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Health
Information Network promotes health care
Anyone who has suffered from constipation knows that discomfort from this common ailment can ruin the best day. Feelings of fatigue, nausea, headache, bloating and stomach gas are typical symptoms. So, exactly what is constipation and why do some experience frequent bouts of it and others not? Constipation occurs when digested food and waste materials stay lodged in the intestines and digestive track making elimination sluggish or preventing it altogether. In most cases, poor diet and exercise habits are responsible. The human body is a highly efficient machine that extracts the nutrients it needs from the food we eat and discards the rest. Perspiration, urination and bowel movements are the ways we eliminate. The body relies on ingredients in our diet to aid in the digestive and elimination process, namely, fiber-rich fresh fruits and vegetables and lots of drinking water. The fibrous elements of fruits and veggies brush the insides of the intestines and water gently moves waste materials along the digestive track. In the absence of fiber and water, waste material stays put. As we continue to ingest food -- well, you can imagine the rest. To cure constipation, think twice before you reach for a laxative or resort to more drastic measures like enemas or colonics. None of these options should be used on a consistent basis. They are often harsh and encourage the body to rely on artificial means to force elimination. Continued use can make a person laxative-dependent. Instead, focus on including a wide variety of crunchy fresh vegetables and fruits to your diet. Good choices include broccoli, kale, spinach, mustard, turnip and collard greens. Add them to salads and eat them in as raw a state as you can tolerate. All fruit is good, but again, to foster regular elimination, crunchy fruits like apples and pears are best. Natural fruit juices with no sugar added are also good for us, but to avoid constipation, eating the whole fruit is better than juice because of the increased fiber content whole fruit holds. Not enough can be said about water consumption. Water is without a doubt the single most important ingredient for regularity and overall health. Drink large amounts of water throughout the day in addition to other beverages you may want to consume for flavor and taste. Finally, to beat the constipation blues, get some exercise! Our bodies work best when we move them. Walking, swimming, mild aerobics or other forms of regular, consistent exercise build the strength of muscles and internal organs. So, to avoid sluggish bowel syndrome, avoid sluggish behavior! Constipation
doesn't have to be a problem. Sensible solutions like proper diet
and regular exercise will get things moving in no time at all!
# # # # # About Journey to Wellness Journeytowellness.com
is the Internet component of the Journey To Wellness Radio programs
that provides healthcare and health literacy information through syndicated
radio programming on public radio stations and on the CNN Radio network.
Please visit our Journey to Wellness Air Times and Topics page to find out our schedule, the radio stations that carry our program, and the topics we will be covering!
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