Hi everybody this is Monica Reinagel the nutrition diva here with your quick and dirty

tips for eating well and feeling fabulous today's show is for all you folks who wish you were more regular.

And by that, I don't mean more normal.

That's right, we're talking about constipation this week.

Occasional constipation is extremely common, and although it's usually not Occasionally I learned some things I didn't know while researching the episode.

So if you've already heard the conventional wisdom on this topic, I think you'll still want to

stay tuned.

If you've ever complained to your doctor about occasional constipation, he or she will most likely have suggested

that you try to eat more fiber, drink more water, and get regular exercise.

It's not bad advice, but the truth is doing these things might or might not help you. Take exercise for

example. It's true that people who live very active lifestyles tend to suffer from

constipation less often than those who are more sedentary.

And should you find yourself immobilized by an accident or surgery, for example,

you might have some constipation as a result of the physical inactivity, so it seems logical that exercise would be a good way to treat irregularity.

But actually, studies have found that when normally active people are suffering from constipation,

getting more exercise doesn't really improve things.

Now, don't get me wrong, exercise is still a great idea,

but its reputation as a cure for constipation might be somewhat exaggerated.

Drinking more fluids might not be as helpful as you hope either.

Dehydration can cause constipation, but the fact is that most people who are constipated

are not actually dehydrated. You might recall from my episode on the

dehydration myth, coffee and tea are not dehydrating and they're not constipating.

...