Natural techniques for resolving constipation without added fiber that can damage the colon and contribute to inflammatory conditions.
Constipation is a dangerous condition that slowly poisons and ages the body with toxin overload. It is especially dangerous for babies and children.
The diet of most Americans is composed primarily of processed junk and loads of sugar. Eating these types of foods regularly contributes greatly to the problem by unbalancing the gut environment.
It is no wonder that over-the-counter constipation remedies are some of the best-selling at pharmacies and grocery stores.
As many as 15-20% of Americans suffer from chronic constipation. Millions more have intermittent issues.
Some folks have little hope of going to the bathroom on any given day without their morning dose of Metamucil or a bowl of high-fiber bran cereals. This is a very unhealthy situation indeed!
Why Fiber is NOT the Best Constipation Remedy
Eating more fiber as suggested in conventional circles as a remedy for constipation is not a wise move. Fiber eaten in the quantities recommended can seriously damage the colon over the long term.
Think of using fiber to resolve constipation as the “roto-rooter” approach to solving the problem.
OUCH.
The book Fiber Menace warns that high-fiber diets produce large stools that stretch and damage the intestinal tract. In addition, too much fiber upsets the natural balance of beneficial bacteria.
The end result of years of eating a high-fiber diet as a band-aid approach to constipation is more severe constipation. This can contribute to the development of Crohn’s disease, IBS, hernias, colitis, and ironically, even hemorrhoids.
Incidentally, getting a colonoscopy has a similar effect doing more harm than good!
It is simply unnecessary to consume fiber such as psyllium seed husks (the main ingredient in Metamucil) in order to have normal stools.
In fact, many healthy traditional cultures ate diets that included little fiber.
Fiber from grains is the most difficult to digest of all. Consider yourself warned.
The result of the USDA-endorsed high fiber, grain-heavy diet is long-term digestive distress far and beyond the annoyance of constipation!
Natural Remedies for Regular Bowel Movements
As one gradually transitions from high fiber to a low-fiber traditional diet, care must be taken to eat plenty of whole animal fats and bone broths that strengthen the intestinal environment.
In addition, any temporary issues with constipation can easily be handled with the no fiber strategies outlined below.
Tip: As you are working to resolve slow-moving bowels, witch hazel on a cotton pad will soothe and shrink the tissues to help heal rectal irritation, swelling, or hemorrhoids.
Chiropractic Adjustments
Many people do not realize that spinal subluxations can cause infrequent bowel movements which are a form of energy blockage.
Hence, a simple chiropractic adjustment can resolve constipation issues very quickly!
This method is particularly helpful as a baby constipation remedy, where the trauma of the birth process can sometimes result in an imbalanced skeletal system.
On a related note, an inexpensive stool called a squatty potty (I recommend this one) can help align the spine and hips properly while going to the bathroom so that elimination is much easier and more complete.
Exercise (rebounding)
Exercise has long been known to relieve constipation and promote regular bathroom habits. If jogging or being a gym rat is not your thing, however, it is easy to exercise in the comfort of your own living room with a simple rebounder or exercise ball.
Rebounding stimulates lymphatic activity extremely well and gets things moving very quickly.
Even better, if your kids have a trampoline in the backyard, spend some quality family time with them and tone up your colon at the same time by spending a few minutes bouncing with them each day!
Cleansing Herbs
There are many herbs that assist with elimination problems. Triphala and Slippery Elm are probably my two personal favorites. In lieu of becoming an herbal expert, it is easier to use blended detox tea from the healthfood store.
If you don’t enjoy tea or need more convenience, these herbal constipation capsules that include stool softening magnesium are very effective, convenient, safe, and inexpensive.
Taking a non-fiber constipation supplement or a few nontoxic detox teabags when you travel is a good idea.
It helps keep things moving when the stress of travel, changing time zones, and sitting for long periods on airplanes or in cars can throw bathroom habits off schedule.
Probiotics
A good balance of beneficial bacteria in the gut is essential to a healthy colon. A sign that things are in good shape is regular elimination, well-formed stools, and no straining.
Probiotics are best consumed on a daily basis in frequent, small doses in the form of lacto-fermented foods and raw, grassfed dairy. When this is not possible, a probiotic supplement can be used instead.
Not all probiotics are created equal, however, so be sure to always go for quality.
Check out my Resources page for an up-to-date list of the best probiotic brands I have personally vetted.
Note that besides probiotic supplements, homemade 24-hour kefir cultured with live grains is the most potent fermented food for rebalancing the gut.
Vegetable Juicing
A glass or two of fresh pressed veggie juice can work wonders with softening up the stools and making elimination a breeze. Be aware that V-8 juice or any other type of vegetable juice in bottles is not helpful at all.
The juice must be fresh, ideally made no more than 20 minutes before consumption. As a result, vegetable juicing and refrigerating to drink later (a la the “cold pressed juice trend“) is not a good idea either.
Also use caution when drinking plain veggie juice on an empty stomach particularly if it is heavy on carrot juice which is high in sugars.
Adding a bit of cream as traditionally done in France will significantly reduce the blood sugar effects of drinking fresh juice. It also assists with the absorption of the bioactive colloidal minerals from the vegetables.
Enemas (NOT Colon Hydrotherapy)
When all else fails to relieve constipation, the tried and true enema works fantastically well.
I don’t recommend colon hydrotherapy because it is expensive and people can become dependent on them. They also potentially wash out beneficial probiotics from deep within the large intestine, something an enema does not do.
The enema has been used since Biblical times. The Essene Gospel of Peace (from the Vatican library) mentions it specifically.
Used to flush the colon of impurities and assist with regularity, this safe home remedy has been all but abandoned in recent decades in favor of over-the-counter drugs.
Many alternative cancer treatments make liberal use of the coffee enema to detoxify and cleanse the colon. However, a plain water enema is simple, fast, and highly effective at treating an occasional bout with constipation.
Enema bags can be purchased at the drug store for about $10.
Even easier, ready-to-use, saline enemas are available for about the same price. Be sure to get one without chemical additives, however!
Nothing literally illustrates the old adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” better than the old-fashioned enema!
That’s “initial days.”
My husband and I read about that last approach in a children’s herbal book as a way to help a fever. I thought it was the grossest thing ever. However, we have used it with our children and have had 100% success using a garlic enema for a fever. Just a few cloves of garlic blended with warm water. Strain out the chunks of garlic. I still think it’s gross, but I can’t argue with the success we’ve had with it.
Yes, and coffee enemas are miraculous for relieving a migraine or a regular headache with no meds.
What book is that? Sounds like a good one!
“The ABC Herbal” by Steven Horne I learned about onion juice for earaches in that book too. I learned of the book and bought it through bulkherbstore.com There is lots of great stuff on the site!
Drea, I have given many enemas in my home.
The garlic enema is wonderful for reducing a fever.
I do not see the enema as “gross.” Hope you didn’t run any off from here and they did not want to try this excellent home remedy.
I will write more later on how to prepare the garlic enema and other enemas. A few on here have asked for instructions about the enema.
Blessings,
Carol A
Drea, I learned the garlic enema for fever reduciton from other moms, a woman in my health food store and holistic provider.
It is not gross. The enema is a excellent home remedy to give.
It helps reduce a fever and helps the constipated child.
I agree what Sarah says about the enema!
I will post instructions to help others later.
What I suggested was to naturally relieve an occasional issue.
well, it appeared I needed to increase my water intake to reduce my pollen allergy… all the food changes improved it a little, but the major change was made by drinking more water. Dehydration can be a problem sometimes. I’m not saying to drink 3 quarts a day, just to increase the water intake slowly to see if the situation improves.
And I drink kombucha and water kefir regularly… usually that’s enough to regulate my digestion, but sometimes I tend to forget drinking water in addition to those and then constipation comes back.
What about when following a low carb diet for weight loss. I was told by other low carb paleo adherents that smaller stools or going every other day is common as long as it isn’t hard and pebbly when you don’t have a lot of excess bulk to pass from plant matter. Is this not true? Should I be going a lot more?
Paleo diets are also lowfat … eating lowfat is constipating so I do not find going every other day to be reasonable or normal in any way.
Just a note: you’re quit correct that Loren Cordain’s original “paleo diet” book was low fat, but there are many advocates of paleo out there that do not adhere to this approach and encourage lots of fat. Since “possibly maybe” didn’t say, we don’t know her personal approach to fat. I can get constipated on a high fat diet, but I’ve always had poor gut flora and I suspect that this is a big culprit, as well as a mag. deficiency.
I eat about 60-70% of my calories as fat. 🙂
I eat about 60-70% of my calories from fat and it’s mostly animal/coconut sourced. I also drink a few cups of bone broth a day, meat, some fermented veggies, my cooked veggies are always smothered in coconut oil or grassfed butter, and I take CLO and butter oil.
I’m definitely not doing the Cordain style paleo. haha I guess I’m more primal but who needs labels!?
IMHO, you should still work toward going every day, although the initial says in some low carb diets may make that more difficult. The solutions presented here are all compatible with low-carb however (except kefir with paleo) and you should be able to implement them as needed without slowing your progress. I have low-carbed for years, and constipation is often a problem for me–unless I keep on top of it with these methods. I third magnesium, too! Works wonders.
You actually don’t need much water unless you go the conventional fiber approach. I think that drinking too much water is not good for the body and this is also discussed in Fiber Menace … folks got hooked on the water thing as they needed it to swell all that fiber in their diet. If you eat a traditional, low fiber diet you don’t really need much water in the diet and you stay nice and hydrated.
Because there are 1000s of strains of probiotics, taking a supplement is really an inefficient way to get your probiotics since they usually only contain one or two strains in dried, capsule form. On my website, I give my Perfect Trifecta for Intestinal Health which includes garlic, clay water, and kefir. The garlic kills the unfriendly bacteria in your gut and feeds the friendly bacteria, the clay water attracts and eliminates the unfriendly bacteria (while providing over 80 trace minerals), and the kefir adds friendly bacteria to your gut, which the garlic then feeds. Consuming water kefir, home-made yogurt, and milk kefir (along with other fermented foods) introduces many strains of friendly bacteria to your system instead of the few found in most probiotics. It’s a daily routine that heals and maintains the gut.
~ Kathy
The probiotic she is recommending is one that contains many more strains of probiotics than most, which is why she says to choose carefully and look at her resource page. But she also says to focus on fermented foods, not supplements.
Beware the Fiber Menace!
I’ve been taking Natural Calm lately, which is a magesium citrate powder. It’s non-addictive and has a bunch of other beneficial results. One of which is it helps you to “go.” I definitely recommend it.
thanks for that article 🙂