Getting Your Baby To Start With Formula Feeding
By Dr John
Constipation – we all know the feeling. Most people suffer fromconstipation at least once in their lifetime. Constipation is not adisease, rather, it’s is a series of symptoms that can be caused by anynumber of things, from poor diet, lack of exercise, a side effect ofmedications, a side effect of a more serious illness or disease, andmajor changes in your life. People can suffer from constipation frominfancy and throughout their lives.

The most important thingto know is if you are actually suffering from constipation or if it isactually your body’s natural schedule. Each body works on it’s ownschedule. Being aware of your body’s schedule will enable you todetermine if you are suffering from the symptoms of constipation and ifyou should treat these symptoms.

Commercials for laxativeswould have you believe that everyone needs to have a bowel movement atleast once a day. This is not always the case. Some people need to havea bowel movement more often – they naturally defecate 2-3 times perday. Some people naturally defecate once per day - while still othersmay only need to defecate 2-3 times per week. There is no setprecedence. Each individual body functions according to it’s owntimetable.

So, when should you worry about constipation? Mostphysicians diagnose constipation if the following criteria are present:Less than 3 bowel movements in a week (less that 1 for more seriouscases), extreme difficulty passing feces, feces that is dry, hard, andsmall, and bloating or discomfort in the abdomen. Once you have beendiagnosed with constipation, you should develop a plan to decrease theepisodes of constipation as naturally as possible. While constipationis not in itself a serious ailment, the failure to treat it could leadto more serious illnesses.

Constipation Treatment

There are many constipation treatmentsavailable – from medications to natural treatments. In severe cases,your physician may recommend the use of laxatives for constipationrelief. But in most cases, the physician will want you to relieve

theconstipation with natural treatments. While laxatives may sometimes bea necessary constipation treatment, you will only want to relyon laxatives for short-term relief. Overuse of laxatives can cause yourdigestive system to become dependent on the laxatives and can disruptthe normal digestive cycle – this could lead to a more serious bout ofconstipation.

The best constipation treatment is onethat consists of a healthy diet and sufficient exercise. A healthy dietand exercise are essential for your overall health – and in turn, ahealthy digestive system is essential for your overall health. Ahealthy diet should consist of plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables,foods that are rich in fiber, and foods that are rich in Omega-3 fattyacids. You should limit your intake of foods that may triggerconstipation – such as dairy products, foods that may cause gas, andfoods that are high in protein. Some protein is necessary, of course,but foods like red meats, which have high protein content, can do moredamage to your digestive system than good.

You should also tryto avoid stress whenever possible. Stress and other life-changingevents can contribute to the onset of constipation. Should you findthat you are actually suffering from constipation, you should seeknatural constipation relief whenever possible. There are manynatural constipation treatments. Many of these can be used daily inorder to prevent constipation – and many can be used to provide constipation reliefafter the symptoms begin. Infants often suffer from constipation, astheir bodies need to adjust to changes more rapidly than adults. Agreat remedy for constipation relief in infants is adding corn syrup tothe formula. Corn syrup can also be added to warm water or warm milkfor older children and adults. It is very important for your overallhealth to be aware of your body’s natural digestive cycle and to dothings that will help your body to perform this cycle naturally. Livinga healthy lifestyle is the best thing that you can do for your body.