Did you know that $700,000,000 is spent on laxatives every year!
That’s a lot of money down the toilet (pun intended). There’s one thing I know for sure and that is if you are constipated then it’s going to be much harder for you to lose weight and clean out your system.
Let me ask you a rather personal question… do you have a satisfying bowel movement daily? Yes, daily as in every single day? If not then you may be constipated. It doesn’t matter if you’ve always had this problem… it’s still a problem.
Chronic constipation can occur with a wide variety of intestinal and systemic illnesses that directly or indirectly slow the movement of fecal material through the large bowel.
Nervous system diseases and endocrine disorders frequently lead to chronic constipation. In some cases, constipation may precede other more specific symptoms of the underlying disease like hypothyroidism and Type II Diabetes.
You are considered constipated if you have two or more of the following for at least 3 months:
- Straining during a bowel movement more than 25% of the time
- Hard stools more than 25% of the time
- Incomplete evacuation more than 25% of the time
- Two or fewer bowel movements in a week
One of the reasons I promote cleansing with real food is to give your digestive system a break. This is necessary so you can better eliminate the toxins that have been stored inside you. Although there are mixed reports on the link between constipation and colon cancer, it is believed that the toxins your body is trying to eliminate through a bowel movement can get reabsorbed into the body if you are constipated.
Today I’m sharing a recipe from my Detox 101 – Workshop with you. This recipe has helped many of my clients get things moving in the right direction.
Liquid Plumber
Ingredients
- 1 apple chopped
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 3 dried figs soaked in advance
- 3 tbsp ground flaxseed
- water enough for desired consistency
Instructions
- Blend all of the ingredients in a blender. It won’t be completely smooth. That’s ok – you want it a little more fibrous than a smoothie. Enjoy!
You can find many more recipes like this one in my Detox 101 – Workshop. Details coming soon.
Constipation is a serious problem especially when you are trying to lose weight and nothing else seems to be working. Give this recipe a try and let me know if you problem resolves itself.
In good health,
Cheryl Wahl, RHN, CPCC, Personal Trainer
