Constipation, how to prevent & fight it!
Learn how to fight & prevent constipation starting from food & a correct lifestyle!
Constipation is a a very common & widespread disorder, it is also one of the main reasons why we seek medical advice. About 10% of the italian adult population suffers from chronic constipation & 20% of this group is over 60 years of age. This disorder usually hits more women in mature age.
We can talk about constipation when our intestinal transit slows down at colon rectum level, that is the last part of our intestine, bringing us to less than three evacuations per week.
There are various causes for constipation & the 2 most common are:
- A low fibre diet
- Poor hydration
But nowadays another confirmed cause of constipation is the hectic lifestyle & stress our organism goes through each day, these tend to slow down our metabolism. We also find medicines that can affect our metabolism, amongst these we have LAXATIVES that if regularly used they force our intestine to reduce the PERISTALSIS that consequently will continuously require medicines to evacuate. Even painkillers & anti acids that contain opioids cause the same symptoms.
THE MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS
Obviously the most common symptom is evacuation shortage or at least less than 3 times a week, accompanied by:
-slow digestion
-abdominal swelling
-overweight
-tiredness
-irritability
Therefore to prevent & also to cure constipation one must lead a correct & healthy life style, but at the bottom of all we have:
- A correct diet (recommended foods: whole grain cereals & derivates, fresh seasonal fruit & vegetables, lean white meats, legumes, tofu, ricotta, yogurt with probiotics; mallow teas, barley coffee etc)
- avoid forcing yourself when using the bathroom (it may cause hemorrhoids than worsen constipation)
- don’t postpone your visit to the bathroom each time you feel the need
- Increase fibre provision
CONSTIPATION FIGHTING FOODS
We have said that a correct diet is necessary & we have recommended some foods, amongst these there are some that are particularly useful because they are very rich in fibre:
CHIA SEEDS: adding a teaspoon of chia sedds to soups, salsas or salads increases the provision of soluble fibres, very beneficial for our colon.
DRIED PRUNES & FIGS: are highly digestable & have an elevated quantity of soluble & insoluble fibres that make them real natural remedies, 30g per day are sufficient.
PEARS: If you purchase organic pears they can be eaten without needing to be peeled, this being very rich in PECTIN, soluble fibres that don’t irritate our intestinal mucosa.
MANGO: Mango pulp is absolutely the richest in PECTIN, the soluble fibre that regenerates our intestinal flora & contrast also the formation of COLON CANCER.
LEGUMES: Are amongst the foods that we should consume most if suffering from constipation, but we must be careful because the outer skin causes abdominal swelling, hence its best removing it.
VEGETABLE SOUPS: help us stock up on fibre & liquids, necessary to regulate our intestine.
CONSTIPATION REMEDIES
By now we find many remedies against constipation, but not all do good, infact some can even worsen the situation, we have:
- SOLUBLE FIBRES: are the best remedies since they increase the fecal mass, softening it & making release very easy without irritating our bowel.
- STIMULATING LAXATIVES: are very HARMFUL, they irritate & inflame our bowel worsening the situation on the long run.
- LUBRIFICANTS: Do not cause irritation & can be used for long periods
- SALINE LAXATIVES: bring water to the colon, hydrating feces & facilitating disposal
- LACTULOSE: is an osmotic laxative, sends water to the colon, made from synthetic sugar, is sufficiently effective & does not cause irritation
- FLAX SEEDS: rich in mucilage ideal for the colon, just add a teaspoon of lightly crushed seeds to a glass of water & drink after 8 hours.
Take a look at our tried and tested method: Anti-Diet
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