you're increasing the amount of fiber in your diet, you should drink a lot of water (at least six to eight 8-ounce glasses a day). The reason fiber relieves constipation, says Dr. Stengler, is that it absorbs a lot of water, creating large, soft stools.
Hot water works better than cold because it stimulates peristalsis, the squeezing, muscular action that pushes stool through the digestive tract, says Andrew Gaeddert, a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild and director of the Get Well Clinic in Oakland, California.

CITRUS PEEL: Help Move Stagnant Chi
When you drink hot water, put some citrus peel in the glass, says Gaeddert. Citrus peel stimulates chi, the life-energy of the body. Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine believe that building up chi gives the body the strength to have a bowel movement, he says.
You can also get the benefits of citrus without the peel. Lipski recommends squeezing the juice of a lemon into an 8-ounce glass of warm or hot water and drinking it first thing in the morning to help stimulate a bowel movement.

HEALTHY OILS: Lubricate Your Pipes
Olive, canola, and other monounsaturated and polyunsaturated oils act as digestive lubricants and are very helpful in clearing up constipation, says Kenneth Yasny, Ph.D., a nutritionist in Beverly Hills and founder of the Colon Health Society. Put a tablespoon or two of oil on your high-fiber salad for a perfect anti-constipation meal, he says.

When Food Isn't Enough
A high-fiber diet accompanied by plenty of water is usually enough to beat constipation. But if you can't seem to get enough fiber in your diet on a daily basis, or if your bowels still seem sluggish in spite of your efforts to eat more fiber, there are plenty of alternative remedies to help you get them moving. Experiment with the following remedies to see which work best for you, but never use more than one at a time, Dr. Stengler cautions.

PSYLLIUM: Concentrated Fiber
"Some people may need to take fiber supplements to alleviate constipation," says Teresa Rispoli, Ph.D., a licensed nutritionist and acupuncturist in Agoura Hills, California. She recommends using a supplement that contains psyllium seed, such as Metamucil or Citrucel, according to the directions on "the label, and following it with a full glass of water. Psyllium supplements generally have about 5 grams of fiber per dose.

PRUNE JUICE: Chemical Action
Prune juice contains compounds that appear to stimulate the intestinal action needed for bowel movements. Dr. Stengler recommends drinking two to three 8-ounce glasses of prune juice mixed half-and-half with water once a day.

Once you begin having bowel movements, cut your intake of juice in half for a day or two, then stop using it, he advises.

CASCARA SAGRADA: The Herb of Choice for Constipation
A traditional remedy for constipation, cascara "is one of the few laxative herbs that improve the tone of the bowel, making it work better," says Rita Elkins, a master herbalist in Orem, Utah.
Another benefit is that it doesn't irritate the bowel like other laxative herbs, such as senna, which can cause cramping. For maximum effectiveness, take cascara at night, after your evening meal or before bedtime. "It works while you are asleep, and you will probably have a bowel movement in the morning," Elkins says. She recommends taking a 450-milligram capsule daily for 3 to 4 weeks, while also increasing your dietary intake of fiber. Begin by following the directions on the label. You can double the recommended dose if it doesn't seem to be working.

If a double dose doesn't work after a few days, switch brands. Either the product you're using may not be supplying enough of the active compound found in cascara sagrada bark, or the bark may not have been aged long enough to be biologically active, she says.
This is safe to take until constipation is relieved, but do not use it for more than 14 days without medical supervision. Also, do not use it if you have any inflammatory condition of the intestines, intestinal obstruction, or abdominal pain. This herb can cause laxative dependency and diarrhea.

TRIPHALA: An Herb to Rejuvenate Your Digestive Tract
Triphala is one of the best laxative herbs for long-term use, says Light Miller, a naturopathic doctor and Ayurvedic practitioner in Sarasota, Florida. "It is non addictive, and it helps rejuvenate the digestive tract," she says. She recommends using it for 6 months, taking two l,000-milligram tablets three times a day or six tablets at night with warm tea. ALOE: Soothing the Way Aloe gel lubricates the intestines, helping the bowels move more easily. It's also a natural laxative, says Dr. Miller. For someone who is very constipated, she recommends taking a tablespoon or two of the gel three times a day until the constipation is relieved. Check the label of the product you buy to be sure that it's a form intended for internal use.

MAGNESIUM: You May Need Extra
Magnesium deficiency contributes to constipation because the mineral relaxes the intestinal muscles, thus helping to keep peristalsis normal, says Lipski. She recommends taking a daily magnesium supplement of 400 to 500 milligrams to prevent constipation. ACETYLCHOLINE: Orders from the Brain

The neurotransmitter acetylcholine affects not only the brain but also bowel function, says Dana Laake, a nutritionist in Rockville, Maryland. The nutritional precursor of acetylcholine is choline, which is found in egg yolks, legumes, meat, milk, fish, and lecithin, a food additive. Taking a 250- to 500-milligram supplement of choline citrate or bitartrate two or three times a day should relieve constipation.

Get Into Action
Putting the proper foods, herbs, and nutrients into your digestive tract is just one way to stimulate your bowels. Here are two "active" home remedies that will also help get your bowels moving.

A REGULAR ROUTINE: Get Your Body in the Habit
People who are constipated need to establish a consistent time for elimination, says Gerard L. Guillory, M.D., an internist in Denver. "Get into the habit of waking up 5 to 10 minutes earlier in the morning and spending 5 minutes on the toilet, whether or not you feel that you need to go to the bathroom," says Dr. Guillory. "A lot of people who try this technique come back to my office amazed that they're no longer constipated. They tell me, 'Hey, Doc, it sounded dumb, but I started doing it, and then I relaxed for a minute and got the urge to go. It was wonderfu1.'"

EXERCISE: Good for the Gut
Emotional stress can worsen constipation in two ways, says Dr. Stengler. First, when you're stressed, the body steals blood from the digestive tract and sends it to the muscles. Second, stress makes the parasympathetic nervous system-the part that controls intestinal peristalsis-less effective.
Regular exercise is the best stress buster, says Dr. Stengler. He recommends getting 30 to 60 minutes of heart-pumping aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, bicycling, jogging, jumping rope, or similar activities, three to five times a week.

Breakup the Jam with Colon Massage.
Massaging your colon, which is the final section of the digestive tract, where constipation occurs, is a "simple, completely natural, and highly effective method of helping your elimination;' says Kenneth Yasny, Ph.D., a nutritionist in Beverly Hills and founder of the Colon Health Society. Here's how.

• Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent.
• Beginning in the abdominal area on the right side just above your hip, use the fingertips of both hands to press as deeply as is comfortable, then move your fingertips ina circular, massaging motion.
• Continue upward to just below your ribs. Then, using the same pressing, circular motion, move across your abdomen just above your belly button. Continue to massage down to your left hip.
• Next, move to the right about 3 inches and down about I inch. Repeat the entire massage.Dr. Yasny recommends doing the massage for 5 to 20 minutes a day. "You're helping to push through the fecal matter that's stuck in the colon as well as restoring circulation and muscle tone;' he explains.