When was the last time your son or daughter pooped? I’ll wait…

If you have to stop and think about it, it’s probably been a day (or two or three) or more! Now don’t go knocking yourself down, you are not alone. Many children (and adults) struggle with constipation.

Constipation is one of the most common gastrointestinal complaints in the US. This is especially true for elderly people, those who are on immunosuppressive therapies such as chemotherapy, the highly stressed, and those with poor diets.

Constipation refers to hardening, difficulty or painful passing of the bowels. What most people don’t realize is that it’s not only the lack or absence of a bowel movement, but even the passage of multiple minimal stools can indicate constipation.

Imagine, for a second, that your child hasn’t pooped in 1 week. That’s 7 days or 168 hours! What is the state of your child’s digestive health? Thinking about the role of digestion and elimination, ideally what goes in should come out. When someone is constipated, food and food products continue to accumulate, but nothing comes out.

This cannot be and is not a good thing. The result is putrefaction of contents within the digestive tract and recycling of toxins and hormones, all which wreak havoc on our bodies. Improper bowel elimination adds to our internal toxic load.

This month I will explore ways to naturally improve your child’s (and perhaps your) digestive function and eliminate constipation. Be sure to follow me on social media @bebalancednd for more information!

Author Dr. Shyron Alston