Check your medications. Many medications are cause of constipation. Check with your healthcare provider to make sure that you’re not making your problem worse with prescriptions. Be aware that there are natural alternatives available if you know where to find them. A good source of information and high tech natural alternatives to prescription drugs and surgery can be found at www.globalhealingcenter.com

Be wary of laxatives. Try to avoid over-the-counter laxatives. They are often very harsh on large intestine and overuse can actually cause more problems with constipation. Laxatives can cause serious health problems such as diarrhea, bloating, dehydration and damage to intestinal lining.

Herbal remedies. Many herbal supplements are designed to aid in constipation. If you decide to try an herbal remedy, make sure that you talk with your physician first. Some herbal remedies interfere with prescription medications you may be taking. We suggest following: Pure aloe vera, ginger, senna, yerba mate. The best is a concentrated green formula such as “Perfect Food OM” manufactured by Garden of Life.

Improve your bowel habits. Try to go bathroom at same time every day, after meals and as soon as you feel urge. Give yourself enough time to go to bathroom. Never, Never hold in a bowel movement.

Cleanse colon weekly. It may be a good idea to begin a colon-cleansing program every week that will help remove impacted feces from large intestine. It’s best to participate in a program, such as using oxygen colon cleansers such as “Oxy-Powder”, that is non-invasive and will not remove good bacteria in large intestine. Oxy-Powder will also deliver oxygen into your system. This is secret used by stars in Hollywood.

It’s always best to seek advice of a healthcare professional before beginning any treatment option. Everyone’s body is a little different. You’ll want to make sure that your treatment choice is safe and will be effective for your body.

~ As day progresses and you continue to resist old eating habits, your mental strength is gradually depleted. This makes it harder for you to keep lid on your frustration or control your temper. In other words, your inner brat gets better of you.

~ It's no coincidence that most people end up overeating later in day, when their mental strength is at its low point. By this time it seems like too much work to resist, so you give into your cravings.

Is it any wonder that most diets fail? They don't have to. To make sure that your moods don't sabotage your diet, here are some tips:

1. Conserve your mental strength. Be selective in taking on unnecessary stressors.

2. Stick to a routine as much as possible. This reduces number of decisions you have to make, and thereby saves mental energy.

3. Set up your environment so that you avoid temptation: ~ Don't keep junk food at home or in your desk at work. ~ When food-related TV commercials come on, change channel. ~ At grocery store avoid aisles that hold snack foods.

The less you come in contact with reminders of your old eating habits, less you will need to draw on your mental strength. In these kinds of situations, old saying, "out of sight, out of mind" is truly applicable.

4. Watch out for negative self-talk. If you find yourself thinking "This is awful" or "I can't stand this" you will only magnify your bad mood. Instead say to yourself, "OK, so I'm not at my best. Just wait it out for a little while longer."

5. Take responsibility for your mood. If you do get irritable, avoid picking arguments. If necessary, involve yourself in a solitary physical task, away from other people. Your bad mood will pass, you'll keep your inner brat under control, and you'll emerge on other side with additional strength for tomorrow.

Pauline Wallin, Ph.D. is a psychologist in Camp Hill, PA, and author of "Taming Your Inner Brat: A Guide for Transforming Self-defeating Behavior" (Beyond Words Publishing, 2001)

Visit http://www.innerbrat.com for more information, and subscribe to her free, monthly Inner Brat Newsletter.