What goes in must come out!!! If not, this waste  remains within your body causing weight gain and disease. Overcoming constipation is all about supporting the digestive process in doing its work easily and efficiently. Did you know that it is not normal for us to be tired and sleepy after a meal? The foods that we consume should give us energy and ideally be eliminated after each meal depending on the amount of food consumed throughout the day. If the elimination process does not occur daily constipation leads to weight gain and toxic waste that is pushed out into your tissues and cells slowly but surely creating dis-ease. The key is to consume foods that travel freely and easy through your system which in return will eliminate constipation, hard to move stools and blockages.

Check out my top 5 tips for overcoming constipation without chemicals and chemical laxatives.

Tip #1: Let Water Rule: Make fresh room temperature water your first beverage when you wake up in the morning. Ideally you want to drink anywhere from 16 to 24 ounces of fresh water upon rising. This really gets things moving and helps to foster elimination even before you leave the house. Let water rule throughout your day as well. It really makes a huge difference. The basic rule of thumb is to drink half of your body weight in ounces. Make this a habit and you will reap all the amazing benefits of staying well hydrated along with assisting the bowels in the elimination process.

Tip #2: Eat Hydrating Foods: Hydrating foods help to keep things moving as well and contain both water and fiber. The key is to add in these foods at every meal. Hydrating foods are foods that are high in moisture content and you can think of those foods as your fresh fruits and raw veggies. You can even add in a juicy green smoothie in between meals which is ultra hydrating and gets things moving due to the high moisture and fiber content (check out my older blog post on the Perfect Green Smoothie Formula for recipes). Eat your hydrating foods first and if you are having a cooked meal eat the cooked foods last.

Tip #3: Eat Less Meat and Bread: Meat and bread are known to slow down digestion and therefore it slows down the elimination process. Minimize or eliminate these products and you will notice a dramatic improvement in your elimination. However, if you must consume these two foods be sure to accompany them with loads of veggies. Let veggies rule your plate and let meat be your side dish.

Tip #4: Proper Food Combining :Did you know that there is an optimal way to eat to support digestion and elimination? The basic rule of thumb is to eat light to heavy. The process of eating light to heavy means consuming first the foods that the body digests quickly followed by the foods that take longer to digest. Eating this way helps to foster elimination and prevents foods that digest more quickly from sitting in your body and fermenting. The next basic rule of thumb for optimal digestion and elimination is to eat fruits alone on an empty stomach, next combine proteins and veggies for a standard meal or combine starch and veggies. Protein and starch require different digestive processes and enzymes to break down and improper combining could lead to improperly digested food and constipation. By implementing this tip alone you should see a huge improvement in bowel activity.

Tip #5 Supplementation: Lastly support digestion and elimination with supplementation. Digestive enzymes are great for people who lack the enzymes to break down food due to the over consumption of cooked foods and processed foods. Probiotics help to restore the healthy bacteria in the gut aiding in digestion and elimination and finally Smooth Move which is an herbal tea that can be found at your local health food store.

Beat constipation now by implementing these tips. Leave me a comment on this post or any questions that you might have and I will respond or send me a personal note through my site.