Struggling to poop? Natural remedies to combat quarantine constipation

Are you often feeling constipated during the lockdown? You’re not alone. Many people are struggling to poop amid the lockdown. Even those who had normal bowel habits before the pandemic are facing this issue. The problem has become so common these days that medical experts have termed it as ‘Quarantine Constipation’.

The lockdown has greatly affected our daily routines. Changes in the sleeping, eating, and other habits are impacting both mental and physical health. Constipation is one of the common health problems people are facing amid the lockdown.

Causes of quarantine constipation

A person experiencing constipation may have hard or lumpy stools, experience fewer bowel movements (less than three times a week) or need straining to poop. Disturbed circadian rhythm could be one of the reasons for your constipation problem. Circadian rhythm is the biological clock in the brain that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. As the brain directly communicates with the gut, anything that affects the brain affects the gut too. Lack of physical exercise, poor sleep, changes in eating habits and time, and stress can disrupt your colon’s own circadian rhythm and interfere with the gut function.

Poor diet, especially consumption of excess calories, sweeteners and less fibre intake, can also affect your bowel movement. Feeling stressed during this pandemic is normal, but too much stress can disrupt the communication between the brain and the gut, well known as the “gut-brain axis. Stress may cause diarrhoea in some people and constipation in others.

Natural ways to combat quarantine constipation

Tired of sitting on the pot for long? Try these natural remedies to get rid of quarantine constipation. These will not only help you poop, but also regularise your stools.

Try some at-home workouts

Regular exercise support bowel motility and improves gut transit. Further, it can help relieve stress and thereby keep the gut-brain axis in line. Even if you can’t go to gym now, you can do at-home workouts. Experts recommend 20 to 60 minutes of daily aerobic exercise up to five days a week.

Avoid processed food

Try to avoid consumption of processed food like noodles and pasta. Include more fibre-rich foods in your diet. Fibre can make the stool softer and bulkier so that they can pass more easily through the intestines. Nuts, bran, whole grains, lentils, pulpy fruits, leafy vegetables, legumes are rich in fibre. Also, limit intake of foods high in fat or starch.

Drink plenty of water

Keeping yourself hydrated is important for a regular bowel movement. Hard, dry stools are the result of dehydration in the colon. Therefore, you need drink lots of water to make sure that your body is properly hydrated. Besides water, you can drink healthful juices to relieve constipation. But don’t drink alcohol as it can cause dehydration.

Eat raisins (kishmish)

Loaded with fibre, raisins act as great natural laxatives. Soak a handful of raisins in water overnight and have them first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. If you’re pregnant, this is the best remedy to treat constipation, as there’s no side effects.

Add flaxseeds (Alsi) in your diet

Known for their high fibre content, flaxseeds can work wonders in treating constipation. You can mix flaxseeds in your breakfast cereal. Or have a handful with warm water early in the morning on an empty stomach.

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Struggling to poop? Natural remedies to combat quarantine constipation

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