Constipation and Depression – Is there a Connection between them?
I’ve heard some big numbers referring to people in the United States that are said to have depression. Recently I read that every year about 16.2 million Americans have depression.
If true, then it would seem to be a national crisis in depression. But I’ve also heard that constipation and depression are related.
One of the most misunderstood problems that people deal with on a regular basis is depression. Our peers often misinterpret the fact that we are depressed with just feeling sad. Sadness is something that can be snapped out of. But depression is an illness that cannot easily be overcome by simply shaking ourselves to our senses.
Even those in the medical field are beginning to consider depression to be a long-term illness. Much the same as diabetes or high blood pressure. They feel as though it needs to be treated for the long term. This is also true of any natural treatments that we may take.
One common thing that I noticed is that everyone we take care of in our RCFE has depression. Not only that, all of them so far, have had it for years. Also they are all taking similar drugs for their depression. However, they still have depression and often ask for more of the same drugs.
Could constipation and depression be related in your situation?
Did you realize that there may actually be a simple solution to your depression? Especially if you are only depressed for the short term. Some people have chronic depression that sticks around for the long term. But many are only depressed every now and again. They find it difficult to overcome, but it eventually fades away.
One of the things that may be behind this depression, believe it or not, is constipation. Problems with our digestive system, as a matter of fact, are one of the first things that many physicians will look for whenever we are dealing with depression.
If you have depression and you are also dealing with digestive problems, there may be a solution for you. One that can help you to overcome both at the same time. We are all familiar with the fact that we need more fiber in our diet. This can help us to overcome our constipation and digestive problems fairly easily.
There is a way, however, for you to get this fiber naturally without having to sit and eat green vegetables most of the day. This can be done by making a simple green smoothie.
It is made by mixing a couple of pieces of fruit with water, ice and some green, leafy vegetables. The smoothie a delicious way for you to be able to make sure that you are getting your fiber intake on a daily basis. Not only that, the fact that the greens are already pulverized in the blender makes them readily digestible.
If constipation is behind your problems with depression, a simple green smoothie or two may be able to make all the difference in the world. However, there are other foods that might help with constipation if a green smoothie is not your style.
Depression is Not Unusual for our Particular Business.
What business is that you may ask? No it’s not a medical practice or nothing like that. We have an RCFE. It’s a business where we usually care for older people. In our particular case it is in our home. I can understand why someone might be depressed.
I think many, if not most people wouldn’t be too happy having to spend their last few or many years living away from their family and maybe friends. That’s usually the situation with people who we have as residents. 
Often their family doesn’t visit them much or sometimes at all.
As mentioned above many, if not most of the people we take care of have depression.
Almost all, if not all of them also have depression.
Or at least they are taking medicine for depression. By talking with some of them they don’t seem depressed.
And certainly they are not obviously depressed all the time.
But nevertheless they are usually taking some kind of depression pill. However, all such residents were already taking depression medicine before they came to live with us. Such medicines are prescribed by their doctor. We have nurses that visit them on regular basis. So it is not something they take on a whim. They are only allowed prescribed medicines by their doctors.
Some Foods to Help Prevent Depression
Here are some foods for constipation prevention and relief of symptoms of constipation:
- Bale fruit – cleans and tones intestines
- Bran products – provides fiber to soften stools
- Guava – provides needed roughage
- Corn syrup – helps to soften stools
- Sugar – helps to soften stools
- Spices – such as cumin, coriander, turmeric powder, fennel, and asafetida makes food easier to digest
- Apple Pectin – provide natural fiber
- Folic Acid – insufficient intake of folic acid can cause constipation
- Honey – natural form of sugar
- Lemon juice – drink with warm water 2-3 times daily
Your Eating Schedule is Important
How you eat your food is also an important factor in preventing or relieving constipation. Adhere to a regular eating schedule. Try to eat your meals at the same time each day if possible.
Keeping your body on a regular schedule helps your digestive system to work naturally and on schedule. Also make sure you chew your food thoroughly. If you swallow your food before it is chewed sufficiently, it makes it harder for your body to digest it.
So if depression is a consistent problem with you and you don’t want to join the bandwagon of a daily regimen of drugs, consider a more natural way of fighting depression. Make sure your food intake is such that it helps relieve any constipation problems you may have that contribute or are the cause of your depression
