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There's a lot of information out there regarding constipation. Some of it's good, some of it's useless and some of it's downright dangerous. If you're suffering with constipation however, the last thing you want to do is spend hours sifting through all this information; you just want to find something that will get things moving! What follows is a compendium of all the most relevant and helpful information as well as a simple system that has proven to be both safe and effective in my personal experience.

Firstly and most importantly, I would advise you to avoid stimulant laxatives unless you are absolutely desperate. Prolonged use of stimulant laxatives can cause your system to become reliant on them. They are alright to use once in a while, but if you have an ongoing problem with constipation then you should avoid them. Cascara and Senna are ones to really avoid. If you use them too often, they will just end up compounding the problem.

You will probably have been told by now to increase fiber: fruits, vegetables, whole-grains etc. This is good advice, but don't go all out. You need to increase fiber intake slowly, otherwise you can actually make your problem worse. Fiber adds bulk to the stool, this gently stimulates peristalsis and makes the stool easier to pass. If you suddenly increase your fiber intake, you are likely to suffer from bloating and gas and the added bulk may just make the blockage worse. So take it slow. Fiber supplements (such as psyllium and ground flax), in my experience, are unnecessary. I'm sure they work fine, there's just no need to waste your money on them. Slippery elm bark powder, however, is fantastic, adding soft bulk to the stool as well as soothing the digestive tract. Also, baked beans have 5 grams of fiber per 100 gram serve and are packed full of iron and protein as well. You need to slowly increase fiber until you are at around 25 grams a day, which is the recommended intake for an adult.

Increasing fluid intake is also vitally important. I have found that if you are constipated, the recommended 2 liters (64 ounces) a day is not enough. In my experience, drinking 3 to 4 liters of water in a day would guarantee a bowel movement the next morning. Once you have established regular bowel movements, this can be cut back to the recommended 2 liters.

Avoid cheese as much as possible, especially at night. Cheese tends to be constipating. Also, if you are a coffee drinker, you may need to cut back a little. Coffee is a diuretic, which

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