There are many definitions of constipation - primarily it is infrequent bowel movements or straining at bowel movements. Common frequency averages 3-21 bowel movements a week. But "common" doesn't equate to "healthy."

If your digestive system is functioning perfectly and there are no emotional factors, constipation-causing medications or structural issues in the colon, you should be having a bowel movement 30 minutes after every meal. For most people, that means three bowel movements a day. They should be soft, like a paste but not sticky, barely formed, brown, and whether they sink or float depends on the contents of your diet. What they should NOT be is black or tarry, very foul smelling (rotten-like), greasy, red (unless you ate a red food such as beets), pencil thin, white or pale yellow, hard or loose or watery.

What affects the quality and frequency of your stools is primarily the food you eat: consuming good fats that equal good stools, a high fiber content that makes it easy to evacuate while leaving hardly a trace behind, and whether you eat too many processed foods that make the stools sticky. Another consideration is insufficient minerals in the diet - especially calcium, magnesium, potassium and zinc - and inadequate food-derived B vitamins. Water consumption also plays a role - ideally, you should drink half your body weight in ounces daily. Inadequate healthy colon bacteria "flora" (think prebiotics and probiotics) can also be a factor, as is the quantity of digestive enzymes, especially hydrochloric acid and bile.

Behavior can also affect your stool quality, such as the amount of exercise you get (more is better, but even gardening and house cleaning count, movement is what is important here), and whether or not you pay attention to the signals and urges. Disregarding urges to defecate because of inopportune circumstances contributes to constipation. Emotional states, such as stress, fear of having a bowel movement, or shyness in public facilities can also play a part, as does physical impairments (like insufficient peristalsis - muscular movement of the intestines to propel the stools out) or disease.

What's the harm in not having adequate bowel movements anyway? Constipation can predispose you to pretty much all the colorectal disorders there are - hemorrhoids, diverticulitis, inflammatory bowel disease, etc. When you don't defecate enough, the colon stretches out and can hold 10 or 20 pounds or more of fecal material. This makes the colon muscle less effective at moving the body's waste products out. It can also irritate and damage the delicate mucosal lining in the gut, harm the anal canal, or inhibit production of vital nutrients such as some essential B vitamins and vitamin K. An unhealthy gut has an abnormal balance of healthy vs. unhealthy bacteria, yeasts and other microorganisms found in the gut and can predispose you to associated infections.

Getting help from constipation is more than just a convenience. It is a very important contribution to your total health and wellbeing. Laxatives are not a good long term solution. Next week, in part two, we will discuss natural solutions to constipation.

Holly Carling is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, Doctor of Naturopathy, Clinical Nutritionist and Master Herbologist with more than 36 years of experience. Carling is currently accepting new patients and offers natural health care services and whole food nutritional supplements in her Coeur d'Alene clinic. Visit www.vitalhealthcda.com to learn more about her, view a list of upcoming health classes and read other informative articles. Carling can be reached at (208) 765-1994 and would be happy to answer any questions regarding this topic.