The Western culture thrives on pills. Since the dawning of the age of television ads, the medical community has coasted into a media which mesmerizes viewers with the ever popular myth of the “magic pill.” Since there is a part in all of us that wants to believe in magic health, happiness and sexual vitality, advertisers are more than delighted to present plastic bottles of pills, pink or white liquid, or chocolaty foil packets filled with magic combinations of lab manufactured chemicals that are sure to launch you in any direction you wish to go. If the “natural” remedies for constipation suit you, vegetable based remedies are also offered, with the same outcome. When these chemicals cause adverse reactions in the body, labs have produced more chemicals to magically make them disappear, too. But when is it time to stop believing in magic chemicals that are lifted up like rabbits out of a hat, and understand the body as an intelligent, organic entity?

Signs of Constipation

Abdominal bloating with a sense of fullness

The inability to move the bowels at least once per day, leaving you with a relaxed “cleaned out” feeling

Bowel movements that: are thin and tooth-paste like; are scant marble-like formations; leave you feeling “not finished”

What Your Colon is Trying to Tell You
If food waste is gathering up in your colon causing constipation, the intelligence of your “second brain” is sending out a clear message. You are not ingesting foods and liquids that contain proper cleansing properties. If you are answering back with chemicals that force the colon into reducing the waste matter into diarrhea, there is a friendlier approach.

How Laxatives Work

Stimulation of the bowel muscles. These particular chemicals both relax and stimulate certain muscles and force the colon to absorb water and electrolytes from other areas of the body. This causes unpredictable diarrhea, dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. (Is diarrhea an acceptable remedy for constipation?)

Irritation of the intestinal walls. “Natural” plant based laxatives (containing aloe, buckthorn, rhubarb and senna) literally aggravate the intestines into grabbing crucial water from the surrounding tissues and blood vessels. This again, causes diarrhea and dehydration.

Bulk fiber. This is the least of all evils, but bottled powders cannot match a diet rich in nutrients and natural fiber.

What You Can Do to Balance Your System
If you are constipated, don’t panic. If your constipation occurs without other troublesome symptoms, take a deep breath. More than likely you are constipated due to a poor diet, dehydration, a nervous bowel, quitting coffee or cigarettes, or a combination of these factors. Regardless of the cause, the end remedy is the same:

Eat one or two pears per day, and lots of other fruits and veggies.

Switch from white flour and rice products to whole grain products.

Take two to three doses of probiotics daily.

Take in two tablespoons of raw olive oil daily. Sometimes fiber isn’t enough and some lubrication is needed. You can sprinkle it over your rice or veggies.

Drink lots of water. Two to three quarts per day, or high fiber can lead to constipation!

Exercise. It doesn’t matter what kind, just move your body in any way that you find relaxing.

If you are desperate, prunes or prune juice work, but too much can cause diarrhea. Everyone is different, so start with small amounts.

If your constipation is a result of emotional stress, please see my Four Agreements Book Review

High Fiber Food Chart

High Fiber Recipes


*Please know that I am not a medical doctor or a health practitioner. I cannot diagnose your stomach problems nor can I guarantee a cure. I am here to share my knowledge, which applications have worked for me and to offer suggestions of where you may go physically, emotionally and spiritually for healing and self-empowerment. If you choose to explore alternative medicine, do not independently stop taking your prescribed medications. Always consult with your current doctor as well as your new practitioner when changing your medical program.