The Accountant-May-June 2017

HEALTH
more extreme cases. Follow the directions
on the label and don’t use it more often
than recommended.
Wikipedia concludes that you should
be wary of painkillers. Painkillers,
especially narcotic ones such, can cause
constipation. Though you shouldn’t stop
taking painkillers just to relieve your
constipation if you really need them,
talk to a doctor about alternatives. It is
estimated that millions of people suffer
from it in fact; it’s thought to affect
around 20% of Americans, resulting
in 8 million doctor visits per year.
Constipation can be brought about by
foods you eat or avoid; lifestyle choices,
medication or disease. When you are
constipated, your stool becomes hard and
your bowel movements are fewer, hard,
dry and difficult to pass.
NDTV update
In a recent popular survey done by a
global marketing research agency, 14%
of India’s urban population was found to
be suffering from chronic constipation.
The common symptoms these people
experienced, besides the stool issue,
were irritability, lack of interest in work,
mood swings, worry and embarrassment.
Then there was also abdominal swelling,
nausea, weight-loss and in some severe
cases, even vomiting. Loosen Up - This
is probably the most well known cure
for occasional constipation. Take some
warm water and add lemon juice and
honey to it. Lemon is a stimulant for
your digestive system and can help flush
out toxins. Honey cuts the sour taste and
some researchers believe that it works as
a mild laxative. You could also use some
salt instead of honey for two reasons: salt
is rich in magnesium which encourages
contraction of the bowel muscles and
two because it helps flush toxins from
the stomach and small intestine. How
to have it: Warm some water and add
about 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and half
a teaspoon of honey or a pinch of salt.
Ayurveda to the Rescue - Try having two
or three Triphala tablets (you could also
use the powdered form) with warm water
before you sleep. Triphala is made with
Harad also known as black myroblan and
works as a fantastic laxative. It has antibacterial,
anti-fungal and anti-parasitic
properties which makes it a great form of
treatment for diarrhea and other kinds of
infections as well. How to have it: Mix
one spoon Triphala powder in warm
water and drink it all in one go. Don’t eat
or drink anything after and let Triphala
work its magic through the night. The
mix tastes extremely bitter and in case
you have difficulty gulping it down, add
a spoon of honey to it.
Grease it Right - It’s important to
oil the tracks and so doctors suggest you
add more olive oil or ghee to your diet.
Castor oil works too. It’s a great laxative
as it increases the movement of the
intestines and helps clean them out. How
to have it: Take a spoon full of oil or use
a measuring cup to be sure. Have it on
an empty stomach and wait for around 8
hours or so for it to work its magic. Get
Your Fiber Fix - On an average, a woman
needs around 25 grams of fiber a day
and a man needs somewhere between 30
and 35 grams a day. In order to get your
digestive system back on track, you must
make sure what you’re eating is the right
amount. Oats are high in fibre and so are
lentils, flaxseeds and chia seeds. Prunes
are also rich in fibre and a natural laxative,
so you can have them as is or drink some
prune juice. Raisins are another great way
to get your system going. You can have
them as is or soak them in hot water,
crush and then eat. Dr Rupali Datta
recommends you include vegetables like
broccoli and spinach that are rich in
insoluble fibre. She also suggests figs and
honey. Fizzle it Out - The answer lies in
baking soda. When sodium bicarbonate
reacts with the acids in the stomach, it
produces salt, carbon dioxide and water.
This facilitates bowel movement and
cleanses the colon. How to have it: Take
1 teaspoon of baking soda and about
1/4th cup of warm water. This mix also
works for acidity and mild stomach pain.
The Right Diet - According to David
Frawley, author of the book Ayurvedic
Healing: A Comprehensive Guide, the
right kind of diet would be one without
oil, fat or sweets.
You must also avoid things like cheese,
breads, potatoes and pork. And instead,
you should include warm milk, ghee,
licorice tea, and ginger juice. Certain
ayurvedic doctors also recommend herbs
like aloe, psyllium and rose.
Health Tips
• Laxative Senna is commonly
used to relieve constipation.
It is usually not recommended
for people who are pregnant,
breastfeeding or have certain
health conditions, such as
inflammatory bowel disease.
• Probiotics may help treat
chronic constipation. You can try
eating probiotic foods or taking a
supplement. Supplements should
be taken daily for at least 4 weeks
to see if they work.
• You can speak to your doctor
or pharmacist about choosing
an effective laxative; they
may recommend one of the
following types: Bulking agent:
Stool softener: Stool softeners
contain oils to soften the stools
and ease their passage through
the gut. Stimulant laxative:
These stimulate the nerves
in your gut to increase bowel
movements. Osmotic laxative:
Osmotic laxatives soften your
stool by pulling water from the
surrounding tissues into your
digestive system.
• Try a Low-FODMAP Diet;
Constipation can be a symptom
of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
The low- FOODMAP diet is an
elimination diet that’s often used
to treat IBS. It could be effective
at treating your constipation if IBS
is the cause. FODMAP stands for
fermentable oligo-saccharides,
disaccharides, monosaccharides
and polyols. The diet involves
limiting high-FODMAP foods
for a period of time before
reintroducing them to determine
which ones you are allergic to.
Magnesium citrate supplement
also fight constipation as can
prunes because of their laxative
effect.
• Dairy intolerance can also
cause constipation, if you suspect
it; try removing it for a short
period and see if that makes a
difference.
• However, most of these
laxatives shouldn’t be taken
on a regular basis without first
speaking to your doctor.
authoritynutrition.com
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