I’ve counseled many clients about their digestive health, and time after time I have found that eliminating their constipation (pun intended!) has a fantastic domino effect on their energy and ability to lose weight.

Constipation is the most common gastrointestinal complaint in the US, resulting in over 2 million visits to doctors every year and Americans spend over $700 million on laxatives each year.

Constipation is mostly a result of a highly refined diet filled with packaged and processed foods. Think of the Elvis Diet: greasy, cholesterol-laden foods like cheeseburgers, French fries, fried banana sandwiches… My 8 Week Delicious Detox Tele-Course, starting September 6^th, will guide you through transforming your diet to avoid this and many other health woes.

Go here to learn more:

Laxatives can help things start moving in the short term, but long-term use can lead to other problems and some products contain harmful ingredients.

Probiotics are my number one recommendation to help constipation sufferers. These friendly bacteria live in our digestive tract and help us to digest and absorb nutrients from our food. They do a lot of the work for us, and a majority of chronic constipation cases are improved with a good quality probiotic.

What do I mean by good quality?

-       Make sure you buy a refrigerated brand and keep the bottle cold after it’s opened: those are living bacteria and we want to keep them happy and vital.

-       Get a brand that has several different strains including Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Lactobacillus helveticus, like New Chapter’s ProBiotic All-Flora. Different strains take up residence in different parts of your very lengthy intestines.

And probiotics are one of the few supplements I think help most people …I’ve been taking them daily, along with naturally fermented foods, for years.

Once you get regular (that means 1-2 easy bowel movements a day) your body will start to work more efficiently and your energy will improve. When your bowel movements are easier, your body will be able to remove excess cholesterol, and you’ll start losing weight faster.

Those little micro-critters are our friends – believe me!

I make this simple, inexpensive drink at home on a regular basis. It takes minutes, and costs pennies!

1 tablespoon freshly ground flax seeds (grind in a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder)

6 ounces water

2 ounces apple or pineapple juice

Simply mix all together with a whisk or in a blender and drink quickly. Because the fiber expands in your intestines, it acts as an internal brush, cleaning out any stuck matter.

So naturally, women turn to over the counter products like Metamucil, which brands itself as the “#1 Doctor Recommended” product to counteract constipation. This product is mainly psyllium husks, which come from plant husks.

Did you know that Metamucil products ALSO contain:

Gelatin (animal source), Polysorbate 80, Caramel Color, Red 40 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Titanium Dioxide, Polysorbate 80, Caramel Color, Red 40 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Natural and Artificial Orange Flavor, Aspartame, FD&C Yellow No. 6, Acesulfame Potassium, Aspartame, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Blue No. 1.

Many of these food colorings are directly linked with hyperactivity, learning disorders, digestive disorders, AND hide dangerous toxins.

These colorings are not safe, although they are approved by the FDA.

They are certified to contain no more than the amount of lead, mercury, arsenic, benzidine, and other contaminants that the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) considers acceptable.

In my opinion, none of these dangerous ingredients should be allowed in our food supply.

According to the good people at Feingold.org, a dye and additive free diet organization that counsels people on how to clear up disorders like IBS, ADD and ADHD:

“All the synthetic dyes are allowed to contain harmful contaminants like lead, mercury, arsenic, and benzidine (a carcinogen). Lead usually targets the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells first, eventually attacking your nervous system. The primary effects of mercury on infants and children are to damage neurological development. Arsenic can cause several kinds of cancer, as well as headaches and confusion. While it is true that colorings don’t have large amounts of any of these contaminants, there is no good reason to consume them…

Yellow #5 & Yellow #6 are each allowed to have 1 ppb (parts per billion) of benzidine. That is a really tiny amount; benzidine is known to cause cancer but it apparently can’t be easily removed from the dye, so the FDA decided to allow it at that amount…

One major characteristic that seems to apply to all chemically-sensitive people is that they get upset, anxious and agitated very easily. Whether the person is 3-years-old or 33, they have a short fuse.”

I know women who have been taking Metamucil almost daily – for years. Can we know how much lead, benzidine, and other toxic synthetics are lurking in their bodies because of the “healthy” product their doctor recommended?

The synthetic “D&C” colors are allowed to contain 10 ppm (parts per million) of lead.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Lead poisoning occurs when lead builds up in the body, often over a period of months or years. Even small amounts of lead can cause serious health problems.”

Low-grade exposure to small amounts of lead may not show symptoms for years, but can increase the risk of high blood pressure and mental illness and decline in the future. Adult symptoms of lead poisoning can include:

• Pain, numbness or tingling of the extremities
• Muscular weakness
• Headache
• Abdominal pain
• Memory loss
• Mood disorders
• Reduced sperm count, abnormal sperm
• Miscarriage or premature birth in pregnant women
• Fatigue

My recommendation for constipation issues is to stay away from any product that contains synthetic colors and preservatives. Instead, eat a diet of whole grains, beans and legumes, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables. Try my favorite Detox Drink recipe seen here.

To boost your elimination naturally with a toxin-free product, try:

-       Freshly ground flax seeds (on sale here)

-       100% Psyllium Husks (on sale here)

For more information on the Feingold Diet and how it has been used to help clear up ADD/ADHD symptoms:

http://www.feingold.org/