In the past 14 years I have heard and seen lots of people that for one reason or another they are constipated and do not know or they think it is ok not to go for few days even weeks at the time.
Sometimes they are told from their GP that it is ok and sometimes they are not they just assume that it is normal as it might be that they had problems since childhood. Well here are some of the reasons why that is a possibility. Nutritional wise and physical as an adult and maybe baby:
Adults and children can become constipated as a result of holding back stool. Children might not want to stop playing to go to the loo. Adult might not stop work or being busy to go, so they do not make time to go. That means that the stool becomes drier and more painful to pass. That will lead to avoid going to the loo because is too painful and etc….
Important points:
1. Make sure that you as an adult you drink up to 10 glasses of water a day if you do not exercise and more if you do, according to the exercise. Make sure that your child drinks up to a litre of water of more per day, throughout the day. Have her/him drink water, very very diluted juices and soups readily available and encourage your child to drink them often.
2. Increase the fiber in your diet as an adult or the child diet: Simply add a piece of fruit such as banana, apple, orange, pear or prune. The whole fruit provide the most fiber. Give your child a fruit half an hour or an hour before the main meals or 1 hour after her meal. As an adult you can have smoothie which contain the entire pulp, you can do them with mandarins, rice milk or soy milk or yogurt if you are sensitive to dairy, as dairy in some adults and children can cause either constipation or diarrohea.
Other ways of relieving constipation are the following for both children and or adults:
• A dry pitted prune soaked overnight in a glass of water contains extra moisture and is easier to digest. Make sure that is soaked in a 1 glass of water and they drink the juice from that as well as the prune.
• Vegetables and whole grains are also rich sources of fiber.
• Beans and lentils very good source of fiber, you can mash or blend them.
• Zucchini and cooked spinach as well as cooked broccoli will help. Green leafy vegetables are full of magnesium and other minerals that will help her constipation. Eat or have the children eat one or two portions of these everyday.
• Eat or make sure that your children eat what vegetables they like as well as the vegetables that are good for them, maybe with an incentive, such as you can have an homemade ice lolly (made from fresh seasonal fruits).
• Have some essential oils as an adult or add some Essential Oils (fish oil or linseed oil) 1 teaspoon with each meal. That will help soothe their stools as well as providing essential oils for their growth. (or buy the capsules). Linseed oil from a Health food shop can be added cold to meals.
• Serving warm liquids or hot oatmeal every morning acts gently to stimulate the intestinal tract, in addition to being a fiber provider.
3. For an overnight relief of constipation, mix ½ cup of prune juice and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice with 1 cup of spring water. Have it as an adult or have your child drink this before bedtime.
4. Take probiotics yourself and or give your child acidophilus, the recommended dose half an hour before going to bed.
5. If you or yoru child has an exceptionally foul odor, consider giving them chlorophyll supplements. Chlorophyll is high in trace minerals, especially magnesium and has natural antibacterial properties. Or keep giving probiotics and change your diet as an adult or for the child, you might be eating too much meat and no enough vegetables.
6. Simmer a half teaspoon of flax seed in two glasses of water for fifteen minutes. Use the liquid to make the oatmeal in the morning.
7. If you as an adult and or your child as a chronich constipation cranio-sacral therapy can help, this help babies as well with constipation (if they do not pass stool every day, more than once a day, as a baby many times a day).
8. Make sure that you do at least 1 hour walking or exercise a day and for children have them run around for at least 1 hour a day, everyday. More as a child if you can.
9. For some adults/children and babies the stress nervous system called the sympathetic system might be too high or switched on too much without switching off, that would cause the parasympathetic system, which is the one for digestion, and elimination to be off and therefore lead to constipation. This can be helped with cranio-sacral therapy. Especially if impossible to switch off or if holding on traumas or shock. Remember that children/babies trauma or shock can be much smaller than as an adult, and for some anxious adults, little stress can be a big one for them. So finding a balance and appropriate help can be the solution.
Some adults and children as well some baby, might be intolerant or sensitive to wheat and dairy, avoid having a lot of it or avoid it for a bit to see the difference.
In my clinic also check with the NAET method what the child might be sensitive to that would cause the constipation and work with the Cranio-Sacral therapy as well as nutrition to balance an Adult/child and baby system.
Craniosacral Healing /Nutrition NAET/Mindfulness living/ NlP health coach /mind body and soul 