The Christmas season means parties, reunions and get-togethers with family and friends. It also means lots of food, mostly traditional favorites like lechon, ham and roast chicken.
“Forget your diet,” is something we’re always told during the holidays.
The holidays come just once a year so it really is easy to do that. However, a diet that’s heavy in protein can make us constipated.
Discomfort, days of waiting and, sometimes, tears are only some of the things constipated people go through on a daily basis.
The suffering is real. A person is supposed to poop every day or at least regularly, not twice a week. Moving your bowels should give you a feeling of relief, not pain and more suffering.
Overindulgence during the holidays, coupled with lack of exercise, can cause constipation or worsen your condition, if you’re already suffering from it.
How do you know you’re constipated? Here are some common signs:
1. You poop less than three times a week. While it is not true that you should move your bowels every day in order to be in the non-constipated category, less than three times a week is too much.
2. Your poop is painful, dry and dark. According to the Bristol Stool Chart, if your stool is hard to pass, lumpy and shaped like nuts, you are constipated. You are doing okay if your stool looks like a sausage, has cracks on the surface and is soft and smooth. It is not true that your stools need to be very soft. In fact, having very soft stools that are bordering on being almost liquid is a sign that there is a problem.
3. You’re always gassy. Yes, it can be embarrassing to always be farting, especially when you’re in a public place or, heaven forbid, while out on a date! But being flatulent can be a sign of constipation. Yes, farting isn’t necessarily a sign that you’re on the verge of pooping. Having stored feces makes it difficult for a constipation to pass gas normally and this can result in flatulence.
4. Bleeding. If you see blood in your stool, you may be constipated. Having bloody stools can be caused by anal fissures resulting from hard bowel movement. But it can also mean there is bleeding somewhere in your digestive tract. It is best to have it checked by a doctor.
5. You need a laxative to poop. Laxatives stimulate the lining of the intestine to haste the stool’s journey through the colon. They also help increase stool’s hydration.
It’s not true that taking laxatives is an unhealthy habit. There is no evidence that use of stimulant laxatives leads to serious health problems.
With decades of clinically proven efficacy and scientific expertise, Bisacodyl (Dulcolax®) is the No. 1 laxative in the Philippines.
Bisacodyl (Dulcolax®) helps you be in control of your life by helping you poop regularly. If you poop regularly without any straining or pain, you don’t feel bloated or gassy. It can make your life easier. Not worrying about constipation will give you time to enjoy the more important things during the holidays like time spent with family and friends.
For more information, visit www.dulcolax.com.p