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Combat Constipation Naturally: Causes, Symptoms, and Remedies

bowel-movement

After reading my blog on Poop…most of my blog reader’s reaction was Ewww!! Most of us feel the same way when we talk about shit or pee. But we forget that its part of our own body and we are only responsible for how it turns out. In my years of experience. I have noticed that many of them have issue related to clear bowel movement – medically termed as CONSTIPATION and is one of the reason for not losing weight too.

In Bollywood.too….many films are made on this – like Toilet—Ek Prem Katha, Piku, Delhi Belly. The over or under use of toilet is always an issue!

Constipation is defined as lesser than three stools per week and Chronic constipation means once or less per week.

Most of us have gone through this phase sometime or other in our life. Have you ever wondered why? Well, I know this topic is not that which eases our mind but it’s important to know about it.

Constipation can results into symptoms like abdominal discomfort, feeling of incomplete evacuation, hard stools, rectal or anal bleeding.

Constipation occurs where the food in the stomach and intestine is taking an inconsistently long time to be digested. The contractions that push the food forward is called the peristalsis movement. When the chyme (semi-digested food) is not pushed forward but remains in the intestine it starts fermenting, causing gases and bloating to occur. The water content has all been absorbed so it becomes dry and peristalsis becomes even more difficult and even painful at times. 

When we travel our eating, sleeping habits become irregular, bringing with it changes in our digestive system which can sometimes cause constipation. It can also happen due to some medications, low fibre diet, hormonal disorders, stress, pelvic disorder, less water intake. When that happens we must increase our water intake immediately so as to keep the colon well hydrated to make sure that the chyme doesn’t dry out.

Another reason could also be a sedentary lifestyle. It is important to keep up with moderate activity as we grow older our metabolism gradually slows down and with it the digestive process. Our body is like a machine that we need to keep well-oiled in all departments to keep working properly.

Here are Simple solutions that can help to prevent and cure it.

1. Good Fibre: Increase fiber intake so that there is sufficient fibre for bile to mix with and digest the food. Soluble fibre softens the stools and insoluble fibre adds bulk and roughage to the stools. E.g. Legumes, Oats, Rice Bran, Whole Fruits, Green Vegetables, Figs, Nuts and Seeds. etc. Apple and Guava works best as per my personal experience.

2. Adequate hydration is must: Increase your water intake makes possible for the insoluble fibre in the colon to move forward more effectively. Water ensure a good production of digestive juices in the stomach and intestine and smooth passage of food thorough the intestine. It even makes stools softer to ensure they are passed out easily. Drink about 3-3.5 ltrs per day to keep cells hydrated.

Use the bathroom as and when needed. Do not hold back.

3. Regularize lifestyle and eating and sleeping patterns. Have good sound sleep and avoid stress. De-stress yourself with some meditation or deep breathing techniques

4. Avoid all the packaged foods, and foods loaded with refined flour. Trans fat, sodium and other preservatives are low in fibre or lack fibre completely.

5. One of the best home remedy is to soak 2 figs or 4-5 raisins overnight and then have it in the morning with a glass of luke warm water. Prunes also acts as a great laxative.

6. One tbsp of castor oil or cold pressed virgin coconut oil works best if had before going to bed. It helps in smooth passage of stools next morning.

7. Our ancient study says – Triphala powder—one tbsp in glass of luke warm water helps in detoxifying and cleansing the colon and rectum.

8. Exercise about 30-45 min daily. This improves blood circulation which promotes better digestion and hence clear bowel movement. Avoid exercise immediately after meals.

Let me share some basic yoga asanas which can be done daily to regularize your bowel movement. Yoga helps revitalise your body and also increases the flow of blood and oxygen in the system, thereby, improving your digestive system.

Ardha-Matsyendrasana (Sitting Half Spinal Twist Pose)

Half-spinal-twist-Ardha-matsyendrasana-300x232

How to do it:
* Sit down on the ground with your legs extended in front of you; toes pointed toward the ceiling.
* Bend your left leg, under your right one, placing your foot next to your right buttock.
* Place the right foot firm on the ground, near the left knee.
* Extend both your arms, and twist your upper body to the right. Place the right arm on the ground behind the back, and your left hand on the right ankle in front of your body.
* Sustain the pose for at least 30 seconds. Gradually, increase the time to 1 minute.
* Release and repeat on the other side.

Benefits: This pose stimulates the pancreas, liver, spleen, kidneys, stomach, and ascending and descending colons, hence, improving bowel movements and providing relief from constipation.

Pavanmuktasana (Wind-Relieving Pose)

Pavanmuktasana
This is one of the easiest and most effect Yoga pose if you are felling gassy.

How to do it:
* Recline on your back and hug your legs into your chest.
* Pull the head up and try to put your nose in between the knees.
* You may rock gently if you wish too. Release after 10 to 15 seconds.
* Alternatively, you can extend one leg out.

Benefits: As the name suggests, this posture helps release gas from the body, a common trouble of constipation. The posture can help cure several digestive disorders, including dyspepsia. It also helps in relieving acid reflux which is caused by indigestion.

Shishuasana/Balasana (Child Pose)

childs pose
This position means that you crouch down over your knees on the floor, pushing onto your lower abdomen.

How to do it:
* Start by kneeling on your knees, with your knees touching.
* Sit down so your bottom is touching your feet and your hands are on your knees.
* Place your hands on the floor in front of you and slowly start to move them forward, lowering your body down until your stomach is on your knees and your arms are stretched out in front of you. Your hands stay touching the floor or you can take them back to hold your feet.
* Now relax, taking slow deep breaths in and out of your nose.
* Hold for about 30 seconds and let the weight of your body go so that you are relaxed in this pose, and your knees push into the abdomen to provide relief.
* Then slowly work your way back up.

Benefits: Relieve any pain that you may get when constipated.

Malasana (Garland Pose)

malasana1
How to do it:
* Squat down with your feet as close together as possible, and slightly pigeon-toed or pointing outwards.
* Your heels should be on the floor – you can always place a folded towel underneath them if this isn’t possible at first.
* Separate your thighs so that they are slightly wider than your body, and then lean forward between your thighs.
* As you do so, place your elbows on the inside of your knees with your palms together in a prayer position and gently push against your knees, which helps to lengthen the abdomen.
* Hold for 30 seconds, breathing gently through the nose before releasing.

Benefits: This pose will help you to relax and stretch the intestines.

So, in case your bowel movements are irregular stop worrying and start practising! Just give few minutes of your daily time, along with healthy diet and good sleep and you can actually look forward to a healthy digestive system and a happier you!!

If this article helped you, let us know your thoughts in the comments below. You can find more articles like this on Gut Health here. If you want expert advice or further guidance on improving digestive or gut health, speak to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

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Navigating Pregnancy: A Journey of Transformation

PREGNANT-women

Seeing two pink lines (positive) on the pregnancy test strip and confirming the pregnancy after the doctor’s visit knew no boundaries to their happiness.

But, with each passing week of the pregnancy came not only new excitement but, also doubts whether the changes taking place inside the body were normal or not.

Here’s an insight into Pregnancy.

The entire pregnancy is about 38 weeks plus minus 7 days. If the baby is born before 37 weeks then it is a pre-term delivery whereas if the delivery happens after 42 weeks then it is called a post-term delivery.

Pregnancy is divided into 3 trimesters and each trimester is 3 months.

The first trimester is the most crucial to your baby’s development. During this period, your baby’s body structure and organ systems develop. Most miscarriages and birth defects occur during this period. Inculcating a healthy lifestyle during this period is very important as the foetus depends on its mother for nourishment. During this period have a balanced diet, compromised of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. Make sure you include Folic acid tablets which are essential for normal brain development of the baby.

In this period the expectant mother may not put on weight, rather she may lose some due to morning sickness. She needs 300-350 calories more than her normal requirement during this period. Do not stop eating because you feel nauseated but, try and include foods that you like and that are light on your stomach. Proper diet and exercise ensures foetal health and growth.

 Physical changes that normally occur during the First Trimester (1-3 months).

– Nausea (morning sickness) with or without vomiting
– Increased frequency of urination
– Food cravings
– Breast heaviness and darkening of the areola
– Constipation, gases or heartburn
– Occasional headaches
– Fetal heart sounds can be heard during the Sonography by the 5th week of pregnancy.

Emotional changes

– Happiness, euphoria, fear or irritability
– Frequent mood swings
– Confused mental state if the pregnancy was unplanned

The Second trimester

The Second trimester of pregnancy is often called the “golden period” because many of the unpleasant effects of early pregnancy disappear. During the second trimester, you’re likely to experience decreased nausea, better sleep patterns, and increased energy levels. You need to supplement with Iron and Calcium tablets as prescribed by your Doctor.

Physical changes that normally occur during Second Trimester (3-6 months).

– Decreased nausea and vomiting and increased appetite
– Fatigue and giddiness
– Constipation and bloating
– White discharge from the vagina
– Mild swelling of ankles and feet and leg cramps
– Weight gain 4-6 kgs
– Lower abdomen and back discomfort
– Darkening of skin and stretch marks on tummy

Emotional changes

– Joy of looking pregnant due to enlarging tummy
– Excitement about feeling the fetal movements.

It is advisable to get the Anomaly Scan by the 20th week of pregnancy to check if there are any congenital defects in the baby like Down’s syndrome, cleft lip or palate and heart and spine abnormalities.

Along with the Anomaly scan, if the Mother is less than 30 years of age then the Double Marker blood test is recommended and if she is more than 30 years of age then the Triple Marker test is recommended which is used for detecting chromosomal abnormalities that might occur after the conception. 1 in 700 births can have chromosomal abnormalities.

You have now reached your final stretch of pregnancy and are probably very excited and anxious at the same time for the birth of your baby. Some of the physical symptoms you may experience during this period include;

– Large, itchy abdomen and breasts with protruding umbilicus (navel)
– Gentle uterine contractions (Braxton Hicks Contractions) (false labor)
– Leaking of breast milk from the nipples
– Shortness of breath
– Difficulty in sleeping
– Increased constipation and occasionally piles
– Increased in foetal activity (kicking)
– Fatigue and breathing difficulty

Emotional changes

– Anxiety about labour and baby care
– Excitement about shopping for baby and preparing for the baby nursery
– Irritability and impatience about reaching the due date
– “Nesting instinct” – Nesting is the act of preparing your home (cleaning, stockpiling and organizing) for your baby’s arrival

How do you know you are in labour?

  1. Blood tinged or brownish vaginal discharge
  2. Diarrhoea
  3. Fluid gushing or leaking from the vagina means the membranes of the amniotic sac that surrounded and protected the baby have ruptured
  4. More frequent and intense painful Contractions.

Look out for these signs and know that your baby is on its way. Contact your Doctor and prepare for the delivery. Labour can be absolutely exhausting extending anywhere between 12 to 36 hours but, always remember the end result is the joy of holding your precious baby in your arms and knowing that this is your perfect creation. It’s not the end but the beginning of a beautiful journey.

We hope this article helps you. For further information or guidance, reach out to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce 

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10 Dietary Changes That Can Help Manage Diabetes

manage diabetesDiabetes – the one word that makes your mind wander in so many directions! You find yourself asking questions like: Will this last for ever? Will I ever get better? How can I manage my diabetes? Well, these are smart questions that anyone should ask. And, yes, you can and will get better! You just need to make a few tweaks in your lifestyle and you should be fine.

While it may seem like an insurmountable hurdle or a wall that cannot be breached, there are thousands of diabetics with good testimonies. Aged people who have lived with diabetes so much so that they sometimes forget that they have diabetes. How can this be your testimony? Well, the pointers below show some of the things you can do to kickstart your own journey to overcome diabetes.

Of course it’s not going to be easy to let go of all your favorite meals. But, no one is saying you have to get rid of them all at once. You’ve just got to be smart about it. Do not make diabetes “complex”,  make eating “complex” to keep diabetes “simple”. Just as in everything else, a lot of effort has to go into your overall lifestyle if you are to conquer diabetes. Just be conscious and you’ll make headway. To eliminate diabetes, take a step towards improving your eating habits and you’ll feel a lot better generally.

Some Dietary Changes To Help You Manage Diabetes

1. Eat Complex To Live Simple: Eating complex doesn’t mean you have to stop eating everything. It simply means you have to make your carbs complex over simple ones, as these are the best type of carbohydrates for diabetics. Complex carbohydrates digest slowly and maintain steady glucose levels in the body.

2. Make fiber an important part of your diet: Fiber refers to plant-based food that slows down the breaking of carbohydrates and keeps you full for longer periods of time. Yes, fiber can go a long way in improving your situation. You don’t have to go over and under in search of fiber rich foods. You can get your fiber fix by following these simple tips:

  • Do not sieve the flour
  • Eat whole fruits over a glass of juice
  • Choose whole grains and whole pulses
  • Eat more vegetables
  • Do not peel the edible portion of the fruit for example – apple, guava, pear, peaches
  • Make soups and salads your best friends

3. Choose healthier versions of your favorite food

Instead of these Choose these
White bread Brown bread
Normal roti Bran roti/multigrain roti
Meat Fish
Normal rice/parboiled rice Brown rice
Sugary or flavored cornflakes Plain cornflakes/oats
Sugar Jaggery/honey
Mayonnaise veg sandwich Hungcurd vegetable sandwich
Normal chocolate Dark chocolate
Creamy cheesy dip Salsa dip
Whole milk Skimmed milk
Salted nuts Unsalted nuts
Soda Salted fresh lime
Potato sticks Raw veggie sticks
Fried chicken Grilled chicken
White pasta Whole wheat pasta
Fruit juices Whole fruits

It surely can be very difficult to do away with all your favorite meals. Instead of doing away totally, you can instead opt for close alternatives as shown above. Choose the healthier version of your favorite meals and you’ll thank yourself for it.

4. Say “NEVER AGAIN” to Trans-fat: Trans-fat is basically obtained chemically by the hydrogenation of oils. It will make your condition worse! To avoid trans-fats, avoid chips, cookies, pastries and margarine. Incorporate healthy fats by following these simple methods:

  • Introduce olive oil or rice bran over butter or ghee
  • Remove the skin from chicken before cooking it
  • Prefer healthy ways of cooking such as grilling, baking and roasting over frying
  • Enhance flavour of food by using more of herbs and spices instead of oil. It will not only give you good taste but also prevent you from consuming extra oil as well as provide you the benefits of antioxidants
  • Prefer fish over red meat as it is full of good fat
  • Eat fish 2 or 3 times week instead of red meat
  • Use hung curd as dressing instead of mayonnaise
  • Prefer baked chips over fried ones

5. Choose Low-glycemic index foods: Glycemic Index refers to the rate at which a particular food raises our blood glucose levels. Foods with high GI spike our blood glucose level and vice-a-versa. Again, fiber is your hero! Fiber rich foods have lower glycemic index – another reason why you should take them.

Some Low GI Sources include whole nuts, whole cereals, cherries, oatmeal, apple, vermicelli, whole dals, prunes, plain yoghurt, soymilk, whole milk, peaches, channa dal and peanuts.

6. Eat small but frequently: The logic here is, heavy meals spike our glucose levels. So small frequent meals will keep our metabolism high, while maintaining glucose levels.

7. Walking and Exercise are your best friends: Exercise is important as it helps to maintain your ideal Body Weight which is very important for diabetics. Exercising helps your weight loss efforts, and is especially important in maintaining an ideal body weight.

8. Limit only high caloric fruits: Except for some fruits like mango, banana and chikoo, one can eat any fruit but  in prescribed amounts only.

9. Use functional foods in the diet: These foods provide “extra benefits” to your diet. Apart from nutrition, it provides you a number of benefits. Functional foods are full of antioxidants, unsaturated fatty acids and are also rich in fiber. Some of them include mustard seeds, flax seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, cinnamon, cloves and chia seeds.

10. Before sleeping ask yourself the following questions:

  • Am I taking too much of alcohol? If the answer is no, then you are okay
  • Am I taking medication properly? If yes, give yourself a pat on the back
  • My feet are clean? No? Then rush to the bathroom!
  • Am I feeling stressed? If your answer is yes? Chill with music and take deep breaths. Remember nothing comes at the cost of your health and ensure you feel some relief.
  • Have I checked my weight?
  • Did I walk for 45 minutes today? If yes, you’ve done well. Feel good about it because you are on track to manage diabetes
  • Now, time for sleep…Proper timing is essential. Get good sleep.

You can manage diabetes by living healthy. Eating in moderation and eating healthy can go a long way in giving you really good results!

We hope this article helps you manage diabetes effectively. For more help to manage diabetes, get the right guidance and motivation by certified experts, join the GOQii Diabetes Care program. It’s India’s only diabetes program that is driven by Smart Science and Personal Coaching to improve Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS), Postprandial Blood Sugar (PP), reduce HbA1c levels. You can subscribe here: https://store.goqii.com/diabetescare.

To read more on how to manage Diabetes, check out Healthy Reads.

Let’s #DefeatDiabetes and #BeTheForce!

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3 Super Simple Ways to Overcome Anxiety Induced Procrastination

overcome anxiety induced procrastination

procrastination

/prə(ʊ)ˌkrastɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n/

(noun) the action of delaying or postponing something.

Amit wakes up with a feeling of dread. Even before his mind can tell him what is wrong, he can feel anxiety and guilt start to overpower him. Then it registers. He’s woken up late! Yet again!!

He was supposed to wake up at 6, do his yoga, meditate, get a few chores done and get started with work at 8.30 am. Instead, here he was, staring at the hands of the clock insisting that it was 8.30 am, and feeling miserable.

“I have ruined the day before it even started!!” he moans.

Trying to salvage the rest of his day, he quickly brushes his teeth, rushes through part of the morning routine and sits down at his desk at 10 am. As he starts wondering what tasks he needs to get done during the day, his mind comes up with one really important task.

As soon as he gets ready to work on the first task his mind reminds him about the deadline for sending in suggestions for his team meeting. So he closes the file he had opened and goes on to open his email. And before he can get to the email with the attachment he is looking for, he is greeted by the deluge of new unread emails waiting to be opened. His heart beats faster, breath gets quicker and despite the cool morning, his palms get clammy with perspiration.overcome anxiety induced procrastination

As he tries to quickly skim through the unread emails, his mind keeps reminding him that he is already behind with the things he’s supposed to get done today and simultaneously points out that had he woken up on time, he would have been done with at least two of these tasks. 

Once again, he experiences a surge of hopelessness, guilt and shame wash through him. He gives into the routine of berating himself and thinking of all the times that he has done this before and hears his mind say things like:

“Who are you trying to fool? You know very well that this is who you really are – this lazy, undisciplined, good for nothing failure who is never going to amount to much! Stop telling yourself that you will somehow turn a new leaf, become disciplined overnight and transform into the epitome of efficiency, effectiveness and success. Just accept that this is never going to change. You are destined to live the life of a loser.”

Inexplicably, Amit feels exhausted and turns to his phone and thoughtlessly opens up Instagram. He scrolls down thinking that he will just check out a couple of posts. But the next time he looks at the clock it is already 12 noon. Feeling totally dejected, he decides to have some snacks and polishes off a large packet of wafers in no time. He spends the rest of the day feeling lethargic and getting very little done.

Does all this sound familiar? If it does, you are not alone. Even the most capable and intelligent people experience this every once in a while and more people than you could imagine, deal with this regularly. 

But let’s take a closer look at what’s going on here. If you are thinking that the issue is Amit’s habit of waking up late, you are wrong. That is not the primary issue. While good sleep habits are important and need to be managed, life will invariably throw you curveballs that will disrupt your plan one way or the other. In this case, waking up late led to Amit losing about an hour of personal preparation time and 90 minutes of work time, which totals up to 150 minutes. If he had gone on to use the rest of the day well, he would have lost only about 2 hours of productive time. But the issue was that anxiety, guilt and shame overpowered him and made it impossible for him to utilise the rest of his time. And he lost over 5 hours instead of 2.5. 

So you see, the biggest problem in most situations is not so much the interruption of plans, but our inability to manage our self talk and the resultant anxiety. Here are 3 simple steps you can take to overcome anxiety induced procrastination.  

3 Simple Steps To Overcome Anxiety Induced Procrastination 

  1. Three top tasks for the next day: Before you finish for the day, write down the things that you’d like to get done the next day. Now circle the three most important things on the list. Make these very specific. For example, instead of writing “Get started on the report”, you could write “Have the first draft of the report ready”. Now rank them in the order in which you’d like to get it done and write down an approximate amount of time you expect each of these tasks to take. You see, when you are ready to start in the morning, your mind is ready for action mode, but if you give it the job of deciding WHAT TO DO, it is going to take up precious energy and working memory space, leaving very little of the energy and focus to actually get the job done. However, at the end of the day when your mind is still in work mode, it is far easier to think about what you’d like to get done the next day. And the next morning, you can channel all your enthusiasm into working on the tasks.
  2. Tackle the anxiety: If things aren’t panning out the way you planned them to, take a few minutes to become aware of the self talk which tries to thrash you. Acknowledge the need behind the anxiety – The need to get things done. Focus on your breath for a few more minutes and ground yourself. Remind yourself that plans getting waylaid is a common occurrence in every one’s life and as long as you are human, it is going to happen once in a while. Ditch the “All or Nothing” thinking that your mind tries to sell you. Remember that if you were to stay calm, you can still achieve a big part of what you set out to do that day. If you notice the anxiety reappearing, schedule 30 minutes of “worry time” towards the evening – a slot of time where you give a free reign to worry and anxiety. And each time you notice anxious thoughts returning, remind your mind that you can do the worrying during the allocated half an hour, not before or after.
  3. Time your tasks and take breaks: Look at your task list and start with task no 1, with a timer set to half an hour by your side. If your mind comes up with distractive thoughts while you are at the task, note down the thought in your physical or digital notepad so that you can look at it after you have worked on this task for a continuous half an hour. Same applies to any other external distractions you may face. Getting a phone call? Send them a text that you will call them back after half an hour; reminded of an email response you were supposed to send this morning? Jot down a reminder about it on your notepad and get back to the task you were doing. When you have put in a solid half an hour of focus, take a break and do any quick calls or messaging from your notepad list and get back to working on the task for another half an hour with a timer. Keep working with half an hour chunks of time with 5 min breaks in between. This will help your mind remain super focused.

Whether you are a working professional, a student, a consultant, a home maker or an entrepreneur, these steps are applicable to each one of you. Procrastination is not caused by laziness, rather it is the mind’s way of coping with increasing anxiety. The above mentioned steps are healthier ways to overcome anxiety induced procrastination, thus making it possible to take action, and to progress towards your goals.

We hope this article on 3 simple ways to overcome anxiety induced procrastination helps you! Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below! For more articles like this, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to sessions by our Emotional Wellness Expert Divya Thampi on GOQii Play.

#BeTheForce 

From Terminal Illness To Complete Wellness! Ananda Mukherjee Health Story

As we observe World Cancer Day under the powerful theme ‘United by Unique’ (2025-2027)**, we are reminded that every individual’s journey with cancer is distinct, yet united by shared resilience, hope, and the collective fight against this disease. This theme places people at the centre of care and their stories at the heart of the […]