Constipation means infrequent or difficult bowel movements. Most people experience occasional problems with normal bowel movements. But if constipation lasts for weeks and months on end, it is termed as chronic.
Symptoms of constipation have 1-2 bowel movements in a week, needing to strain to pass stools, difficulty in passing stools, hard stools and a feeling of incomplete evacuation.
There are several possible causes of constipation.
Colonic or Rectal Blockages: Colonic or rectal blockages can adversely affect normal bowel movement. These blockages can be due to many different reasons, such as –
- Colon cancer
- Rectal cancer
- Abdominal cancer
- Bowel stricture or colon becoming narrow
- Rectocele or a bulge or swelling in the rectum through the back part of the vagina
- Anal fissures
Hormonal Diseases: Diseases that affect hormones in the body can be a cause of constipation. Hormones maintain the fluid equilibrium in the body. Diseases that affect hormones can upset this balance and cause mild to severe constipation. These diseases can be –
- Diabetes
- Hypothyroidism or an underactive thyroid gland
- Hyperparathyroidism or an overactive parathyroid gland
A note on hormonal problems and constipation during pregnancy: During pregnancy, a woman can have constipation for many reasons including hormonal changes. The condition often resolves itself after childbirth. Treatment for chronic constipation during pregnancy may depend on the woman’s health.
Neurological Problems: Many conditions affecting the nerves around the bowels and nearby muscle groups can be a cause of constipation. These can be –
- Stroke
- Spinal injuries
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Autonomic neuropathy
Pelvic Muscle Problems: Pelvic muscles support organs involved in stool elimination. Any problem in the pelvic floor muscles can cause constipation. These can be –
- Weak pelvic muscles.
- Anismus or difficulty in relaxing of pelvic muscles.
- Dyssynergia or problem with pelvic muscle movements.
Lifestyle Factors: An unhealthy diet and lifestyle can contribute to poor bowel health and cause constipation. These can be –
- A diet is lacking in fiber.
- A diet high in fatty and spicy foods.
- No or low levels of physical activity.
Determining the cause of constipation is important for its effective treatment.
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Things that motivate athletes – Adidas Trainers and more
Read moreMotivation is the main contributor when it comes to putting up the best show on the sports field. Getting in the arena is as much about getting into the mood. Being into the right frame of mind is crucial to move your body in a certain way for optimum performance. This is true for any profession and especially on the sports field. Starting from getting yourself into the right gear like Adidas trainers, to various other pre-performance tactics, there are a number of things that can motivate athletes and people who engage in sports. So whether you are a professional athlete, or you practice a certain sport as a matter of interest, take a look at this list of things that can motivate you and also those things which can rob you of the same!
• Going through the grind: The grind is one of the main things that can propel your body towards better performance and get your mind well and truly into the mood. The grind includes intense preparation in the physical sense, with the full backing of the mind. This is a huge motivator because it helps you in realizing that you have much more potential than what you had initially thought possible. So, the more you push yourself for greater stamina and finesse, the more your body bows to the challenges on the field to turn them into opportunities for higher levels of performance and achievement. But, at the same time, one should also be wary of pushing oneself too hard. take to the grind of your workout and training, but pace yourself and take it up a notch at regular intervals rather than in one swing. This will keep you motivated in the long run and also spare you the risk of injury.
• Equating efforts with goals: One of the best things that can happen is when you see your efforts manifesting in the achievement of your goals. This is especially true for sports. A major motivator is the fact that you can put in greater efforts which will show up as results when it comes to goals on the field – literally. The more effort you put in, the more goals you score and this can make for some big time motivation to give it your all each and every time. This will make you match your efforts with your goals so that you aim higher and go all out to achieve the same. Yet, here too, one must be careful not to get deterred by the odd failure to achieve the goals.
• Training: Training with a partner or a good trainer is one of the best ways to remain motivated. When you have a partner who understands your goals and someone you are not in competition with, then you will be more attuned towards understanding your own mind and body so that you can train it accordingly. This partner will also help you keep at it when you want to give up. Also, getting the right equipment like Adidas trainers will also be a major motivation to train in comfort.
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Things you should know about probiotic yogurt
Read moreProbiotics are nothing but a form of living bacteria that is present inside your intestinal tract. These living bacterias must be included in the diet to maintain a healthy gut. Somehow, probiotics available inside the body works differently than it usually works in making the yogurt.
Probiotic yogurt is prepared using a fermentation process where starter cultures are used to modify the taste. Once this fermentation process is complete, probiotics are formed automatically. These probiotics have a number of health benefits, which restore the balance of the ‘good bacteria’ within the intestines.
Likewise, probiotics help in solving many health issues such as digestive problems. Suppose, if a person is suffering from bloating problems, it is better to increase the probiotic consumption. By doing so, one can get great relief from any gastric problems or discomfort caused by a massive amount of ‘bad bacteria.’ To get better results, one needs to consume more amounts of probiotics every day. There are no exact amounts though, but it depends upon the total strains consumed. Somehow, the rough estimation is to consume a minimum of 1 billion bacteria per day.
Research says that all yogurts may not contain high amounts of probiotics. Thus it is advised to check the labels before buying the yogurts. One of the popular among yogurts that contain a lot of probiotics is the Danone Activia. It is not just smooth, but the yogurt contains over 4 billion probiotics in a single 125 g serve!
Apart from Danone Activia, you can also test Vaalia which consists of two different probiotics as well as 150 million of each in every 150g serve. Likewise, you can get around 600 million probiotics in every 200g pot of yogurt. If you wish to improve the health of your gut, always buy yogurt which is an easy way to get a high volume of probiotics every day that helps in maintaining proper guts. You can consume Yoghurt probiotics during your breakfast by mixing into a smoothie. You will slowly notice the improvement in your overall guts within a week.