There are times that our digestive systems end up a little sluggish. It could be due to the food we’ve recently eaten or a medical issue. Either way, feeling constipated is annoying and painful. You start looking for ways to improve your ability to pass stools daily.
While there are plenty of over the counter remedies to try, you will want to find something natural. This is especially the case if your constipation and the sluggish digestive system are due to pregnancy. Here’s a look at the best natural laxatives that you want to try right now.
Start with Leafier Green Vegetables
Whenever you look for ways to get more of anything in your diet, you’ll likely come across dark green, leafy vegetables. This is because they are packed with everything your body could need.
When it comes to constipation, there are high chances that your body is deficient in magnesium. This is a very highly common deficiency in adults and is linked to not getting enough dark leafy greens. The magnesium acts as an electrolyte, helping to draw water from your gut to your stools to soften them. The stools will find it easier to move through your body and out of it through your bowels.
At the same time, the dark leafy greens are packed with fiber, which will help to keep your digestive system in working order. The greens are full of soluble fiber, which helps to soften the stools further and keep them moving out of your body.
It is possible to add too much magnesium to your diet through dark leafy greens. You’ll know by the softness of your stools. You’ll want to find a balance between the two to make sure your digestive system is working at its optimum level.
Add More Probiotic Foods to Your Diet
Probiotics foods are often overlooked for their goodness within the gut. Most people will eat them because they taste good and help to get more calcium, but not the digestive system benefits. Probiotics are full of good bacteria. When you get more of them in your diet, you’ll balance out and get rid of the bad bacteria that grow.
Too much bad bacteria lead to inflammation, spasms, and other health problems. They’re the main reason for diarrhea and constipation in women. You can end up with a world of digestive problems that cause bloating, gas, and discomfort.
You need the good bacteria to fight against the build-up of the bad. The great news is you can easily add probiotics to your diet naturally. You just need the probiotics yogurts, sauerkraut, kefir, and other similar foods. You’ll find them all in the international foods aisles of your grocery store.
It’s also possible to lower a number of bad bacteria that grow in your digestive system. Opt for organic dairy products all the time, as they are much easier for the digestive system to handle.
If you suffer from lactose intolerance, you’ll want to avoid the dairy products even for the probiotics. It’s not worth the pain and discomfort afterward!
Stick to a High Fibre Diet
We’ve already touched on dark leafy greens and the fiber. This macronutrient is one of the most effective laxatives in the natural world. You want to make sure your diet is full of fibre to keep the digestive system working. Not only will the fiber help with passing stools but will also help to fill you up and keep you feeling satisfied throughout the day.
You’ll want a mixture of both soluble and insoluble fiber. The soluble is easy to digest and mix in with the stools. It specifically softens them for easier waste removal. The insoluble stuff helps to push the waste through the body physically. It purposely keeps the digestive system working to cleanse and detox.
The fiber will also include some antioxidants. They help to keep your body healthy and support your immune system. You’ll reduce inflammation, helping to avoid other digestive problems.
You can get a mixture of goodfibers from fruits and vegetables. Add more soybeans, chickpeas, apples, apricots, berries, prunes and more to your diet. You can have them as snacks, or you can choose to add them to your meals.
It’s also possible to get fiber through whole grains and oats. Try a breakfast with porridge oats and berries for filling and gut cleansing meals.
When considering fruits, opt for apples and pears. They have pectin fiber, which helps to stimulate bowel movements.
Don’t juice your fruits and vegetables. This will remove the fiber by removing the pulp, so you end up with none of the benefits. Smoothies can work, as they still include the fiber.
Drink More Coconut Water
Any water is going to be good for your digestive system, but the best natural laxative is coconut water.
Just increasing your fluids will help to soften the stools. You push the waste through your body and make it easier to pass the stools. You can also get rid of toxins that can cause constipation and prevent the digestive system working effectively.
While some people will suggest fruit juices, they’re just full of sugar. Coconut water doesn’t have that. It has all the goodness of water without the negative sugars that will just cause insulin issues. Coconut water is also an electrolyte, which means it works in the same way as the magnesium from the dark leafy vegetables. You’ll also get plenty of potassium for your energy levels and metabolic rate.
If you do want something that isn’t quite coconut water, you can opt for some coffee. If you’re pregnant, you’ll want to limit yourself to just one cup a day. Even when not pregnant, try to avoid drinking more than two or three cups a day. Caffeine is a stimulant and can cause energy crashes.
Coffee will stimulate the colon, which helps with the removal of waste from your body. The coffee helps to break down protein much easier, helping to turn it into waste and get rid of it. You’ll find you don’t suffer from as many digestive upsets. It’s quite quick at reacting too!
Another option is kombucha, which is a “magic elixir” in some parts of the world. It’s a fermented tea, usually found in the grocery store’s fridge section. You can make your own if you want. It’s full of probiotics, helping to cleanse the gut and support the good bacteria levels. It’s shown results in studies to improve the digestive system and get rid of the waste. Studies have also shown that it can help to improve the body’s ability to fight against staph and E. Coli bacteria.
Try Horseradish with Your Meals
You likely add a little horseradish with your beef for your Sunday dinner, but did you know it does more than adding a little flavor? It’s one of those excellent natural laxatives. You only need a tablespoon of it for the best results! You’ll get the best results if you make it part of your routine after each meal.
You can just add a tablespoon of horseradish to a cup of boiled water. Drink it all and after each meal. If you don’t fancy that, you can add it to your meals, spicing up your foods and your salads.
The horseradish is full of fiber, as well as spicy ingredients that help to breakdown the waste and push it through your system. Your body temperature increases, which helps to improve blood circulation and other systems.
Try Getting More Seeds into Your Diet
Whether you add chia seeds or flax seeds to your diet, you want to incorporate them frequently. They really will help to improve the digestive system and get rid of the feeling of constipation.
Chia seeds are one of the most effective ingredients for all types of problems. They’re full of protein and fiber, antioxidants, and much more. They boost the metabolism, support the immune system, get the digestive system working, and give you far more energy throughout the day.
Chia seeds expand within the digestive tract. They’re a form of insoluble fiber, and absorb the water within the system. As they move through the digestive system, they collect the waste as they move their way through.
If you want chia seeds to work effectively, make sure you drink plenty of water. Remember they absorb the water, and that’s how they work best. So, you want to make sure there is enough to hydrate the body and benefit fully.
Flax seeds are much easier to find in the store and often much cheaper. They work in the same way as chia seeds.
Both types can be sprinkled over food, added to smoothies, or even eaten raw. It’s completely up to you!
Try Aloe Vera daily
If you’re still struggling with constipation and a sluggish digestive system, then you want to add some aloe vera to your diet. This is more commonly used in skin care, but it has recently been added to many weight loss diets. It helps to detox and cleanses the system, boosting the metabolism and improving the health considerably.
Aloe vera is full of vitamin E, which is an antioxidant that helps to repair and heal damage. However, that’s not the reason why this natural laxative needs to be eaten.
It’s full of other vitamins, enzymes, and electrolytes that will help to heal the gut. The aloe vera will release anthraquinones, a compound that acts as a laxative. The compound helps to increase the amount of water in the intestines by stimulating the secretion of mucus. It will also break down the food naturally, helping to encourage more waste being removed from the system.
There are anti-inflammatory properties, which are extremely important for good digestive health. The intestines won’t be as swollen or bloated so that they can function more effectively.
On top of these benefits, the aloe vera helps to balance out the pH levels within the body. There will be less yeast and bad bacteria, helping with the natural growth of good bacteria in the gut. Everything works together to keep your whole system working as it’s supposed to.
Add More Exercise to Your Weekly Routine
Did you know that exercise is a natural laxative? And it’s not from the jumping up and down to dislodge anything within your digestive system! It all comes from the range of benefits of exercise to the whole body.
When you do more exercise, you increase the amount of blood flowing through your body. This helps to boost your metabolism, meaning that you can burn more calories. Your digestive system needs to break down more food in a shorter space of time, getting rid of any building within your gut. The body can flush out far more toxins daily, creating a healthy and balanced space. There will be less inflammation, bloating, and issues with working intestines.
You don’t need to do a lot of strenuous exercise for the best results. Opt for some yoga or swimming. The movement and increased heart rate will help to get the blood pumping. You’ll gain far more long-term benefits too, as the exercise will increase flexibility, strength, and stamina. There are the mental health benefits on top of that, which can affect the health of your gut! Add 150 minutes of exercise a week to get the best results, which is only around 30 minutes of exercise five days a week.
What’s the Best Natural Laxative?
The best way to improve your digestive system and bowel movements is through mixing all the above natural laxatives. They all worked together efficiently, softening the stools, pushing out the waste, and encouraging a healthy gut. You’ll feel better within days and in some cases within days, and not just in your gut!
