Fruits That Aid Constipation

How long Will This Take?

Getting food from our mouths to our stomach, digesting it and then emptying our colon is something we humans spend a lot of time doing. When we suffer from constipation that whole process can seem like an eternity. Have you ever wondered how long the whole process takes?

Since we eat different foods at different times and come in all shapes and sizes, the average transit times (like commuting to and from work!) are only estimates scientists have reached, when studying digestion.

The estimates are that it takes about 21/2 to 3 hours for the stomach to be at least 50% emptied, with total emptying times about 4-5 hours. Then there is the small intestine transit time of another 2-3 hours, with colon transit times between 30 and 40 minutes.

It would be impossible to get exact transit times because food doesn’t move through the digestive process all together. Foods don’t always get processed in the same order as they came in- some of the food from the same meal will be in the colon, while another portion remains in the stomach.

A meal is a mixture of several types of chemicals and materials. It’s a miracle the body knows what to do with everything, but it does. Sometimes the choices we make will effect the transit time unpleasantly, and that can mean problems with constipation. One of the best foods to get the journey back on track is fruit. Enjoying at least two fruits a day can keep the transit police happy. (Is that the sound of happy people’s toilet’s flushing?)

Top Ten Fruits

Fruits are made by nature- a perfect food. They are easy to digest and absorb. Fruits are your colon’s friends. If you ever suffer from constipation, you’ll want to reach for fresh fruit. Here’s a look at the top ten fruits that help improve constipation.

• Raspberries
• Blackberries
• Strawberries
• Prunes
• Papaya
• Orange
• Apple
• Pears
• Figs
• Avocado

Fruits offer many health benefits, including providing vitamins and nutrients, but this list have added benefits for sluggish bowels. Can you guess what these fruits pack a punch with? Did you answer fiber? Thought so!

These fruits are packed full of fiber. Let’s take dried figs. 5 figs will supply 237 calories, with 8.5 grams of fiber for every 100 of those calories. One cup of raspberries, at 60 calories will help get things moving with 8 grams of fiber.

Most of us have already been told how fiber is so good for us. It’s great to know that you don’t have to down bowl after bowl of bran to get rid of constipation. In fact, if you aren’t used to a lot of fiber in the diet, it can make you feel bloated, gassy and more uncomfortable than being constipated did in the first place.

More Fruits to the Rescue

Don’t worry if the fiber-rich fruits on the top ten lists don’t appeal to you. Most fruits are naturals at gently relieving constipation. Here’s a list of other fruits you might want to add to your diet:

• Apricots
• Blueberries
• Boysenberries
• Cantaloupes
• Cherries
• Dates
• Grapes
• Peaches
• Plums

The combination of fiber (which is usually provided by the skin, so don’t peel that apple!) and sugars that are harder for the body to digest, makes fruits a good bet for clearing bouts of constipation. Since the body can’t break down the sugar, it pushes it out. You might say that fruit are nature’s laxative. They also act as toners to the stomach and intestines.

Other Transit tips

Need some other suggestions to get traffic flowing again? First of all, if you’ve suffered from constipation for a while and it doesn’t seem to be getting better, it may be something more than just a nuisance. It’s wise to have it checked out by your physician. Here are some other tips for relieving constipation:

• It’s not only what you eat; it’s how you are eating. Be sure that you are not rushing to eat meals and eating at odd times. Make sure you chew your food. Digestion starts in the mouth. Saliva has enzymes that work chemically on your food before you even swallow. Each mouthful should be chewed at least 15 times.
• Stay away from foods that contain white flour and sugar.
• Drink lots of water- just not with your meals, as it dilutes gastric juices needed for digestion. A cup of hot water with some lemon can help with constipation.

You’ll find that making a conscious effort to add fruits to your diet will make a lasting difference in helping you avoid constipation.

The Colon Cleansing & Constipation Resource Center

http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/fruits-that-aid-constipation-89961.html

Treat yourself to a Colon Cleanse and Feel the Difference

Your digestive system health, various intestinal topics and the concept of a colon cleanse are not your normal, everyday dinner club or water cooler conversation topics. But as people begin to accept more personal responsibility for their overall health, and as natural treatment alternatives become more popular, discussions about the benefits of a colon cleanse are becoming more acceptable.

The colon refers to a six-foot long section of your large intestine. The colon’s job is to absorb water from the liquefied food that the large intestine receives from the small intestine. It also works to disintegrate waste, which is then eliminated from the body. The colon clearly plays a critical role in our digestive system, so you can begin to understand why a colon cleanse can have such a large positive impact on our overall health.

Our body is designed to function naturally for many, many decades. So why would something that seems so unnatural, like a colon cleanse, even be necessary in the first place? In case you hadn’t noticed, many of us are eating foods that are not naturally good for us. A diet that includes meat, dairy and processed foods means that we are taking in far more fat, refined sugar and preservatives than we were naturally designed to process.

Over time, a diet that includes the wrong foods will lead to a build-up of waste and bacteria on the walls of the colon. In an effort to protect itself from unhealthy foods, the colon produces mucus and sludge, which also accumulate on the colon’s walls. This build-up of waste and other putrid elements is a fertile breeding ground for parasites and leads to the release of toxins into the bloodstream. A colon cleanse works to remove this toxic buildup and restores your colon to naturally good health.

An accumulation of waste in your colon can possibly lead to serious side effects. Poor colon health has been linked to abdominal pain, bloating and the flu. More serious side effects include the growth of parasites, an increase in allergic reactions, declining cardiovascular health, and even the possibility of cancer.

You should be aware of the wide array of symptoms that could indicate your need for a colon cleanse. Hemorrhoids, muscle pain and stiff joints, lethargy and fatigue, bloating and loss of appetite, headaches and even bad breath could all be warning signs of deteriorating colon health.

If you’ve never experienced it before, you might be apprehensive about the prospect of a colon cleanse. You might find the whole subject so distasteful you’d rather ignore it completely. But if you ever try a colon cleanse and feel the difference it makes to your whole body, it will likely become a regular routine for you.

The benefits of a colon cleanse include improvements in your skin and reductions in your allergies. Most people find that it’s easier to lose weight after a colon cleanse because their digestive system is functioning more effectively. A colon cleanse will likely give a boost to your immune system by reducing the amount of toxins that your body is being forced to ward off.

When your colon is functioning at its peak, it will improve your overall health After you complete a colon cleanse, it’s a good idea to help your body maintain your colon’s health as much as possible. You can help keep your colon clean by reducing processed foods and increasing fiber intake in your diet.

You’ll probably want to make a colon cleanse a regular part of your personal health care routine. How often you repeat it will depend on your body and your personal lifestyle. Most doctors suggest that you perform a colon cleanse about once a year. There are several different methods you can use to accomplish a colon cleanse. Sometimes you may be required to fast. Others may prescribe certain natural supplements to be taken together with certain foods. One average, a colon cleanse will take about one week

But there’s no question that regular colon cleansing will naturally make you feel better all over. The health improvements that you gain are well worth thinking the unthinkable and doing the distasteful. You will soon consider a colon cleanse to be a natural, healthy habit. But please don’t tell me about it at the water cooler.

Jim Mcdonald
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/treat-yourself-to-a-colon-cleanse-and-feel-the-difference-125685.html

Green Drink for Constipation

A green drink is a powerful drink that can help detoxify your colon and your blood. This drink keeps your colon and your whole body working better and longer.

There are many types of green drinks that are prepared with powders. But the green drink that I like is made using only liquid chlorophyll.

Chlorophyll has many benefits. It is capable of neutralizing substances that cause cell mutations and strengthens the cell walls of the small intestine and colon. It has an exceptional deodorizing effect on your body and on the stools you have during a bowel movement.

I drink my green drink the first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. This helps to activate your colon and stimulate it to have a bowel movement.

Here’s how I prepare my green drink.

* Add 1-2 oz of pure liquid chlorophyll into an empty glass (you may want to start with a tablespoon or two)

* Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the glass

* Fill the glass with 8 oz of distilled water

* Drink the combination completely

I add lemon juice to the chlorophyll because chlorophyll has a dull and blank taste that is uncomfortable for me. With lemon, it’s a drink that I enjoy taking every morning

If you have other health issues you want to work on, you can add other nutrients or liquids to this green drink. You can add a few drops of a product called Oxygen Elements Plus, which also is good for constipation and helps to detoxify your colon even more. You can add Alkalife, an alkaline water booster, which adds minerals to your drink.

From the clients that I have worked with, I have found that this chlorophyll drink helps them get better blood test results. Their blood is a little thinner. They carry more oxygen into the cells. Their blood cell count goes up.

Use this drink and you will keep drinking every morning just like I do, especially if you like lemon juice.

Is Colon Cleansing Safe?

Colon cleansing is the process of introducing gentle jets of water into the large intestine for washing away waste matter and toxins. But is colon cleansing safe and what exactly does it involve? Preserving colon health is imperative for many reasons, with the most important being the role of the large intestine in evacuating organic waste from the body. Roughly the shape of a large letter “M”, the colon ranges in length from between four and a half to five and a half feet and is about two and a half inches wide. While the small intestine is wedged between the stomach and liver, the colon stops at the anus.

The colon is the portion of the digestive tract responsible for temporarily holding waste before it exits the body. Substandard colon health can impede the body’s ability to properly dispose of waste. In fact, a contaminated colon can potentially lead to other medical conditions including:

• Digestive Disorder
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Problem Skin (acne)
• Fatigue

When properly administered, colon cleansing has proven to be very safe, especially with recent updates in equipment and technique. Enemas were the old-fashioned answer to the colon cleansing dilemma. Unfortunately, enemas are also to blame for many concerns over colon cleansing safety. Enemas differ from bowel irrigation in their value; enemas typically cleanse only the lower 20% of the colon. With roughly eighty percent of the large intestine left untreated by an enema, the procedure doesn’t provide the same effectiveness as modern colon hydrotherapy. Some of the health benefits associated with colonic irrigation:

• Removal of Trapped Fecal Matter
• Expulsion of harmful bacteria
• Encouraged growth of beneficial intestinal flora
• Improved colorectal muscular activity
• Expulsion of harmful organisms

Other than water irrigation, many variations of digestive health treatments have emerged with colon cleansing being the chief aim. In fact, you can now obtain colon cleansing supplements featuring organic compounds to help the colon cleanse and heal itself. For example, Oxy-Powder® works by activating oxygen within the intestinal tract and is an excellent choice for helping to maintain colon efficiency along with your colon hydrotherapy sessions. Even though colon hydrotherapy has existed for years, the ultimate question remains—is colon cleansing safe?

Frequent Colon Cleansing Safety Concerns

When it comes to the question of safety, there are a number of common colon cleansing concerns:

• Pain: Some individuals base their decisions on a simple idea—does it hurt? Colon hydrotherapy is routinely described as “reinvigorating” or “refreshing.”
• Penetration of Treatments: Just how deeply the colon cleansing apparatus enters the body is another top safety concern. Enemas affect only the first eight to twelve inches of the colon. Colon cleansing treatments penetrate more deeply so as to provide a thorough cleansing for the entire length of the colon, but are relatively safe if administered by a hydrotherapy specialist.
• Risk of Infection: Perhaps one of the biggest concerns with colon cleansing concerns potential exposure to harmful bacteria and viruses. Modern advances in colon cleansing equipment, like the use of disposable pre-sterilized hoses and tips, help ensure a germ-free colon cleansing experience.

But Is Colon Cleansing Safe?

Colon irrigation promotes no direct side effects. Nonetheless, the process of eliminating toxins can cause some minor intestinal problems. Once the mucous buildup begins to leave the body, minute amounts may be reabsorbed along the way. The toxin absorption can result in cold or flue like symptoms (which may include nausea, headaches, and dizziness) but will ultimately reverse itself once the outflow diminishes. In fact, getting rid of all that toxic debris can lead to increased energy, mental clarity, and overall feelings of wellbeing.

Proper Colon Cleansing

Variations in bowel irrigation techniques also promote increased safety. For example, modern hydrotherapy systems, like colon cleansing board kits, utilize temperature-controlled water for cleansing the colon. Recent developments include a specially designed speculum to assist in delivering the water into the large intestine gently to reduce the possibility of tissue damage. Additionally, colon hydrotherapy equipment also maintains the water pressure and temperature so the cleansing is conducted at a uniform rate. Therefore, via a combination of advancements in material technology and the application of the cleansing by a professional, you can be assured colon cleansing can be a very safe procedure indeed!

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Constipation Home Remedies Using Juices

Apple Juice, Figs and Raisins

Here’s another constipation home remedy using apple juice with other fruit. Eat it the first thing in the morning before breakfast.

In a blender, put in a cup of fresh apple juice. Add equal amounts of dry or fresh figs and raisins and a small organic apple. Choose how many figs and raisins to use. You will need to experiment a little. Get a consistency that is not too thick. Add a little more apple juice if needed.

Eat this home remedy for a few days until you start to get some relief from your constipation.

Oat Milk with Fig Juice or Prune Juice

Buy oat milk at the health food store. In the morning, warn 8 oz of oat milk and add the following:

” 3 oz of fig juice or prune juice

” Two droppers full of licorice extract.

Or you can mix one glass of 50% fig juice and 50% prune juice. Drink this first thing in the morning. This powerful home remedy will get your bowels moving. Drink this combination first thing in the morning.

Stewed Figs

Take 10 – 12 clammy figs and stew them in two glasses of distilled water (16 oz) for 10 minutes. Let them sit in this water overnight.

In the morning remove the figs, warm and drink the juice. Eat the figs though out the day.

Or prepare a blended drink of,

” Three or more figs, fresh or sun dried

” One banana

” 1 tablespoon of honey or molasses

” one cup of rice dream

Drink first thing in the morning and any time after lunch or dinner.

The following juices provide you with some powerful constipation home remedies that you can use right away.

Mulberry Juice

Mulberry juice has many health benefits. It is good for digestive tract illnesses. It can stimulate digestion and assimilation of nutrients in the small intestine. It is useful for older people for reliving constipation.

Mulberry contains many minerals and vitamins.

Boysenberry

Boysenberry juice has a gentle natural laxative action on your bowel. When your constipation is mild, this juice will help move things in your colon.

Blackberries

Mix ½ cup of distilled water and ½ cup of blackberries. Drink this first thing in the morning to promote peristaltic movement. Drink this often and it will make you regular.

Blackberries are high in vitamin C.

Cherries

Cherries are high in antioxidants, fiber, potassium, and many other minerals, which are effective in neutralizing body acid. Cherries contain vitamins B-1, B-2, folic acid and niacin.

Cherries have laxative effects and can start peristaltic action.

Eat fresh cherries throughout the day or drink three 8 oz glasses of cherry juice during the day.

Buy cherry juice in glass container.

Elderberry Juice

Can be used to help reduce the symptoms of colds, flu, and diabetes. It also helps to relieve constipation, diarrhea, and hemorrhoids. Drink 1-2 glasses each day. Increase the quantity if necessary.

Drinking any of these juices between meals will help you to get rid of constipation and keep your bowels moving.