Embarrassing as it sounds all women suffer from constipation from time to time. Although constipation is not recognised as a serious condition women who feel constipated feel bloated, sluggish and miserable. And to make matters worse sufferers often experience painful bowel movements and an increased risk of haemorrhoids (piles) through straining.

To understand what causes constipation you need to understand what is going on in your digestive system. When you eat, food is ground up in your stomach into a liquid which passes into your small intestine so that nutrients can be extracted. After that it moves on to your colon where the water is removed and stools are formed. When too little water is extracted as it passes through the colon you will suffer from diarrhoea but if too much water is extracted the stool becomes hard and inflexible and you will suffer from constipation.

 

Women tend to suffer from constipation more than men and the reasons for this include hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and dieting. Other causes include not eating enough fibre, not drinking enough water, not getting enough exercise, and high levels of stress. Any change in daily routine, such as going on holiday when eating patterns and the drinking water alters can cause constipation.  Constipation can also be caused by a ‘lazy colon’ that does not contract properly, food allergies that can cause the bowel motion to change and prescription drugs or neurological disorders that slow down the movement of waste materials through the colon. But perhaps one of the most common causes is the fast pace of modern living and lack of time.

 

Some people have an ideal time of day to have a bowel movement but if they are on a train or driving or in a business meeting they are forced to ignore the urge and this can cause constipation. In addition, not giving your body enough time to digest your food properly so you can have a healthy bowel movement is just as important as eating enough naturally high fibre foods (not refined bran), drinking plenty of water and getting exercise. With a lot of women leading increasingly busy lives, time is something most of us don’t have enough off so instead of making time to deal with constipation we reach for laxatives instead as a quick fix solution. I don’t recommend laxatives because although they can encourage a bowel movement they can lead to dependency, deplete your body of vital nutrients and can damage nerve cells in your colon and interfere with its ability to contract properly. I also don’t recommend them because most women who think they need laxatives don’t need them at all.

 

Bowel movement frequency varies for a number of reasons, including age, diet and differences in your body rhythm. Some women go twice a day but it is healthy to go at least once a day.  A healthy stool is medium brown and leaves the body easily with no straining or discomfort. It should have the consistency of toothpaste and there should be little gas or odour.

 

You may not know this but in 1990 the British Medical Scale published a scale called The Bristol Scale which is a list of the consistency of different kinds of bowel motion:

 

1. Separate hard lumps, like nuts

2. Sausage shaped, but lumpy

3. Like a sausage or snake, but with cracks on the surface

4. Like a sausage or snake, smooth and soft

5. Soft blobs with clear-cut edges

6. Fluffy pieces with ragged edges, a mushy stool

7. Water, no solid pieces

 

You are aiming to have a bowel motion that is a no. 3 or 4, anything other than that on a regular basis is not healthy and needs to be rectified. 

 

It is important to bear in mind that chronic constipation can be a symptom of something more serious than a busy schedule or lack of time. It can be a symptom of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), a bowel disorder that makes the lives of as many as one in five women a misery with its symptoms such as abdominal pain, flatulence, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea and depression. If you are diagnosed with IBS you will need a treatment plan but for common cases of constipation without the accompanying symptoms of IBS the following tips will spell relief.

 

Natural ways to prevent and treat constipation

 

Go for fibre: A high fibre diet made up of lots of five servings a day of fresh fruits and vegetables and three to six servings of whole grains increases the bulk and softness of your stools so that they can pass more easily through your intestines. You should aim for around 30 g of fibre a day. Start the day with a no added sugar, high fibre cereal, like soaked muesli or porridge and a piece of fruit, take dried fruit to work as a snack, have a sandwich at work on whole grain bread or rye, snack on vegetables as a snack and then have legumes and plenty of raw and cooked vegetables for dinner.  If you aren’t used to eating this much fibre you may find that you get gas. To avoid this increase your fibre intake gradually over a period of several weeks and make sure you chew well. 

 

Add linseeds –  Sprinkle 15 ml (1 tablespoon) of linseeds on to your morning breakfast cereal or better still soak one tablespoon (15 ml) of whole linseeds overnight in water and swallow first thing. 

 

Iron problems:  If you think that your iron supplement is to blame consider a less constipating alternative or try to do without the supplement and choose more iron rich foods such as raisins, beans and dried apricots. (The iron supplement I use in the clinic is called Iron Complex and is made with an organic form of iron, iron citrate, so does not cause any changes in the bowels – see the Resources Page).

 

Drink plenty of water: Six to eight glasses of pure water a day is ideal. Keep coffee, colas and tea with caffeine to a minimum. Coffee depletes your body of vital nutrients and makes you urinate more and tea contains tannins which can trigger constipation.

 

Ditch saturated fat and sugar: Avoid red meat, cheese, refined sugar, chocolate, pastries and biscuits and anything made from white flour because these low fibre high fat and/or high sugar foods are notorious for causing constipation.

 

Get up and go: If you exercise regularly your bowel movements will become regular because any kind of movement improves bowel transit time. Aim for at least 30 minutes a day of aerobic activity such as brisk walking, swimming or dancing.

 

Time out: The reflex that causes your bowels to move typically comes about 20 minutes after a meal so even if you don’t feel the urge, sit on the toilet. This is a great way to retrain your bowels.

 

Don’t wait till you get home: If you don’t like using public toilets carry paper seat covers in your bag so that when the urge comes you can pay attention and visit a ladies’ room as soon as possible.

 

Prune juice: This quick fix naturally remedy seems to work well for almost everyone. Drink eight ounces of prune juice in the morning. A glass of lemon juice diluted in water drunk first thing in the morning has a similar effect on your bowels.

 

Supplementation with magnesium and vitamin C may have a mild laxative effect on the body.

 

A good probiotic such as BioKult (see the Resources Page) can also help promote a healthy environment within the colon and give you regular and comfortable bowel motions. 

 

Peppermint has a long history of helping relax the smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal tract and can be taken as a tea or in supplement form (see the Resources Page). 

 

Fibre supplements: Ideally you should get all your fibre from food but if you need to take supplements to quite literally move things along try psyllium husks.  (See the Resources Page)  Avoid laxatives because they can damage your bowels with regular use and make your colon too ‘lazy’ to contract, but if you must take them use them cautiously and only as a last resort when natural treatments have failed.  

 

Meditate, do yoga, go for a walk. Do things that will allow you to reduce your stress levels and help your body to relax. This can help relax your colon and encourage a bowel movement.

 

And finally, take your time when you are eating. Don’t gulp your food down. Chew it slowly and put your knife and fork down between bites to give your digestive system a chance to work its magic.

 

Note: See your doctor immediately if you notice bleeding, abdominal pain or have constipation for more than three weeks as there is potential for more serious problems like cancer, especially if you are over the age of 40.

Study after study has shown that many forms of cancer are preventable. The choices you make today can improve your chances of living a healthy and cancer-free life in the future. The following six steps can help you prevent many forms of cancer.

Don’t let smoke get into your eyes: If you smoke, quitting is the best thing you can do for your health right now. Around 30 percent of all cancer deaths are connected to smoking. Smoking has been linked to cancers of the lungs, mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, pancreas, cervix, kidneys and bladder. If you don’t smoke, try to avoid smoky areas as research also shows that there is a link between passive smoking and an increased risk of cancer.

 

Practice preventive care: The earlier cancer is found, the easier it can be treated. As your age increases, so does your need for cancer screenings. Seeing your doctor for regular exams can help you detect many forms of cancer early including cancers of the breasts, colon, rectum, cervix, tongue, mouth and skin.  If you are over forty you should also have a clinical breast exam every year and if you are over 50 you should also be tested every five years for colon and rectal cancers.

 

Stay in shape: Cancer researchers estimate that 15 percent of all new colon cancer cases could be prevented if everyone exercised for 30 to 60 minutes or more per day. Exercise can also reduce your risk of breast, kidney and womb cancers. Are you ready to begin reaping the benefits of regular exercise? Try to do something moderately active for 30 to 60 minutes most or all days of the week. Walking briskly for two miles can be a pleasant and rewarding pastime. Or you can swim, play tennis, garden or do housework. Have you ever thought about learning to dance? Dancing is another great way to have fun and stay in shape.

 

Eat a healthy diet: Cancers develop for many reasons so eating a healthy diet that includes super foods that are thought to help beat cancer won’t always keep you immune to the disease. Having said this there is without doubt a positive association between a healthy diet and cancer prevention. Damaged cells need to replicate in order to grow into cancer cells and some substances in our diet can either encourage this replication process and promote the growth of cancer or slow it down, so protecting you against cancer. According to the Cancer Research Foundation of America, 35 percent of all cancers may be linked to diet so are you doing all that you can to eat healthy?

Studies have shown that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, oily fish, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains and low in saturated fat, red meat and refined, processed foods may protect you from many forms of cancer. These foods contain high levels of antioxidants, fibre and other substances which help your body resist and fight cancer. Bear in mind, that despite all you may have heard about super foods for beating cancer, such as green tea, garlic, tomatoes or cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli – no one food can do it all. To get the best cancer protection, variety is the key to a healthy diet. You should also try to buy as much organic food as possible to avoid the risk of pesticides, additives, preservatives and colourings that have been linked to an increased risk of cancer.

 

Say no to that drink: If you drink alcohol, you can reduce your risk of many types of cancer by stopping or by limiting the amount you drink to no more than one a day, with a break of a few days a week with no alcohol.  lcohol has been linked to cancers such as breast, liver, rectum, mouth, oesophagus and bladder cancers.

 

Get some sunshine: Although you should avoid being out in the sun when its rays are at their most intense, from noon to 3 pm. this does not mean you should avoid sunlight completely in the early mornings or evenings as natural light is our main source of cancer fighting vitamin D.  Aim for at least 30 minutes of natural day light a day.

Q: Does eating potatoes count towards my five daily portions of fruit and vegetables?

A: As much loved as it is the potato doesn’t count towards your five daily fruit and vegetable portions. This is because it has a higher carbohydrate content than vegetables and when potatoes form part of a meal they are generally used in the same way as other sources of starchy carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta or rice, so they are classified as a carbohydrate food rather than a vegetable. Yams, cassava and plantain, also don’t count as vegetables but there is an exception and that is sweet potatoes.

Sweet potatoes are classed as a vegetable because the carbohydrate they contain breaks down more slowly. They also contain high levels of beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A in the body and helps protect against certain cancers and heart disease and has an anti-ageing effect.

 

Just because potatoes aren’t classed as a vegetable doesn’t mean they aren’t good for you but in moderation. They provide decent amounts of vitamin C, B-vitamins and iron and make a significant contribution to your overall intake of these nutrients. Jacket potatoes contain the highest amounts of vitamin C, followed closely by new potatoes.  Potatoes also contain hydroxycinnamic acids which are powerful antioxidants that help combat free radicals – substances which lower immunity and accelerate the ageing process. These antioxidants, along with vitamin C, tend to concentrate just below the skin, so this is why cooking and eating potatoes with the skin or jacket on makes sense nutritionally.  So it is better to buy organic potatoes, so the skin will not be loaded with pesticides and just scrub them lightly. 

 

Most varieties of potatoes are classed as high glycaemic index (GI) foods, which means the sugar they contains enters your blood stream fairly quickly giving you an instant energy boost followed by a low when blood sugar levels plummet, but you can lower their glycaemic value and keep your blood sugar levels and your appetite and mood stable by eating potatoes with protein e.g. eggs, tuna, baked beans (the no added sugar variety, not containing an artificial sweetener but sweetened with something like apple juice).  Jacket potatoes have the highest GI (85) followed by new potatoes (78), chips (75), mashed potatoes (74), sweet potatoes (61) and boiled old potatoes (56).  So if you have a jacket potato just have half and load it up with tuna and salad. 

 

Finally, be aware that the potatoes you eat are only as healthy as the method you use to cook them. Opt for baked or boiled potatoes and avoid deep fried potatoes or chips, which are typically high in unhealthy fats and cancer causing substances.