Many people in out modern society, especially people in North America, suffer from



constipation; a disorder that involves difficult, incomplete, or infrequent evacuation

of dry hardened feces from the bowels. Not only does constipation cause great discomfort, but it can also cause other related problems, such as hemorrhoids, weight gain, moodiness, sluggishness and in more severe cases, surgery or cancer. Constipation is caused by lack of fibrous foods in the diet, as well as too little water consumption. In our busy lives it is easy to forget to eat properly, and all of the fast and processed foods for our convenience don't help much either.

Constipation can be cured by simply adding more fibrous foods into your diet. Fibrous foods can come from vegetables such as yams, broccoli, Brussels or fruits such as apples and pears. You can also get fiber from whole wheat pasta, whole grain rice, beans, whole wheat grainy breads, nuts, popcorn and legumes. However, once you add fiber into your diet you must make sure that you are also consuming at least 8 glasses of water each day, otherwise you will only be causing yourself to become more constipated. You might want to add fiber in small amounts at first, because it can take your body a while to get used to the bulkiness of fiber, causing gas or further constipation. The recommended daily dose of fiber for adults in 25 grams, however many people from around the world consume much higher amounts than this.

Exercise can also help you relieve constipation as the movement you are making will help move your waste through your body. If you are still having trouble with constipation and would like fast relief, you could try drinking a strong cup of coffee. Coffee is a diuretic, which means that it draws liquids to your bowels, therefore making you pass waste quickly and usually easily. Do not rely on coffee however to permanently relieve your constipation. A healthy diet full of fruits, veggies, whole grains and water is a much healthier and effective alternative. Another option is to try over the counter medications such as Metamucil or tasteless fiber powders that you can add to juice or water. While these products should never replace healthy eating, they can aid in the process to better bowel health. If your constipation is severe and unmanageable, you should consider seeing your doctor who can recommend a treatment that is suited to your special situation.