When wastes, along with toxins resulting from the fermentation and putrefaction of undigested food, prevents muscular contractions (known as peristaltic waves) from sweeping the packed and hardened fecal matter along the digestive canal, the result is known as constipation. Constipation is the difficulty to pass fecal matter, delay of the normal evacuation of the bowels.

Many people are constipated and don’t even realize it. Most of us are not taught what is considered to be optimum elimination. Many think that if they go once a day they are "regular”. Being regular does not necessarily mean being regular enough for optimum health. Lets think about a baby for a minute. An infant has not had time to cause damage to their digestive system. We feed a baby and shortly after we are changing that baby’s diaper. Think about a pet…lets say a dog. When we feed that dog it isn’t long before we are letting the dog out. That is how our systems should be. We actually should go to the bathroom first thing in the morning AND shortly after each meal. Anything that sits in our system longer than 24 hours starts to decay and decompose and give off toxins in the process. If it is not promptly evacuated then our bodies will absorb some of those toxins into our system.

When a person is constipated, the walls of the colon are packed with accumulated feces from many months or years of intestinal cramming. The colon might be compared to a sewage system, in that through neglect and abuse it becomes a cesspool. A clean colon is a healthy one; let it stagnate and it will distribute the poisons of decay, fermentation and putrefaction into the blood. This poisons the following systems of the body:

-The brain and nervous system, which makes us depressed and irritable, slow thinking
-The heart, we become weak
-The lungs, breath can become fouled
-The digestive organs, so become bloated
-The skin, which becomes irritated and rash, body odor

Common sense should tell us that it is an unhealthy condition for fecal material to remain in the intestine for extended periods of time. Elimination of waste material is just as essential as sufficient food intake. As a result of this retention we tend to age prematurely.

Colon hydrotherapy, however, can cause the impacted fecal matter to break down and be eliminated, along with particles of old mucous from the entire length of the colon. In some cases of cleansing, one or more forms of parasites, including tapeworms, might be eliminated as well.

Constipation is an undue and habitual delay in the evacuation of fecal waste. In order to determine the degree of constipation, we must know the transit time of material as it passes through the alimentary tract.

For example, generally a meal takes from 3 to 5 hours to leave the stomach. Within 4 to 5 hours, it should be in the cecum. In 6 and one half hours it will then reach the transverse colon, and in 12 to 24 hours it will enter the rectosigmoid area.

In summary, food eaten should travel through the alimentary tract in 24 hours. In 48 hours, bowels should move again. In 72 hours, following the original meal, no trace of food should be left.

Constipating food and drinks: Causes of Constipation
* Coffee (has a drying effect on the colon) *Insufficient intake of water
* Wine with meals (causes a fermentation effect) *Inadequate bulk food consumption
* White flower and processed sugar *Too little physical exercise
* Homogenized & pasteurized milk *High degree of emotional tension
milk products(cheese, yogurt, creams) *Improper or poor food combining
* Red Meats – beef and pork *Weak muscle tone of the colon
* Carbonated drinks *Too much constipating foods
* Fried foods