"Doc, is twice a day too much?"

"I go once a day, but my husband goes three times a day. Am I normal?"

"How often is my 4-year old supposed to go?"

You may be surprised, but the biggest problem I see is not that people are having painful bowel movements- it's that people are not moving their bowels often enough. But because they have been that way for so long, they do not realize anything is wrong.

Most people believe that constipation means having hard or painful bowel movements. This is true, but it is only part of the story! Constipation also means not moving your bowels every day. As stated in Stedman's Medical Dictionary (27th ed., Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2000), constipation is a condition in which bowel movements are infrequent OR incomplete.

Many folks believe a bowel movement every two or three days is fine, or that a bowel movement every four or five days is no cause for concern. However, neither scenario is normal. Depending upon the individual, a healthy bowel movement frequency varies from one to four times per day. If you move your bowels less than once a day, you are constipated! This is true even if you move your bowels easily.

Most people consume about twenty-one meals per week, but they move their bowels only three times per week. That leaves eighteen meals that have not been eliminated from the body. So, where did those meals go?

The concept that the meals you've eaten over the past few days, months, or even years are just sitting and accumulating bacteria in your colon is unappealing to say the least... but if you're constipated, that's exactly what's happening!

The longer fecal material remains in the intestine, the more bacteria and fungi collect, and the more putrefaction occurs. Toxins pass through to the blood and may cause headaches, sluggishness and more. As time progresses, more water is reabsorbed into the colon, and the stool becomes drier and harder.

The result? Your bowel function is disrupted!

Ever notice that you move your bowels much less when on vacation, or when staying with a friend? But upon returning home, you use the bathroom before even unpacking? There's an incredible connection between emotional stress and the digestive system. In fact, the gut has its own nervous system called the "enteric nervous system". The more emotionally stressed you are, the more your digestive system is stressed too.

1. Consume three servings per day of raw, organic fruits and vegetables. They must be raw! Raw means the food hasn't been cooked, processed, pasteurized, etc. In other words, the product is still alive. Heat kills. Raw foods still contain the digestive enzymes necessary to help digest your food.

2. Drink 12-ounces of purified water upon rising and before going to bed.

3. Drink less water with your meals. The more liquid you drink when eating, the more you dilute your body's digestive powers.

4. Make sure you consume at least 25 grams of fiber per day. Raw produce, sprouted grain bread, brown rice, bran, wheat germ, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried figs and legumes are some excellent sources of fiber.

5. Chew your food slowly... your stomach doesn't have teeth! Saliva is the very first step of the digestive process, and it only works when you chew your food. The more liquefied your food is upon swallowing, the less burden you place upon your digestive system.

6. Eating in a quiet environment is essential. Try not to eat when you are watching television, checking e-mails, etc. Simply concentrate on chewing your meal.

7. Because your G.I. tract, brain and emotions are closely linked, do your best to decrease emotional stress. Take 5-minute breaks throughout the day, at 90-minute intervals.

Even the most health-conscious folks are making mistakes every time they eat, that are making their digestive problems worse. To summarize the most important points for you, I've written a FREE report, called "The 5 Mistakes You're Making Every Time You Eat!"

We've briefly touched upon one or two ideas, but if you want faster constipation relief, you'll certainly want all of this information. Get your FREE copy right now by clicking the link in the next paragraph.

(c) Dr.Christine Kaczmar 2008