Homeopathy for Constipation

This is a program called Homeopathy On Air, where the host discusses constipation and its causes. The host mentions that constipation can be caused by factors such as lack of exercise, dehydration, and stress. They also talk about the importance of drinking enough water and avoiding excessive coffee consumption. The host suggests that constipation can have a mental and emotional component, and recommends homeopathic remedies to address these underlying issues. They also mention specific remedies for travel-related constipation. The host explains that the duration of treatment can vary depending on the individual, but emphasizes that homeopathy stimulates the body's natural healing process. This program was produced by and first broadcast on Radio Kidnappers, a volunteer-based community access station. For more information go to www.radiokidnappers.org.nz. Thanks to New Zealand On Air for making this program available through funding the Access Internet Radio Project. You're listening to Radio Kidnappers, the voice of Hawke's Bay. This is a program called Homeopathy On Air and it's our pleasure to see you back in the studio, Heidi Beck. How are you going, Heidi? I'm very well, Ken. Thank you very much. You've been away, you've had a bit of a holiday. I have. You're back to the home of homeopathy. I have. I visited Germany and toured around a little bit and it was amazing. It was a really good time and traveling sort of brought up a new topic that I thought I would discuss today. Yes, this topic does happen, I guess, to most people when they're traveling. Yes, especially everyone who's traveled overseas all the way to Europe knows 24 hours in a tight seat in an airplane and the food isn't really good. It's not very nutritious as far as I'm concerned. You're not drinking enough and you're not moving. You're not sleeping properly and I guess a very common complaint is, besides jet lag, constipation. That's what we want to talk about. I thought that is a topic that no one really likes talking about and seems to be a bit embarrassed about, but it is essential. Everyone does it. Everyone has to. Yes, indeed. If it's not working, we can be pretty miserable. Absolutely. Now, is constipation something that we just, in some respects, I understand it happens a lot to older people. Is it something we have to live with just because we're getting older? No, I don't think so. Obviously, with age, things do slack a little bit and it can become a bit more problematic, but it might also be that we're not exercising, not moving as much as we used to. The older we get, people often tend to not drink as much, which is also a contributing factor. The older you get, you might be on some prescription medication and the side effects of those are very often constipation. You mentioned that we don't drink enough. For instance, I can't remember the last time I had a glass of water, but I do drink a lot of coffee. Is that drinking enough? No, on the contrary. Coffee is dehydrating, so it will actually draw water out of your blood system and you urinate more. So, all that water should be going into your gut, into your stool to, well, just help process it, soften it up and keep it moving. So, if you're drinking lots of coffee, you're taking all that liquid out and eliminating it through your urine. So, that will be a contributing factor to constipation. So, what I recommend is for each and every cup of coffee, you drink two glasses of water just to replenish the coffee. Now, that still isn't the liquid intake that you actually need. So, how much liquid intake do we need a day? Well, everyone does tend to exaggerate or minimize it and it's different for everyone. It depends on your age, on your size, on how much exercise, whatever you do. But around one and a half liters is really the minimum that you should be having. And you're suggesting that it has to be water, can't be a cup of tea or lemonade? Well, it depends on what you're drinking. Fruit juice, for example, is food and not water or liquid. The body processes it differently. So, water, tea, yes, that's liquid. That's fine. But coffee, definitely. No, no. Yeah. No, no. Unless you're having the water with it. Exactly. Okay. All right. So, let's say constipation is the gig that we've got and we come to see you. What are you recommending to us, homeopathically speaking? Well, homeopathically, as I've, you know, that's why I'm here to sort of raise the awareness and understanding of how homeopathy works. So, obviously, there are physiological reasons for constipation. As I just said, traveling, sitting in a confined space, lack of exercise, lack of liquid, and so on. Those are things that you can actually, well, deal with by changing things, right? Drinking more, more fiber in your diet, and so on. But very, very often, there's a mental, emotional component behind constipation, especially if it's chronic. And I know this from personal experience. In my childhood, I had chronic constipation, well, almost up into my 20s. Wow. And it was pretty debilitating. Laxatives wouldn't even work. I went to the hospital several times for every checkup on planet Earth. Doctors couldn't find anything. And it was actually more a psychological component. So, the question that I would pose is, what are you holding on to? Yes. Because holding on to your shit, as we say, is pretty literal. Indeed. So, long periods of stress. And stress can be certain beliefs, certain anger, resentment, fear is huge. Because that also will get you uptight, is a stress factor for your nerves. So, the nerve impulses to the gut won't be going as well, either, and getting those bowels moving. So, there's a stagnation there. So, it really is about finding out what's going on in the person's life. What is that stress factor? And finding a homeopathic remedy that will help release that blockage. Yes. So that you can actually deal with these emotions, be that anger, fear, grief, and sort of just work through it. And once you do that, you will see, if you are eating properly and have enough fiber and all the other things that I said, then those bowels will start working again. So, I guess what you're saying there is, if I went to my doctor and said, look, I'm constipated, he might say, okay, well, here's a laxative. Whereas, if I come and see you, you're going to give me a much more holistic approach to it. You're going to say, okay, well, let's sit down, let's have a chat. Why are you constipated? Right. Exactly. And you're going to say, okay, well, go and take this homeopathic remedy and you'll be right. Exactly. You're not going to say that, are you? No. No. And unfortunately, we don't have one remedy that is for constipation. Otherwise, I'd be very happy here on air to say, here, take that and you're fine. Why don't you have one remedy? Why isn't there just one remedy? Because we are individual and the cause of our ailments is individual. I personally believe that we all have a certain organ weakness. Yes. Our weak spot. And when stress factors are triggered, then the body expresses the problem through that specific organ. So, obviously, in my case, it would be the gut, right? In someone else's case, it might be that rash that flares up every time they're angry or upset or something major happens. So, it's really about dealing with that person and the cause and also how you react to it. And that's why there isn't one remedy and one-size-fits-all. Now, you have mentioned in previous shows that you have for sale a travel pack. Yes. So, for instance, if I'm traveling to Germany as you did, is that the sort of thing that might be contained in your pack that you get there? Yes. Absolutely. Now, I'm saying that for travel constipation, we do have, I would say, about three very common remedies. I just had a friend travel overseas as well. And two years ago, I gave a remedy, which was lycopodium. It's a plant. And she took it and said, first time ever, no problem. I arrived and bowels were fine. I wasn't constipated. Can I have that again? Yes. She returned just now, told me it worked again. So, that is definitely a big remedy to consider. Nux vomica is another one, which is also for overindulgence, irregular eating habits, not enough exercise. Normally, it's for people of the workaholic type. Yes. But that's sort of the situation you're in when you're in the airplane. Yes. So, that's another good remedy. Another one, Napmure. So, that's only a handful of potential remedies that might be in that kit. With the differentiation, it will actually say. So, if this is your personality, if this is what the constipation feels like, you have an urge but you can't go, then it's this or that. There's also something for jet lag in it for the muscles and also that dizziness that you feel. Yes. You take that and you'll be fine. So, all my clients, when they go and travel, they ask for the jet lag remedy. Is there a fine line between taking the remedy, like not enough or too much? I mean, the last thing you want to do is think, oops. Yes. I've got to go and there's nowhere to go. No, no, no. That won't happen. That won't happen with taking the remedy. No, no, no. All that will happen is it just gets a normal bowel motion. You're not going to get diarrhea by taking it. If we're taking the remedy, and I guess there's a one-off if we're traveling, I can understand what you're saying. But if we've had long-term constipation like you suffered as a young person growing up, is it a remedy that you're going to need to take every day? Because if it was an emotional problem like you had, I suppose you've got to sort it out. Is it going to take days, weeks, months, years? Again, it depends. But rule of thumb is the homeopathic medicine stimulates the body into self-regulating, healing, and then doing its job as it should. So, the time that it takes can be different for each person. It can be a single dose. It can be two or three remedies taken one after the other because we're like peeling the layers of an onion, getting deeper and deeper to the root cause. I just had a six-year-old girl this week who has been chronically constipated since birth. It started off with skin rashes, with colic, with food allergies, and the constipation has been ongoing, and now there's also chronic sinus infections with real green, horrible snot. So, the history revealed that right before birth, as a baby in the womb, she pooed into the amniotic fluid so that all this bacteria, this feces, basically got into her system and upset the gut flora. So, she has been on probiotics and all, but it hasn't really done the trick. So, I gave her a bowel-nose-ode, which is a homeopathic remedy, and the mother reported two bowel motions a day now. Fabulous. Great. So, that's actually a single dose. In other cases, it can be that you have to take it a few times, but then eventually, everything is fine, and there might be situations that can throw you back, new stressors or abuse in your lifestyle. And then, yeah, you just take another dose, and you're hopefully back on track. I wonder, funnily enough, I was talking to someone the other day about constipation, and they were saying that a lot of people who are constipated rely on over-the-shelf remedies. Yeah. And that they do become reliant on them. Exactly. That they can't go unless they have it, and get back into that vicious circle, that constipated. Yeah. Is that what happens? Enemas and laxatives are not meant to be a daily solution. We are meant to have a regular bowel motion all by ourselves. So, taking it in between when there's need, that's fine, but they can actually have a damaging and sort of addictive-forming property because the bowels just become lazier and lazier and lazier. And also, we have nerve receptors in our intestine and also down in our rectum, which are then impulses that are sent to the brain to message, hey, we need to release. So, laxatives and enemas can actually damage these nerve receptors, and they just don't signal. So, if we're not signaling, then nothing's going to happen. Sounds awful both ways, doesn't it? Yes. But there is a way of getting back into the regular flow that might take a little bit longer, right? Should we take a break and have a song? Absolutely. We'll come back and talk some more about constipation. Yummy. How wonderful. How about we play one of my favorite songs from the Beatles, Let It Be? I love it. Here it is. When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be. And in my hour of darkness, she is standing right in front of me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be. Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be. Whisper words of wisdom, let it be. And when the broken-hearted people living in the world agree, there will be an answer, let it be. But though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see, there will be an answer, let it be. Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be. Yeah, there will be an answer, let it be. Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be. Whisper words of wisdom, let it be. Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be. Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be. Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be. Whisper words of wisdom, let it be. Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be. Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be. Whisper words of wisdom, let it be. And when the night is cloudy, there is still a light that shines on me, shine until tomorrow, let it be. I wake up to the sound of music from America to me, singing words of wisdom, let it be. Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be. There will be an answer, let it be. Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be. Words of wisdom, let it be. Welcome back to Radio Kidnappers, the voice of Hawke's Bay. This is the Homeopathy On Air program. We've got Heidi in the studio. And today we're talking of all things about constipation. I think, yuck, what an awful thing to talk about. But I guess it affects everyone sometime in their life. Yeah, and you know, a little bit now and then, that's fine. I think we should clarify what actually is constipation. Yeah, what is it? So, again, clients come to me and some say, oh, when I ask about bowel motions, because it is the major toxin elimination organ that we have, and it's very important that that is functioning well, they say, oh yeah, every three or four days. And they consider that to be normal. Yeah, I can ask you, what is normal? I don't believe that is normal. If we were to have a really fabulous diet and great exercise, then actually it would be ideal to have a bowel motion after every meal. Now, that won't really happen in our day and age and our lifestyle. But there are plenty of people who do have two bowel motions a day. And one bowel motion a day is the ideal, what I would aim for. If there's a day every so often that is skipped, maybe because you didn't drink enough, you didn't exercise, a bit more stressed, you didn't go to the toilet when you felt the urge, you know, those little things, the body can cope easily with, all right, there's a day in between. And besides then, it's regular. But it is important that it's not too hard, that it's not black and hard like a rock, that there's no blood, that there's no mucus. So I do encourage people to actually look at their stool because it is a sign of your health. And when things change with your stool, you can actually, you know, see, oh, something's happening, I'm not eliminating properly and take responsibility and get help if you need it. And talk about it, yeah. Is the secret to constipation and not having it, is it as simple as a good diet and exercise? I wish it were so. Unfortunately, no. There are many illnesses, diseases, for example, a stroke, diabetes, that can cause or, you know, have as a side effect constipation, which is pretty sad but, you know, we still work around that. Medication. If you're on antidepressants, well, what do they do? They numb down your nerves, right? And as I just said, the gut is about nerves, so it's no wonder that constipation can happen. Pregnancy is a big one. Yeah, the abuse of medication like laxatives is a side effect. The gut bacteria, as I said with this little girl, if that's disturbed, if there's a constant inflammation in the gut, the walls of the gut can become thin and toxins can go right back into your bloodstream and that, again, will cause more inflammation. Vicious circle. It is a vicious circle. Okay, so we haven't got much longer to go, Heidi, but I just wondered if you could sort of paraphrase it. What is the best way for us to live a healthier life in that respect? I mean, there's so many things that we get constipation for or from. Right. Well, I think it's, as I always say, it's about the healthy balance, and it is very important that we do look after our health, that we look after our gut, so that would be including a fiber diet. Psyllium husk is really helpful, a spoonful of that a day. You can get it at health food shops, take your prune juice, get your exercise, plenty of water, but also, and that's what I'd like to emphasize today, is that healthy balance of your thoughts and emotions because they do trigger physical expression, and it is often about what are you holding on to. Okay, so I come and see you, ideally, if I have constipation, and we end up with you giving me a homeopathic remedy. How long after I start taking that am I going to feel better? The next day? Possibly, yes. This little girl, for example, had immediately then bowel motions. Just to remind our listeners again, Heidi, we want to come and see you. Where are you and what's your phone number? Okay, well, my business is called Thrive Homeopathy because I want people to thrive, and I'm located in 1 Lambton Road on Hospital Hill in Napier with great parking, so no worries. And the phone number is 021-33-5233. I also have a website with plenty of information, www.thrivehomeopathy.co.nz. And you're going to finish with the final word. As always, yes. So you can tell someone where to look, but you can't tell them what to see. Very deep, Heidi. We look forward to talking to you, same time, same place, next time. Fabulous. Thanks for having me. This program was produced by and first broadcast on Radio Kidnappers, a volunteer-based community access station. For more information, go to www.radiokidnappers.org.nz. Thanks to New Zealand On Air for making this program available through funding the Access Internet Radio Project.