Monday 18 February 2013

Top Fiber and Constipation Tips Directory

February is National Fiber Focus Month and it has spurred me on to create as many articles about fiber, constipation, bowel problems and anything else related to that topic. 

Fiber Articles

Find out what this month is all about and how you can get more fiber into your diet.

Dietary fiber is made up of these two types and they are both vital for a healthy digestive system.

Tips To Beat Constipation

Chronic constipation can often be cured by following these 5 easy tips

Exercise

By getting regular exercise you will stimulate the deep intestinal muscles which are used during a bowel movement. Keep your body healthy by getting at least 30 minutes a day. You might like to try these programs:







Water

Getting enough water everyday will really help to ease your constipation.


Food and Recipes

Since fiber is the plant based material that your body doesn't absorb you'll have to find ways to incorporate it into your diet. Here you'll find the best recipes and types of food to get the best amount of fiber.


Chic peas are high in fiber and this yummy recipe will get you that boost you need.

5 Tasty Snack To Beat Constipation

Medicines



Feel free to recommend suggestions as this list will be getting bigger and bigger as time goes by.

Thursday 7 February 2013

Top Five Tips To Beat Constipation

Like most people you'll probably find that you get constipation once in a while but after a couple of days it resolves itself and you go back to your normal schedule. But, what do you do if you're still struggling to get a bowel movement after a couple of days? Take a look through these five scenarios to see if you can improve your situation and get back to your regular self - pun totally intended. 

Water

How much water are you drinking? If you're not drinking at least 8 cups a day (sodas do not count but black tea and coffee do) then you can easily bung yourself up. As your food moves through your digestive track the nutrients are absorbed along with some water and the waste is moved along with the fiber in your diet. However, if you're not drinking enough then things dry up and it becomes increasingly difficult to move through the intestines. 

A tip I use to get things moving again is to drink half your weight (lbs) in oz plus 10 more oz. So, if you weigh 150lbs then you need to drink 85 oz of water a day so keep things running smoothly.

Fiber

Like I mentioned before waste is helped through the intestines by fiber and if your diet is lacking in that vital substance then everything will get stuck.A healthy diet should contain at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables and it should come from a variety of different sources. If you've been honest with yourself and you are getting your 5 a day then bump this up to 9 -10 servings a day as your body might just need more to keep you healthy; just think of all the vitamins and minerals you'll be getting.

Exercise

Have you ever been running and then half way through had a really strong urge to use the bathroom? That's because all that moving around helps to get the intestinal muscles moving along too. If you've got a bit of a lazy bowel which is reluctant to squeeze then some gentle exercise like yoga or swimming will be just the thing you need. Just make sure that you have a bathroom close by.

Stool Softener

If you've tried the above and you're still struggling in the bathroom then try and over-the-counter stool softener such as milk of magnesia. It gently works to soften your stools making them easier to pass. 
(These have often been a life saver for me)
 

Bio Yoghurts

The friendly bacteria in these yogurts can help to restore the natural balance in your gut. If you've been eating a lot of junk food or just haven't been eating very well then your tummy can easily get out of wack. Try eating a bio yogurt everyday and you should find that things return to normal in a week or so.

Summary

As long as you're following these five rules then your constipation should relieve itself naturally in a few days. However, if your still worried or in discomfort then have a quick visit with your doctor and they can rule out any other problems or offer you something a little stronger to get you going again.

Sunday 3 February 2013

New Year New Start

First of all I would like to say a huge thanks to all of you who have been stopping by to read my blog and leave comments, I really appreciate it. I haven't been here for quite sometime but that's because I've been writing about a whole bunch of health related topics over on Squidoo and HubPages.

This blog post is really just an update with what's been going on in the last 6 months or so (really nothing too exciting). I'm still on Clexane but my hematologist is thinking about getting my onto Warfarin in the next few months which will be a huge relief because my tummy is so bruised from the injections.

My hair loss is improving and I've started to get some nice growth back. I think I was suffering so much from it due to a combination of Clexane and stress and now that my stress levels are reducing and my body is getting used to the Clexane it's starting to revert to normal.

My weight is still an issue and I'm still overweight by about 50lbs so 2013 is going to be all about the weight loss and getting into a healthy range. In January I managed to lose a few inches and about 2% body fat but I really need to up the intensity a bit and really focus in on my diet. The main motivation being that it will be easier to walk and I will be able to reduce the amount of Clexane I have to take as it is mainly calculated through your weight.

In January I had my IVC Filter removed as my clot has become nice and stable. The procedure meant that I was in hospital for two days and an extra day off work to recovery (that was a nice day off). However, when I went to have the filter out they didn't sedate me this time and it was not a great experience. I was expecting to just feel a tiny tug here and there but it was as if my guts were being pulled up through me and there was a horrible pain in my next but I was strapped down so I couldn't do anything about it. If I have to have that procedure again I'm going to be sedated like the first time.

So, that's pretty much everything that's been going on for the last couple of months really. I'm going to try and get on here more frequently now, at least once a month to give you more updates on what's happening. As normal if you have any questions leave me a comment or e-mail me from the contact us tab.