Are you regular or do you suffer from occasional constipation?  Doctors often say that we all have different schedules. We may eliminate a number of times per week, or, on the contrary, eliminate once or twice per week. Is one healthier than the other?

If you look to nature, you’ll notice that animals poop shortly after they eat. Americans tend to be constipated. The biggest reason is that our diet is highly processed and lacking of fiber needed for healthy bowel function. Consequently, the healthy “two to three bowel movements per day” is significantly dwindled to once or twice a week, or even less frequent than that.

Does it matter how frequently you poop? 

To answer this question, think of a toilet. If everyone used the toilet but didn’t flush it, bacteria would form and it would become an unhealthy environment. Additionally, the toilet would be so full, that it may get clogged. So what do you think happens to your body when you fail to properly eliminate your waste? The colon builds up toxins that eventually cause the body to break down.

In order to maintain healthy bowel function you need to: 1) eat a proper diet, 2) drink plenty of water, 3) get adequate exercise, and 4) maintain healthy stress levels.

Eat a proper diet

That includes fiber! High-fiber diets help with digestion. Whole, fresh fruits and vegetables; plant-based proteins like nuts and seeds, and whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, millet, and oats contain fiber. Soda, sugar, baked goods, fast food and processed foods do not.

Women need 25 grams of fiber per day, and men need 38 grams per day, according to the Institute of Medicine. Our 360 Complete Shake contains 11g of dietary fiber. Half an ounce of Mila contains a hefty 5.5 grams of fiber, important for supporting digestion, promoting weight loss and helping prevent constipation. Additionally, Probiotic has been shown to promote gut health.

Drink plenty of water

Water helps hydrate the body, including the digestive tract. Dehydration is a common culprit for constipation. Sixty percent¹ of your body is made up of water. It’s essential for maintaining life-sustaining reactions. It carries nutrients, oxygen, and waste products throughout the body.

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Exercise regularly

Your digestive tract is one long muscular tube from your mouth, all the way down to your anus.  When you exercise, you tone ALL muscles in your body, including your digestive tract.  Exercising also helps stimulate peristalsis, which is the contraction of the muscle tissue in the intestines.

Maintain healthy stress levels

Stress in any form may impede the body’s ability to eliminate waste.  When the body tenses up, it is unable to flow and perform optimally. Look for ways you can mitigate your stress throughout the day. Adopt a breathing technique, take a walk, do a five-minute meditation.  In the evening before bed try taking a warm bath. Getting healthy sleep at night will help you better manage stress during the day and maintain your body’s natural schedule.

Provide gentle relief with HealthTrim® Cleanse

Our HealthTrim Cleanse (liquid and capsule) products contain an all-natural, proprietary blend of herbs and botanicals formulated for the purpose of providing gentle relief of occasional constipation.* The primary ingredient in this product is cascara sagrada. Based on anecdotal reports, cascara as ingredient alone can produce a bowel movement within 6-8 hours, but it may not occur for 24 hours after administration.  Learn more about HealthTrim Cleanse.

Creating healthy bowel habits takes time.  Be patient with the process; but also be consistent.  For example, even if you do not have the urge to eliminate first thing in the morning, sit on the toilet for three to five minutes anyway. Create the space for your body to do what it is naturally designed to do, and it will likely follow suit. Developing healthy bowel activity may help you maintain better health and well-being.

 

¹http://www.h4hinitiative.com/book/print/68