Constipation is not a topic many people would choose to talk about, but as moms, most of us have been through it–even if it was only during pregnancy. It's uncomfortable, painful, annoying and just plain gross. Not only that, but many of the medical treatments for it either don't work very well or take a long time to kick in. Thankfully, there are a number of natural remedies that can ease your pain and one that can even cure you permanently.
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First off, if you're having chronic issues with constipation or if you're taking a medication or have a diagnosed medical condition that causes constipation, the first thing you're going to want to do is make a few changes to your overall diet. Increase your intake of water and fiber both by drinking the clear stuff and by adding lots of fresh fruit and vegetables to your diet (but avoid bananas they can exacerbate the problem). And yes, prunes and prune juice do actually help.
You should also make sure you are getting an adequate amount of exercise–even gentle exercise like walking and yoga can make a big difference in how efficiently food moves through your digestive system.
Now for that miracle cure: it's called bael fruit. Consuming around two ounces of ripe bael fruit before dinner every day, is said to keep things moving along permanently. But chances are, you probably haven't seen this rather obscure fruit in the produce section of your local grocery store lately. If you want to give it a try, check for it at your local Indian or Asian grocer as the fruit is native to India. If you don't see it, ask management if they can order it. You may also find it at a natural foods market, but if you don't, there are teas and supplements that are made with bael fruit that may be effective at alleviating constipation as well. These can be purchased online or at a health food store.
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