Regularity is a Major Key to Good Health

by Gay Riley, MS, RD, CCN
NetNutritionist.com

Dear Friends,

I would like to discuss a topic you rarely hear about unless you're watching midmorning television and see laxative commercials. Regularity and constipation simply are not discussed among friends and are often overlooked by your doctor. Yet bowel regularity is one of the most important bodily functions for optimal health.

You may find this amusing, but one of the most important things I consider as a nutritionist are regular bowel movements as a sign of good digestion and overall health. It is interesting to note that people living in western or developed societies, beginning with the US, have an average transit time of 48-72 hours! Which means the average person poops every 48-72 hours! A healthy transit time is 16-24 hours. Transit time is so important because the body expels metabolic waste, cholesterol, toxins from food, air and water, and pollutants that have been prohibited from entering the blood or the body by the intestinal tract. The most important and first line of defense for protecting the body is the intestinal tract. The longer waste stays in the colon, the more toxins from waste are reabsorbed back into the bloodstream.

Health problems and symptoms that are associated with chronic constipation include: joint and muscle soreness or pain, weight gain and obesity, fatigue, headaches, acne, high blood pressure, heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic infection and more.

The foods you eat, and the nutrients in those foods, will encourage healthy transit time. If you have chronic constipation or do not have daily bowel movements, you can make dietary and lifestyle choices that will promote regularity.

• Eat green leafy vegetables as a salad everyday. Spinach, dark green and red leaf lettuce, collard leaves, dandelion greens, oregano, basil, cilantro and other herbs will pull water into the bowels for bulk and intestinal movement. Broccoli is also a great dark green vegetable to steam, stir fry or eat raw! These plants also are rich in folic acid, beta carotene, vitamin C, potassium, calcium and other minerals.
• Eat foods rich in fiber like beans, whole grains, bran cereals, berries, whole citrus fruit, dried fruit such as raisins, prunes, and dates, and natural nuts. Just like green leafy vegetables, these high fiber foods draw water into the gut and break down into important digestible and indigestible chemicals that are necessary for intestinal flow, bulk, the facilitation of elimination, heart health, blood sugar regulation, and cancer protection. Fiber also acts as a brush that keeps the intestinal walls clean from debris buildup. Fiber-rich foods also contain many other nutrients and phytochemicals important to health. The average American gets 10 grams of fiber a day. We should be getting 35-60 grams a day from our food. Click Here to see a Menu Sample for a Good Fiber Day.
• Eat natural nuts, a variety of oils, and fresh water fish. Healthy fats are good for the blood, the brain, the heart and the cells. Fat acts as a detoxification nutrient to the body by stimulating bile from the gallbladder to rid the body of metabolic waste and cholesterol. A portion is considered to be 6-12 almonds, 4-6 walnut or pecan halves, 10-12 peanuts, pistachios, or pumpkin seeds, 6 cashews or 1-2 teaspoons of plant oil on a salad or in cooking.
• Eat plain or natural yogurt to keep healthy bacteria growing in the intestine. We all have about 3-4 pounds of healthy bacteria in our intestine that break down food, perform mandatory biochemical reactions, metabolize nutrients and protect the body from poisons, bacteria and pollutants. It is very important to replace these healthy bacteria after taking antibiotics. Yogurt is the best source. Probiotics (bifidobacteria and lactobacillus strains) can be purchased at your local health food store and taken as a supplement on the average of 2 weeks following antibiotic therapy. Probiotics can be taken during antibiotic therapy but at least 4 hours after or before.
• Drink water. It is a boring topic but our bodies are 70% water. It is so important to drink plenty throughout the day. Dehydration, or not enough water intake, causes the body to shunt water out of the intestinal tract and into the tissue. This dries up the GI tract and can cause constipation. We have to be very mindful of the habit of drinking water. It is best to drink 2-3 glasses 3 times a day so it becomes a habit. To maximize digestion of food, try not to drink large quantities of fluids with meals. Fluids tend to dilute digestive enzymes, which can make the food sit longer in the stomach waiting to be broken down. This causes heartburn and gas in some people. Maximize the nutritional benefit from food by drinking water 30 minutes before or after your meals.
• Avoid or limit foods that constipate and dehydrate such as sugar, low fiber, fast food, junk food, convenience foods, and alcohol.
• Chew your food and swallow before taking another bite. Chewing the food makes it easier to digest.

Last but not least, move, walk, and exercise. These are all necessary and they are all different. If you work 8-10 hours a day at a computer or desk, drive to and from work, sit on the couch and watch television and then go to bed, you really don't move much at all. Neither do your bowels! Move away from the computer several times a day, take a walk after work, do some house and yard work, wash the car, stay active. Walk as much as you can throughout the day. 2500 steps equals 1 mile, so walk as much as you possibly can. The recommendation is 10,000 steps or 4 miles a day.

Finally, I would like to offer several natural remedies for those with chronic constipation. I often recommend magnesium glycinate, citrate, or malate (or a blend) 100 mg 3-4 times a day as a stool softener. Another remedy would be a fiber supplement first thing in the morning. Sometimes all it takes is an additional teaspoon to set things straight. For people who are experiencing severe constipation, an ascorbate flush or bowel tolerance using ascorbate (a form of vitamin C with minerals) will often remedy the situation. The ascorbate flush will cause gas, cramping, and diarrhea, but it's what it says it is - a “flush”. I find these natural remedies to be much more desirable options and solutions than OTC laxatives and prescription medication.

We all benefit from healthy bowel habits, physiologically, biologically, medically, mentally and socially! So from now on, look to better eating and exercise habits instead of waiting for it to happen, or going to the drugstore for a laxative to force the issue. 16-24 hours to better health.

Click here for a printable menu.

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