What is Good for Constipation?

Constipation or irregularity can occur from traveling and eating unfamiliar (and hard-to-digest) food or eating while rushed and stressed.
Eating too little fiber and consuming too few liquids can also contribute to constipation.
Some people who are constipated may have a bowel movement only once or twice a week. Others have two or three per day.
Generally, eating a widely varying diet, including fruits and vegetables and insoluble fiber found in grains, along with regular exercise, can help most people prevent constipation.
Chronic irregularity can set the stage for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diverticulosis, or colon cancer at the far extreme.

Identification

Constipation is the inability to have a regular daily bowel movement without straining. This irregularity may be from a diet too low in fiber, too little exercise, over consumption of meat, or stress.
If you are already irregular, try a gentle laxative such as the herbs cascara sagrada or senna and consume it as a tea or herbal supplement at its lowest dosage. Or, use the Indian Ayurvedic remedy, triphala, made from three kinds of dried berries that can be taken daily if needed.
Treatment with over-the-counter laxatives can be habit forming. Instead, prevention is best.

Misconceptions

The greatest misconception is to believe that constipation is "normal." It is not healthy nor normal to have only one to two bowel movements every seven days.
At least one daily bowel movement is healthy. Continuing to eat large meals when you are irregular is not a good idea.

Effects

Constipation can lead to chronic irregularity, diverticulosis, or if left unchecked for a very long time, may be a precursor to colon cancer.
Constipation in the short term is primarily a great discomfort. It can cause headaches and a feeling of physical malaise and sluggishness. It can also contribute to weight gain.

Warning

Using any kind of herbal supplement, including casara sagrada or senna root, is best done under the supervision of a nutritionist, herbalist or doctor familiar with their use.
If you are very constipated, see your doctor instead. At that stage, it may be unsafe to take herbal supplements or stool softeners.
You may need to get a colonic or enema to release the waste safely.

Prevention/Solution

Prevention is key to irregularity. Eating dried fruits such as raisin, prunes and consuming fresh fruits and vegetables rich in soluble and insoluble fiber will help move waste out of the body.
If digestion is an issue, drinking digestive teas such as peppermint may help.
Also, not eating while very short on time, stressed, or hurried, can prevent constipation. Digestion begins in the mouth by chewing all food thoroughly. Overeating is a common cause for irregularity.
Avoid foods that you observe are difficult for your to digest: it may be you cannot digest soy foods or meat or white flour products. Eliminate any foods that do not digest easily.