Natural Ways to Help with Constipation and Diarrhea

Few of us can get through life without experiencing some sort of digestive upset. Often brought on by food choices, stress, dehydration, and medications – constipation and diarrhea can make life miserable.

But…

Before you reach for that laxative or over-the-counter medicine that may do more harm than good, here are some natural ways you can find relief.

Constipation

Reach for the Fiber

What happens when your diet consists mostly of pizza, chips, and fast food? You get backed up! The typical American diet does not contain nearly enough servings of fruits and veggies to keep things moving.

While you can get fiber from things like bran cereals and oatmeal, many of these are loaded with hidden sugar. Your best bet is to be sure to eat at least 3 servings of produce each day.

If you require a bit more help to get your GI tract back on track, try using natural psyllium husks or add flaxseeds into your diet. A great way to get the flaxseeds in is to add them to your salads or morning smoothie.

Be advised: As you increase your intake of fiber that comes from sources other than fruits and veggies, you need to increase your water intake. Many people make the mistake of eating bran or taking psyllium and don’t drink enough water. Guess what happens? They become even more constipated!

Try a Hot Cup of…

Have you ever noticed that often your morning cup of coffee makes you have to go? That’s because caffeine has a natural bowel-loosening effect. While it may be okay to have 2 cups for a little extra help, don’t go overboard as caffeine is a natural diuretic, which can eventually dehydrate you.

If you prefer tea to coffee, you can try reaching for some dandelion tea, which has a mildly laxative effect. You can consume up to one cup three times each day.

Take Your Mother’s Advice

Growing up, did you have one of those mothers who chased you around the house with a giant spoon in one hand and a bottle of castor oil in the other? You ran because castor oil tastes horrible! But the truth is, it works.

Castor oil contains a compound that, when digested, stimulates your intestines. Take one to two teaspoons on an empty stomach and within 8 hours you should experience relief.

Your mother may also never be without a bottle of prune juice in her refrigerator. Prunes are one of the oldest home remedies for constipation. That’s because the fruit is very high in fiber and contains a compound called dihydroxyphenyl isatin, which kicks the colon into action.

Move Your Body

If you want to have a bowel movement, you’ve got to move your body! Regular exercise helps your digestive system push that food through. There’s a reason that evening walks have been traditionally called “the daily constitutional.”

At the very least, you should aim to go for a daily 20-minute walk.

Final thoughts: After trying these home remedies, be patient. You never want to strain or try and force a bowel movement because it can give you hemorrhoids or anal fissures that can eventually narrow the opening, causing… you guessed it, constipation.

Diarrhea

When a case of diarrhea has you running to the bathroom all day, there are some natural protocols that can bring you relief.

Hydrate

Loss of fluids is a concern when we experience diarrhea for any length of time. It’s important to drink fluids that contain electrolytes. While you can supplement with sports drinks like Gatorade, these typically contain more sugar than we recommend.

An easy way to stay hydrated is to sip chicken broth throughout the day. It will supply your body with necessary water as well as electrolytes from the salt.

Do not try and hydrate with fruit juices, as large amounts of fructose can be hard to digest and cause your GI tract more upset.

Try the BRAT Diet

This stands for bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. All of these foods are bland and easy to digest. The rice and toast are natural binders, and the bananas and applesauce contain pectin, which is a type of soluble fiber that soaks up excess fluid in your intestine and slows the passage of stool.

Drink Kefir

Kefir contains “living cultures,” also called probiotics, like Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium. These can help restore healthy levels of the helpful bacteria in your intestines.

Kill Those Harmful Bacteria Naturally

If you tend to experience diarrhea often, you may have some nasty bacteria living in your intestines. Capsules of dried Goldenseal, which contain a compounds called berberine, seem to have the ability to kill many of the bacteria, such as E. coli, that cause diarrhea.

Reach for Psyllium

You may be thinking, “But wait, didn’t you recommend psyllium husks for constipation?” Yes, I did. Here’s what’s kind of miraculous about psyllium: it is intuitive and has the ability to assist your health in whatever way you need. Just as it can help push food through your intestine when you are constipated, it can also soak up excess fluid in your intestines making your stool bulkier. Simply take one to three tablespoons mixed in water each day.

Digestive upsets happen, and when they do, it’s much better to try and relieve them naturally than through the use of pharmaceuticals or OTC medicines.