10 home remedies for constipation that work fast and without discomfort

Abdominal bloating, gas, heaviness? We are going to try to end with phrases like “I go to the bathroom little” or “when I go it costs me a lot”, especially on days like the ones we are living in … These comments describe the two main problems that constipation causes: the infrequency and the difficulty to do so.

If you go to the bathroom less than three times a week it can be said that you have constipation . And if, at the first symptoms of constipation, you resort to laxatives - even if they are natural - the body gets used to them and the intestines lose interest in moving and only react to the laxative. In the end, you will end up going to the bathroom only when you drink them.

To avoid this, take note of these easy, natural and above all effective home remedies for constipation. And if you also want to follow a diet that contributes to the proper functioning of your intestine, here is a weekly anti-constipation menu.

Home remedy for constipation: psyllium

This plant is very rich in mucilage, which quadruples its volume when in contact with the liquid, lubricating the intestinal walls. Take a teaspoon or two at dinner, added to a glass of water or a cup of broth.

Arraclán infusion

This plant acts on the intestine and the bile ducts. Depending on the severity of the constipation, the dose should be 1 or 2 tablespoons per cup of water. To prepare this home remedy for constipation, simmer the water with the plant for 10 minutes. To avoid gas, add a pinch of anise. Have a cup at bedtime and repeat in the morning if necessary.

Fennel juice

Fennel, in addition to reducing gas and helps to digest food better, making it a very effective home remedy against constipation. You can take it in juice, like this one. To prepare it, you just have to blend these ingredients in an electric mixer:

1 fennel
2 apples (best Granny Smith, Fuji, or Royal Gala)
1 handful of mint

Flax seeds, but not in any way

You have to take them after they have been soaked, since that way they will release a gel that is what really facilitates the transit. One trick is to put them in a yogurt at night and leave it in the fridge, and have it the next day for breakfast. Holy hand.

Natural laxative compote

A most laxative (natural) breakfast. Cook an apple (with skin) and dried plums with water and sweeten with honey. Grind well and enjoy.

The classic pennyroyal can help you

It is one of the infusions that you can find in any cafeteria or bar and that improves digestion and deflates the body. In addition to helping to eliminate gas (one of the annoying consequences of constipation).

Agar-agar, natural mild laxative

Agar-agar is a type of oriental seaweed, which you can find as is or in powder form and which is a very very mild laxative for people with sensitive intestines. It lubricates the walls and facilitates the movement of waste, thanks to its mucilage. To get all the benefits of this home remedy for constipation, put a teaspoon of agar-agar in a cup of water and cook until it dissolves. Take it at bedtime and, if you need it, in the morning.

The chamomile of a lifetime

Among our home remedies for constipation you cannot miss chamomile. This delicate and aromatic plant favors the elimination of gases, reduces bloating and abdominal pain and promotes the proper functioning of the intestine.

Don't hold back: this is the best home remedy

You never have to put up with the urge to go to the bathroom, even if you're busy with work or in a public place. If you habitually ignore the messages in your body, it will stop warning you.

What if he catches you away from home? Don't hold back and go to the bathroom as soon as you can. If you don't, your body can stop sending you signals in just four or five days, according to FEAD data.

A stool in the bathroom

A simple gesture like resting your feet on a small stool (about 15 or 20 centimeters) while sitting in the bathroom will make it easier for you to achieve your goal. What is a great home remedy? Thanks to the stool you get a posture that favors the expulsion of stool, as if you were squatting. In fact, the ideal posture to avoid constipation is this:

Knees up. We are designed to evacuate squatting. Therefore, in the bathroom, raise your feet with the help of a stool.
Pull your waist forward. With the trunk straight, there is a greater perineal opening and evacuation is stimulated.

Stimulating self-massage

Every morning, for about 5 minutes, perform this simple self-massage, it is very effective and will help you improve your intestinal transit:

With your fingertips on your lower abdomen, perform rotational movements following the trajectory of the large intestine towards the anus.

From the right side, go up to the center, through the abdomen and down to the left side. It is as if you draw with your hand a circle on your abdomen (from right to left).

Do it by exerting light pressure, without causing pain.

Wake up 15 minutes before

When we wake up, our entire body is activated, including the intestines. That is why the morning is the best time to go to the bathroom. But if you wake up just in time, you can leave it for later and end up not finding the moment all day.

Reserving a few minutes first thing in the morning to go to the bathroom has more advantages: being at home, you will feel more comfortable. Also, don't forget that if you get used to going every day at the same time, your body will "learn it" and end up warning you about it.

Drinking water is essential

Drinking enough fluids is just as important as eating the right foods. If the body is not well hydrated, the large intestine "steals" the water contained in the stool, making it difficult to evacuate. If you have trouble drinking water, take advantage of the summer and have gazpachos and cold soups. In addition, you can also enjoy a delicious infusion (you can drink it fresh) and in winter join the soups, creams, broths and infusions. Here are more tricks to drink water without realizing it.

Choose your food well

What you eat and how you eat it greatly influences this disorder. Skipping meals, taking too much protein (meat, fish, sausages), fast food, refined and ultra-processed foods (white bread, industrial pastries …) cause and aggravate constipation. Fruit, vegetables, whole foods, bifidus-type yogurts and olive oil, on the other hand, are foods that help you fight constipation. That, and increasing your fiber intake.

Eat without rush

Eating too fast makes digestion difficult and, with it, the subsequent evacuation. Take your time and slowly chew your food. Also, if you eat too fast, you may swallow air and fill up with annoying gas.

Remember that the better your digestion, the lower your constipation, so it is important that you always eat sitting down, slowly chewing each bite. Ideally, play quiet music in the background. It is proven that, in this way, both the ingestion and digestion of food is carried out more correctly.

Exercise is also a great "remedy"

One of the main causes of constipation is sedentary lifestyle. When you don't exercise enough, or work requires you to sit for long hours, your abdominal muscles relax and peristaltic movements (those that move food through the intestine to the colon) become less frequent. In addition, there are numerous studies that support the idea that regular exercise relieves constipation and the feeling of bloating in the case of healthy adults.

Exercises that strengthen and tone the abdominal area (sit-ups, Pilates, yoga) are especially helpful, but walking or playing sports regularly for 30 minutes a day can also be enough. Take a look at this weekly exercise plan to take care of your body and mind during quarantine.

There are also specific physiotherapy exercises against constipation and recommended by the Spanish Association of Physiotherapists, such as the ones shown below.

Abdominal breathing hugging your legs

Lying on your back with your legs bent, hug your knees with your hands picking up your knees. In this position, take abdominal breaths, swelling the abdomen during inspiration and emptying it by pressing the abdomen with the knees during exhalation. Do this exercise for 2 minutes.

Conscious breathing

Squatting, leaning slightly forward, inhale slowly, deeply. Then breathe out, slowly dropping your rib cage. The arms should be relaxed. The key to the exercise is to take conscious abdominal breaths, swelling the abdomen during inspiration and emptying it on exhalation. Try to practice it for 2 or 3 minutes.

Cat pose

This pose is an excellent home remedy for constipation and is also very easy to do. Stand on all fours, with your hands below the shoulder line and your knees hip-width apart. Lengthen the neck well aligned with the trunk. Let go of the air slowly and curve your spine, directing your gaze towards the navel. Holding the pose, contract your abdomen to expel the remaining air. Hold for about 5 seconds and return to the starting position. Repeat the entire exercise 10 times.

Adominal ascension

Standing or sitting with your legs slightly apart, breathe in slowly, swelling your abdomen. Then breathe out until the belly is hollow and hold it for a few seconds. Repeat the entire exercise about 5 times.

Although walking 30 minutes every day helps to avoid constipation, we are in quarantine due to the coronavirus so we recommend these physiotherapy exercises, recommended by the Spanish Association of Physiotherapists, which you can find in this downloadable image.

The psyllium. A plant rich in mucilage that lubricates the intestinal walls.
Arraclán infusion. Helps relieve constipation.
Fennel juice It reduces gas and helps digest food better.
Flax seeds. As long as they have been soaked.
Dried apple and plum compote. With skin, cooked and crushed.
Pennyroyal infusion. It favors digestion and slows the formation of gases.
Chamomile infusion. It promotes the proper functioning of the intestine and helps eliminate spasms when digestion is not carried out well.
Agar-agar. It lubricates the intestinal walls and facilitates the movement of waste, thanks to its mucilage.
5 minute self-massage. In the abdomen, making circles in a clockwise direction.
Exercise.

10 ways to avoid constipation

Take fiber. According to the Spanish Dietetic Society, to take the recommended 30 grams of fiber per day, a plate of cooked vegetables, a salad as a garnish, three pieces of fruit and legumes 3 times a week is enough. Here are more ideas for high fiber foods.
Bifidobacteria. Fermented dairy products with bifidobacteria balance the intestinal flora and promote its functioning, including the regulation of intestinal transit time. Taking one a day is enough.
Do not peel the fruit. Fruits are rich in fiber, although the skin accumulates more. In citrus fruits, the least amount of white skin must be removed, since it is pure fiber. And the juices, better with pulp. To wash small pieces like strawberries or raspberries well, they can be soaked for a few minutes.
Drinking water. Between meals and at meals up to 1.5 liters per day. You can substitute it with non-stimulating infusions, unsweetened drinks or natural juices. If you don't drink liquids, your stools will be very hard.
Real food. Processed foods, with additives and preservatives, can be a factor that alters intestinal transit, speeding it up or slowing it down.
Red meat, no more than 3 times a week. Red meat (lamb, veal) contains a lot of fat, which in excess causes our intestinal transit to be slower and our digestion heavier. Three times a month is enough.
Less fried and sauces. Many fried foods, sauces or spices usually affect digestive well-being. In addition, the fiber is better preserved by steaming, ironing or woking.
Schedule. You have to imagine that your digestive system is English. In other words, it can't stand being late. Make sure that both your meal and bathroom schedules are always the same.
Go to the bathroom without haste, without pauses and without effort. The main thing is to have a relaxed and calm atmosphere, not to be in a rush and to dedicate the right time and necessary to do the belly. Of course, sit down just long enough to make the deposition, do not spend more than five minutes thinking or reading, because it is not good either. And also, going to the bathroom should not be expensive. If not, we can cause diseases in the rectum and damage to the perineum or hemorrhoids (find out how to cure hemorrhoids quickly).
Follow a diet rich in fiber and above all adequate to avoid constipation.