Home Remedies for Constipation

Constipation is a chronic health condition that is caused due to various reasons including stress, dehydration and lack of proper exercise. In this condition, you will be in trauma due to the pain caused by it. Even though constipation may not be a big problem but may be a serious problem in some people, but you need not worry as constipation can be treated. Based on the seriousness of the problem, you may cure it with simple home remedies or may consult a doctor, to get relieved from the painful bowel movements.

Home Remedies to cure constipation:

Listed below are some of the best home remedies that can work wonders and cure constipation. These remedies will help you ease your bowel movements and makes it easy to pass.

The first thing you do when you are constipated is to use laxatives, but you don’t need them as they do more harm than good. Regular intake of laxatives may damage your colon or cause inflammation to your intestine. Increasing the intake of to fiber in your food, drinking more water/ fluids and exercising regularly will help you in getting rid of constipation.

Remember always that, you should never suppress the urge to have a bowel movement even if you are in a busy schedule.

Home Remedies for Constipation

Eat Grain Products Every Day:
Cereals, starchy vegetables such as green peas, corn, beans and potatoes and whole wheat bread are some of the grain products.  Consuming these grain products help you get a huge quantity of fiber in your daily food. Cereals will provide high fiber, i.e., around 5 or 6 grams of fiber.

Barley is one good diet supplement that helps you get relieved from constipation. You can take barley in the form of flakes, flour or grits.

Fruits and Vegetables:

Add fruits and vegetables, including apples, apricots, sweet potatoes, berries, peaches, tomatoes, oranges, pears, spinach, prunes, peas, cauliflower, carrots and broccoli to your daily diet. Try to take the whole fruit or vegetable instead of juice as they produce more fiber compared to juices.

• Eating apples after your meal helps you prevent constipation. While apple cider and apple juice act as natural laxatives and help you preventing constipation. 
• Taking two ripe bananas between your meals will relieve you from painful constipation. It’s good to avoid green bananas, as they worsen up your problem.
• Eating a handful of raisins after your meals also works. Rhubarb is another natural laxative. Try eating rhubarb regularly. Cook it and add some honey, or use it in a baked pie, or make a juice with cooked rhubarb puree with some honey and apple juice.

Cut down refined foods from your diet:

Stop taking refined foods and try replacing them with high-fiber and less refined foods. Start switching from processed cereals to wholegrain cereals, over cooked vegetables to slightly cooked vegetables and start using whole wheat grains as a substitute to white flour. Doing this will help you enhance fiber intake.

Increase fiber intake:

You need to make sure that you eat a little more extra dietary fiber. But ensure that you increase fiber intake gradually as they are hard to digest and you may get gassy. Fiber intake adds up mass to the stool, stimulating the colon to pass things along. Generally, you can find fiber in fruits, grains, vegetables and beans. The fiber supplements also supplies a variety of other vital nutrients. Also make sure that you drink a lot of water, to make the fiber movement smooth through your digestive system.

Blackstrap molasses:

Blackstrap molasses can help to get relieved of constipation. Do not use it on a daily basis as it is very high in calories. Just take 2 tablespoons of molasses before going to bed. If you cannot bear the strong taste, add little milk or fruit juice to it.

Honey:

Honey can also be used as a very mild laxative. Take 1 tbsp of raw honey twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, you can also mix it with warm water. If it is not working then try mixing it with blackstrap molasses or 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar of same quantity. Since honey is also high in calories, better you it occasionally.

Try a hot cup of coffee:

Coffee works well in simulating the digestive tract, with all bitter-tasting ingredients present in it. You can replace coffee with Oregon grape (an herb) if you don’t like it. The roots of this plant have been used to overcome constipation since olden times. For best results try mixing 1/2 teaspoon of Oregon grape tincture with water and sip slowly before having a meal.

Beans:

Another good source for fiber is beans. An assortment of beans include lima beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, pinto beans, red beans, legumes or some dried beans help you get rich fiber food.  You may not consider beans as good sources of fiber as they cause gassiness. To minimize the problem, you have to cook beans properly and all them to your diet little by little.

Sesame / Til seeds:

Sesame seeds help in softening the contents of the intestines making their elimination much easier. You can eat 1/2 ounce of sesame seeds a day. Remember you need to drink plenty of water while taking these seeds. You can sprinkle these seeds on salads and other foods. 
You can also use seed mixtures to relieve constipation. Mix 2 to 3 sunflower seeds with a few sesame seeds, flax seeds and almonds and ground them into a fine powder and take 1 tbsp of this seed mixture every day, for about a week for better results. This powder not only helps easing constipation but also rejuvenates the intestine walls.

Use oils:

Vegetable oils including safflower oil, soybean oil acts as lubricating agents in the intestines. Until you got the problem under control, take 2 to 3 tablespoons daily. Enhance the intake of oils instead of butter, as this may turn up into a weight problem from a constipation problem. If you’re not comfortable in taking oil directly, mix it with herbs, vinegar or lemon juice.  Using oil and the fiber combined in the salad will fix the problem soon.
Castor oil is another sure shot cure for constipation. Drinking 1 spoon of castor oil will help you in killing intestinal worms. You can also add a tbsp of castor oil with a glass of warm milk before bed at night to get rid of constipation.

Exercise:

Exercise is the best way to keep yourself fit and eases your bowel movements. You will be active only when you exercise regularly, then only your bowel movements will be active. So, gear yourself up and exercise on a regular basis. Simple walking will be very useful, even a little work out is better than nothing at all.

Medication:

Take around 400 mg of magnesium of equally divided doses daily. You better use magnesium in organic forms such as amino acid chelate, magnesium citrate, magnesium aspartate, magnesium ascorbate etc. 

Psyllium husk powder:

Take 1 tablespoon of psyllium husk powder dissolved in around 250 0r 300 ml of water and quickly drink it two times a day.

Triphala powder:

 Triphala churna consists of Amla, Haritaki and Vibhitaki, which is a good laxative that regulates your bowel movements and digestion. Take one teaspoon of triphala powder with warm water or honey twice daily, once early in the morning (on empty stomach) and once before going to bed. This powder replaces the chemical laxatives.

Maintain a food diary:

Keep a detailed log of the diet you are taking, this helps you know which foods are causing constipation and which are not.

Tips To Avoid Constipation:

With the aim of avoiding and curing constipation, it is important to keep up healthy food habits. 

1. Avoid eating food containing maida (white flour) and other processed foods
2. Eat rich fiber food i.e., fruits and vegetables into your diet
3. Include jeera, ajwain and haldi to your food, as they help in digestion
4. Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water every day
5. Ensure that you have one glass of warm water before going to bed and every in the morning

Constipation can be completely cured, all you have to do is follow some of these simple home remedies and ease up things in the morning.