Dear Health-Seeking Friend,

In last week’s Health Bytes, we covered the first five steps to avoid constipation - without resorting to laxatives. (If you missed last week’s article, you can read the frst five steps to avoid constipation here.) 

This week Dr Spreen reveals the final five steps to help you kick constipation to the curb.

In the name of good health,

Taryn Strugnell
Managing Editor of Nutrition & Healing

P.S."Silent" gallstones are exactly that... silent. They don’t cause any pain or problems. But should you have them surgically removed? Dr Wright has the answers below...

Curb constipation naturally, part II
Dr Allen Spreen
Editor of Guide to Good Health

This week, let’s dig deeper into relieving the problem of constipation. Because sometimes, adding more fibre or drinking plenty of water just isn’t enough.

STEP 5: Have your doctor check your thyroid

In addition to constipation, do you have cold hands and feet? Are you usually cold when everyone else in the room is comfortable? Are you tired or sluggish all the time, even after getting an adequate night’s rest? Do you gain weight easily? If any of these symptoms sound familiar, consider getting your doctor to check your thyroid.

I’d start out with a routine blood test. But here’s a fair warning: They aren’t always accurate and can’t always detect a slightly underperforming thyroid.

If you have all the symptoms I listed above and your blood test comes back normal, consider temperature testing at home. Test your temperature when you wake up each morning for five days. Keep very still while taking your temperature… even modest activity can elevate your reading.

If you consistently get readings below 36.5 degrees, you may have an underactive thyroid. And it’s probably what’s causing your bowels to stay sluggish.
Read Broda Barnes’ book, Hyperthyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness. There are lots of steps you can take to correct an underactive thyroid, without resorting to thyroid medication. 

STEP 6: Uncover hidden food allergies

Hidden food allergies can slow down or speed up peristalsis (the wave-like motion of your bowel). The most common food allergies are dairy, wheat, corn, soy, peanuts, egg and artificial additives (like colouring and preservatives).

Have your allergist do a standard skin prick test. It’ll help you confirm a suspected food allergy. Again, these tests aren’t infallible. If your test results show nothing, but you still suspect a food allergy, start an elimination diet. Pick one type of food you think may be causing your problems and eliminate it for at least seven days (up to 21 days for dairy allergies). If you feel worse over the first few days, you know you’re on the right track.

And remember, it’s possible that you could be allergic to milk, but not to cottage cheese and yoghurt. Just be patient and analyse your symptoms carefully. Also, it’s possible that after quitting a problem food group, you can add it back in, just in smaller doses (such as once a week versus every day), after a period of time when you’ve desensitised yourself against it.

STEP 7: Skip the laxatives

For those of you who need quick relief, don’t resort to laxatives. These products, when used repeatedly, can actually damage the nerve cells in your colon. Before you know it you can’t have a bowel movement without taking a laxative!

On the upside, there are lots of foods that naturally promote healthy bowel movements. First off, I’d try adding these foods to your diet: Bran, bananas, prunes (or prune juice), pears, grapes, kale, liquorice, almonds and olive oil.

Magnesium is another natural laxative. Start with 500mg at bedtime. If that doesn’t do the trick, take two 500mg capsules the next night.

Aloe vera is another natural product that I’d recommend. It will help loosen your bowels and keep things moving. Drink ½ a cup of aloe vera juice in the morning and night. You can mix it with a nice cup of herbal tea if you wish.

STEP 8: Take a look at calcium

As farfetched as it sounds, it could be that you’re getting too much calcium. Especially if you’re taking a calcium supplement as well as several antacids a day that contain calcium. I’d suggest getting rid of the antacid. I’m against them anyway, as they reduce the beneficial acidity in your stomach.

STEP 9: Gently cleanse your colon

If you’ve tried steps 1-8 and still haven’t gotten results, I’d recommend you try a 24-hour fast. Here’s a technique I’ve found is the easiest to stick with: Have a light dinner at 5 p.m. then begin your fast. Drink all the clear liquids you wish. Continue fasting until 5 p.m. the next day. This way, you’re skipping fewer meals and falling asleep with a full stomach at the end of the 24 hours.

If a 24-hour fast is too difficult, try restricting meat and dairy for several days. Both these techniques will give your colon the opportunity to “rest” and gently clear itself.

A more serious approach is a bona fide colon cleanse programme with vitamin C. It’s the healthiest and gentlest way I’ve found to cleanse your colon. Orally take four to eight grams of vitamin C per hour. Continue this until reaching bowel tolerance (painless diarrhoea). This clears out the bowel and ends constipation simultaneously.

Once you’ve completed the colon cleanse or fast, re-introduce foods high in fibre. And continue with a diet high in fibre with adequate water intake. Also, make sure you keep moving! Take a 20 minute stroll after dinner.

Also, replenish your gut with a healthy dose of prebiotics. Prebiotics are carbohydrates that promote the growth and activity of healthy bacteria in your gut. Also, keep up with your regimen of probiotics (such as acidophilus) before meals.

Do all this and you could conquer even the toughest long-term or chronic constipation!

STEP 10: Medical testing

Fortunately, most cases I come across resolve by consistently following steps 1 through 9.

However, if you’ve done that and haven’t enjoyed lasting results, seek professional help. You may need to get some testing done to see if there’s a medical explanation for what’s been going on with your bowel.

In closing, remember that moving your bowels every day is a sign of good health. Anything less than that’s a red flag signalling something’s wrong with your diet. Re-read last week’s Health Bytes for five steps you can take to curb constipation and prevent more serious bowel problems before they arise.

Leave "silent" gallstones alone!

Q: I have silent gallstones and my doctor wants me to have surgery to remove them. They're not bothering me and I'd rather not have surgery unless I absolutely need it. Do you have any information about this condition that might help me make a decision one way or the other?

Dr. Wright: "Silent" gallstones are gallstones not associated with any gallbladder attacks. Back in the mid- 1990s, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study that compared the mortality rate from emergency surgery for obstructing gallstones with the mortality rate from routine gallbladder surgery. The conclusion is: The surgery is actually more dangerous. They advised that silent gallstones should not be subject to surgery but left alone.