In my years of practice as an acupuncturist and herbalist, I have seen many patients who suffer from constipation. Normal bowel movement is a sign of a healthy digestive system. Long-term constipation may cause serious illnesses such as colon cancer.
Generally speaking, normal frequency of bowel movement is one or two times a day without any difficulty. We recommend having a bowel movement in the morning because it will help you feel clear and refreshed for the rest of the day. There will be no rush of turbid Qi from your bowel from the accumulation of stool. Turbid Qi will result in abdominal fullness, gas and bloating, bad breath, and facial pimples.
How to Prevent Constipation?
Diet significantly impacts bowel movement. Nowadays many people eat fine foods such as white bread and white rice. Diets with less fiber cause constipation and these foods are not healthy either. Research shows that fine food and greasy food can cause of colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer. We recommend eating whole grains, vegetables, and fruits that will give you a variety of nutrients and prevent constipation. In addition, foods rich in natural oils such as nuts are good for preventing and treating constipation. Adding honey and sesame seed oil in hot water and drinking it nightly after meals can cure constipation as well.
Maintaining healthy habits can prevent the constipation and keep the biorhythm of our bodies. It is important to create healthy habits such as eating three meals a day and going to bed and bathroom regularly. We suggest you go to the bathroom either when you get up in the morning or after breakfast. I had a patient who had severe constipation, I suggested he have the bowel movement every morning after breakfast. About a month later, he told me his problem was gone.
Exercise such as jogging in the early morning is helpful for normal bowel movement. Many patients have told me that exercising in the morning helps them have easy bowel movement.
If you suffer from constipation, try the above methods. If these recommendations do not work, come to our clinic. We can give you acupuncture treatment and Chinese herbs. You will see results within a couple of month. Feel free to reach out to us if you have more questions.