Have you seen heaven? … most likely not? Well, no problem!
You may not have seen heaven but you definitely felt it. No?
In fact, we all experienced heaven. How?
Suppose, you have toilet pressure. Unfortunately, you have to wait in front of the door for someone to come out. And suddenly the door opened. You can finally go and do the toilet. Doesn’t it feel like heaven?
But what if your toilet doesn’t come at all? If this situation continues for a few days, wouldn’t it feel like the opposite of heaven?
Yes! You guessed it right. This is called constipation.
Remember, Constipation isn’t a disease. It’s a very unpleasant and painful state where our stool passes through the digestive tract slowly or stops altogether. As the stool stops or moves slowly, it becomes hard and more difficult for us to toilet.
So, are you experiencing frequent constipation? Do you have a long history of constipation?
Both or any of the above answers is Yes? Then very obvious that you aren’t practicing proper healthy habits and routines.
Don’t worry! Just follow the healthy habits below and hopefully, you will see some fantastic results. In this post, you will first know what to avoid and then what to implement.
Things to avoid
Avoid junk foods
Avoid these most common junk foods like packaged potato chips, cookies, soda, and candy; hamburgers and cheeseburgers type fast foods; hot dogs and doughnuts type processed foods; energy drinks, etc.
If avoid not possible then cut/reduce these items from your food menu as much as possible.
Obviously the very next will come to your brain. How much should I reduce?
As much as you can! The minimum the better. You should always know eating junk foods occasionally is not so harmful until it becomes your regular meal.
But why avoid, cut, or reduce?
Companies make junk foods tastier and good-looking to hook customers. To achieve this they may compromise your health by using high levels of sugar, salts, additives, unhealthy fats, chemicals, etc.
The biggest drawback of junk food is it adds a lot of calories (energy) instantly but with low nutrients. Thus, the addition of instant calories accumulates unhealthy fats in your body and so creates obesity. It doesn’t end here.
Junk foods often contain high amounts of sugar and sodium. Those two are responsible for causing diabetes and high blood pressure (which further leads to stroke and heart attack) consequently.
These types of food mostly contain additives like artificial colors, sweeteners, preservatives, and so on. Additives to any food cause various health diseases like stomach pain, allergies, or even cancer. Moreover, these foods cause dental health issues (due to sugar); mental health issues (due to poor diet); Chronic diseases (due to high sugar and salt), and so on.
Avoid random sleep and wake-up time (don’t sleep overnight)
Are you used to sleep at random times? Like slept yesterday at 11 pm and sleeping today at 2 am? Also the same for wake-up time? Is this continuing for years?
Then my friend please don’t! Change this habit instantly unless want to see yourself in the doctor’s room every time.
Never sleep or wake up at random times. Doing so will affect your body’s biological clock and toilet timing. Keep reading below I provided a simple yet effective solution for this. So hold on to your patience!
Things to do on a regular day basis
Eat vegetables
Keep in mind Longer the stool stays in our digestive tract, the more it becomes difficult to pass.
Fibre prevents this by maintaining a sufficient amount of moisture throughout the digestive system. It softens the stool and makes the stool easier to pass through the digestive tract.
Fortunately, this fiber (dietary fiber) is the most common part of vegetables. Almost all vegetables have this (though the quantity fluctuates depending on vegetables).
Fibre also stimulates the growth of good gut bacteria. These bacterias improve our overall gut health.
So want to improve your gut health and constipation? Include fiber-rich vegetables in your daily meal. Eating vegetables regularly not only fulfills our nutrients but also prevents constipation. That’s why you should always have vegetables in your meal.
Make a fixed time of sleep & wake up
Suffering from constipation too frequently? There is a very high chance that you sleep and wake up at random times. This randomness also causes constipation! Please stop this and fix your timing. Believe me, this is one of the best results of leading a disciplined life.
There are also plenty of health benefits of fixed sleep and get-up time. Read these two articles to learn the other excellent benefits:
- Why shouldn’t you use the Alarm? Do this to wake up naturally
- Very few people do these techniques to sleep faster, do you?
Do exercise and walk daily
Another big reason for suffering from constipation. By exercise, I don’t mean you have to lift tons of iron sacks. Rather, just telling you to do a very simple exercise just for 20 minutes per day. That’s it!
What that simple exercise implies? Like walking, running, jogging, stretching, etc. People of all ages can do this type of exercise. These can also be done in the room or indoors.
There are none who claim 20 mins exercise per day is the best. This time is just an estimate looking at my and others’ starting exercise times. It is just the entry-level exercise time that beginners can achieve easily.
Now, Instead of exercising straight for 20 minutes, split it into two-time sections. One will be for the morning and another for the evening (10 minutes + 10 minutes). In this way, you will feel energetic and courage to continue for longer.
Remember, you don’t necessarily have to do 20 minutes of exercise daily. This is just the minimum required exercise time per day. As per your interest, age, and requirements, you can increase the timing.
Please don’t forget to increase the time gradually not suddenly. For instance, in the first week you will do 20 mins/day and the next week 25 mins/day. Not like the first week 20 mins/day and suddenly 2 hours/day for the next week.
Increasing the time of exercise gradually will give your body time to adjust accordingly. Also will make you fall in love with it.
Things to do (home remedies) after the constipation
Drink adequate water
Water works as a lubricator in our digestive system/function. So drinking a sufficient amount of water helps in preventing constipation. Apart from this, water helps to keep the body temperature at normal; emits the body’s liquid waste in the form of urine; allows blood to flow; and many others.
If you are over 14+ age, you should drink 2 liters of water per day on average. Now, the amount of drinking water depends heavily on your age, gender, body weight, health condition, physical activities, etc.
For example, if you’re a male, an adult, exercise/workout a lot, body weight is higher you will require more water than average. On the other hand, if you’re a kid (age 15 yrs) and female you will require less water than average.
Now again let’s assume all parameters are constant except the one: your health condition. Still, your water intake will increase if you’re suffering from health diseases like diarrhea or fever.
The general thumb rule is: by drinking 2 liters of water if you feel thirsty then increase the intake amount. On the contrary, if you feel too full then decrease.
Even then if this was difficult to you to understand, then consult the doctor. They will give you the perfect amount of water intake measuring your weight, physical activity, age, and all other health metrics.
Remember, lesser water consumption will make your constipation condition worse. So at this time, it’s better to drink more water until you toilet properly.
Drink lemon water
Drink lemon water with jaggery powder to get rid of constipation. It works just like magic!
How to make this? A glass of pure water + 1-2 times squeezed lemon + 1 teaspoon jaggery powder. Mix and stir well. Lastly, drink.
Why not sugar?
As sugar (white sugar/refined sugar) is heavily processed it’s not so healthy compared to jaggery powder. It is naturally extracted and goes through no process. That’s why I suggested jaggery!
Still, if you don’t have the option of this, you can use sugar.
Why not salt?
This should avoid completely.
Remember never mix salt with the mixture. Instead of freeing you from constipation, it may make your constipation condition worse.
Typically, we make and drink saline by mixing salt, jaggery powder, and water. Why? Mostly to prevent loose stool or diarrhea. Because salt has a coagulant property. Now imagine what will happen if you drink the mixture with salt at constipation.
You will suffer more intense constipation.
Drink lukewarm water
This is another practical approach I follow personally to free from constipation. Generally, waking up after 30 minutes (especially in the morning) with an empty stomach is the best time to try this. Now, you’re ready to drink lukewarm water.
It’s so effective to bring you to the toilet as soon as possible.
While doing so, keep these few things in mind.
- You shouldn’t drink lukewarm water more than 3 times in the same session. (This means, you either choose morning or afternoon, or evening to drink. When drinking don’t cross the limit of 3 times)
- Don’t drink on a full stomach. It won’t be that much of effective.
- Don’t drink water instantly after waking up. First, do your get-up formalities (brushing your teeth, making the bed and room, etc.) and drink normal water. After that (preciously 30 mins), you can drink lukewarm water.
- If your target is to go to the toilet, don’t choose to drink too hot or too cold or normal water. It may give adverse effects which you aren’t expecting.
- How will you find water lukewarm? If you can take a sip of water then most probably it’s in a lukewarm state.
Walk at least for 5-10 mins
Hope you already know the numerous health benefits of walking. The most common are: it reduces mental stress, increases blood flow, maintains a healthy weight, and so on. But how can it help with constipation?
The answer: By stimulating bowel movement.
When you walk, it stimulates the muscle movement of your intestine and abdomen. This muscle activity helps the stool to move through the digestive tract smoothly and efficiently. Thus, it reduces the chance of constipation significantly.
As said earlier, exercise is very effective to make you free from constipation. If your age is higher then you may find difficulty doing exercise, running, or jogging.
That’s why walking along with stretching body parts comes in handy. Just walk for 5 to 10 mins at least in the morning and if possible, in the evening. You can walk on the wider balcony or in the open field or anywhere you find comfortable. Make sure the place is healthy and suitable for this.
That’s it! After some days, you will start to see improvements in your gut health.
How do I do?
First, I get up from bed (close to 7’O clock) and brush my teeth while roaming. Then drink normal water. Like brushing, I also walk into my room while reading a book then. Thus, I do my both work simultaneously. Doing so I finish my walking and brushing or reading at the same time.
Next, I go to my parents room and greet them with “শুভ সকাল” in Bengali (Good Morning in English).
As I used to sleep and wake up at fixed times, I don’t face the issue of constipation generally. I feel the pressure of the toilet almost when I finish brushing my teeth.
If it doesn’t happen, I wait up to 30 mins.
If not, I drink a cup of lukewarm water. Sometimes, a cup of hot black tea without any sugar or any other ingredients. It’s done due to keep my taste buds happy. In the next 15 mins, I get a green signal from my body to go to the toilet.
Again if not come, I try drinking some more (max up to 3 cups).
Even then not come, I drink lemon water.
Still, if it doesn’t come (rarest), I wait for the next day morning. You may ask why do I wait? Why don’t I try different times of the day?
This is because I make a habit of going to the toilet only in the morning. That too in between wake up time and 10’0 clock. If no toilet comes in this time, I just have to wait for the next day.
Finally, peace! This time it definitely comes. I don’t know how but come. It may be for the discipline I have been practicing throughout the years.
Conclusion
I try my best to share the most practical and effective steps to prevent constipation. Still, If the above-mentioned habits and home remedies not working for you at all. Don’t waste your time. Visit your nearest authorized doctor/health professional immediately.