Natural Solutions for Constipation

How To Know If You Are Constipated

If you have constipation, it means that you don't have regular bowel movements. In an ideal world you should have at least one movement a day. In fact most experts in the area would suggest that you have a bowel movement after each meal. I know that even good movers don't go that often! All the same, what goes in should come out within a 24 hour period. If this is not not happening then you do need to do something about this.

Those of you that experience constipation will know how uncomfortable it is. Symptoms of bloating, weight gain, abdominal pain, grumpiness, and irritation. It is amazing how badly being constipated can affect your energy levels. You may have bad breath or your tongue may be coated in what looks like a white or yellow fungus. Bad breath is embarrassing and worse still if you don't even realise it. Symptoms of constipation can also include headache or skin rashes.

What causes constipation?

Common causes of constipation can be something simple like lack of exercise or movement. Food intolerance, not enough water or fibre, and hormonal changes, especially during the Perimenopause are other causes. Aim to drink up to one and half litres of water per day. Fruit juices like beetroot or prune, or herb teas that contain milk thistle or dandelion may help. To increase fibre, include oats, muesli, fruit, plenty of leafy vegetables, linseeds, chia seeds, psyllium husks, brown rice, figs, and prunes. In my experience, wheat is the most common food that contributes to constipation. See if you can notice any change by reducing the amount of bread, cakes, buns, and pasta. Having a healthy gut microbiome is essential. Foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and kefir are great foods to eat to support gut health.

Supplements to help constipation

There are many supplements that can help you deal with constipation. I will talk about a couple of them here. For example to help you top up on your friendly gut microbiome there are lots of probiotic supplements, one of my favourites is Udo’s Choice Super 8 Immune. This is a one a day blend to support gut and immune health as it contains 8 strains of friendly bacteria and Vitamin C. If you have constipation caused by Irritable Bowel Disease you many need more bifidum bacteria which support the bowel. Super 8 Gold contains 102 billion friendly bacteria per capsule. 80% of which are bifidum bacteria, the main strain used in the lower bowel.

If lack of fibre is your main concern consider taking Optibac Probiotics Bifido&Fibre, my go to supplement when people tell me that they do get enough fibre in their diet. This combines the highly researched probiotic strain Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12 with 4g of prebiotic FOS fibers to increase natural gut bacteria, improve regularity and aid occasional constipation. It comes in sachet which you can add to food or drinks. It's suitable during pregnancy too.

My sister Linda at the shop has experienced constipation over the years. Her favourite supplement is Aloe Pura Gentle Action Aloe Vera Complex, she finds it very helpful for occasional use. She has recommended it to lots of customers too. It is taken at night to encourage movement the next day. It contains Aloe Vera, Liquorice, Dandelion, and probiotics to support gut health and to maintain intestinal health in general.

Constipation is a symptom you can have in the perimenopause. Many women will experience constipation for the first time when they begin the menopausal journey. In this case I would try Irish Botanica Milk Thistle, because improved liver function can support gut motility.

This is just some of our supplements to help improve constipation. Let us know if you have any questions. We would love to help.

I hope that you can get your gut moving with these tips!