Constipation

Warning: This blogpost is about poop. (If you are a Cub Scout-aged boy, that means it's really awesome!)  But the simple truth is we should all poop.  Pooping is good for us---in fact, it is essential to our health.  Unfortunately, pooping is not effortless for some people---and that's called constipation.  You should have a bowel movement one to three times each day.  That bowel movement should not be over-poweringly smelly.  It should be well-formed and resemble a long sausage.  Little stones or grape-like shape is still constipation.  Watery or loose stools are diarrhea, and that's not healthy poop either.

Bowel movements are a very important way for your body to discard wastes and toxins---and it needs to do its job in order for the rest of our system to function efficiently.  I read once that if you were standing behind a car that was shooting smoke out of the exhaust pipe---and that smoke smells putrid and is a horrid dark color, you pretty well know that SOMETHING is wrong with the internal workings of that vehicle.   You may not know WHAT is wrong, or HOW to fix it, but you KNOW that car needs help.

Same is true for children.  If what is coming out the back end isn't healthy, then something is going WRONG in the internal workings of your child.  Something else I thought worthy of mention is that when you're in traffic, you want to get AWAY from the car that smells bad and is belching noxious exhause---and the same is often true of kids with constipation issues.  Why?  Because of the smell?  Well, sometimes that is certainly an issue.  But there is more.

Now we get to the heart of what I felt so strongly about writing this morning.  Digestive issues, including constipation, are directly related to behavior issues! This can't be emphasized enough.  Whenever a child has disruptive behavior, poor social connections, wide mood swings, depression, etc. there is a VERY high chance that digestion is the culprit.  If not the sole culprit, then at the very least a partner in crime.  Please do not under-estimate this important factor of health---including MENTAL health.  There are endless studies pointing to nutrition combined with exercise as the most reliable CURE for depression.  The side effects are all positive.  Anti-depressants are proven to be riddled with terrible side effects, short-term effectivness and expensive! 

There are many, many facets of good digestion and making sure you/your child is completely emptying their bowels EVERY DAY.    The types of food eaten, the amount of water, the types of food to AVOID, supplements, exercise, etc.  The answers are not the same for every child, but it is VERY important for you to find the answers for your child.

Recently, I had an infected tooth and was on anti-biotics for 20 days.  Although I had seriously NEVER been constipated before in my entire life, the anti-biotics resulted in some real struggles in the bathroom department for me.  And my attitude was in the tank!  Everything and everyone annoyed me.  I was impatient and frustrated easily.  All of a sudden, I was much more understanding of what people with chronic digestive disorders deal with.  Poop moved WAY up my priority list when I realized the stress it placed on my entire system---with the symptoms being my behavior.

Here are some good things to consider when dealing with constipation:
1.  Nutrition---get ALL junk and sugar out of the diet.  They are AWFUL for your system.  Yes, a healthy system can detox a certain amount of poor eating.  However, if there are issues, stay away from these toxic loads.
2. Water---Drink 1/2 ounce of water for every pound your/your child's weight EVERY DAY.  Example: A person weighing 100 pounds should drink no less than 50 ounces of water each day.
3. Probiotics---The friendly bacteria that help with digestion.  They also keep yeast at bay.  I like Primal Defense by Garden of Life.  There are many good ones.  Do your research and take a GOOD probiotic.
4. Oxypowder---This is a natural cleanser without negative side effects frequently associated with laxatives.  You will likely have to purchase this on the Internet.  We've used this in our home and found it to be really effective.  You can use a maintenance dose of this also.

There is a lot more information available that is important for understand and resolving constipation issues.  But what I learned from my own experience is that this is an ESSENTIAL.  We cannot expect our children to function happily or sometimes even function at all when there are toxins backing up in their system.  If your child is struggling in any area, please monitor their bowel movements and take hasty action if you see any issues with constipation or diarrhea.

I can report a relief in my mood and attitude once I resolved this issue for myself.  Consider this high on the list whenever you see any unwanted behaviors in your child.

;^) Donna

Some good reading material:  Healing & Preventing Autism by Jenny McCarthy & Dr. Jerry Kartzinel.  This has an excellent chapter entitled "Poop: The Whole Story on Constipation, Diarrhea and Your Kid's Behavior".

The Happiness Project

I recently came upon a blogpost written by Gretchen Rubin, the author of The New York Times Best Seller, The Happiness Project.  Gretchen spent a year testing out every theory of what makes you happy.  I am just beginning to read this book and will be reviewing it on the blog, probably in Spring 2012.  Until then, I just wanted to point out something she wrote about in her blog (www.happiness-project.com).

It seems that science and experience both agree that happiness is found in what you do EVERY DAY, and not in what you do occasionally.  The vacation getaway to the beach doesn't have near the impact on you that your daily routine does.  She specifically mentions a friend who thinks she is a routine exerciser because she works out for 2 hours approx every two weeks.  NOT!  The person who is likely to find happiness from exercise is the one who runs every day, even if for short period of time/distances.

This is also true when it comes to neurological programs for your child/family.  You won't get the satisfaction from occasional programs that you get from daily programs (5 days per week).  The routine, consistent performances are the ones that bring personal happiness and a sense or accomplishment---plus success as your child grows and improves!

I really appreciated this blogpost---I am going to more carefully examine my daily routine and see what is actually eating my time.  And does it bring my happiness?  I may enjoy something (a television show, Facebook, email, reading blogs, etc), but does it contribute to my happiness.  If not, does it belong in my every day routine? 

I know doing programs from Parents With Purpose on a daily and consistent basis brings results for your child---which brings changes to the whole family.  Every mom I've interviewed who actually DOES the program CONSISTENTLY, says it was hard, but it made them happy.  Even before their child was ready to graduate from the program, they felt happy.

I challenge each of us to really look at our day, fill it with what really brings happiness.  Realize the difference between temporary pleasure and happiness.  While temporary pleasure is fine for an occasional treat, we should be CONSISTENT with what brings real happiness.  For me, knowing my child is growing and thriving is one of the things that should be on my "happiness" list every day!

To listen to some interviews from mothers who have done the program, visit   http://www.parentswithpurpose.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=23