foods help you poop! There are many people who say they suffer from constipation, that they have difficulties when it comes to evacuating or that they do not do it as often as they would like; you feel discomfort in your abdomen, bloating and gas. To avoid this discomfort, some people take laxative medications, which are the ones that solve the problem.
However, many of them have side effects and make the body habituate to them, which makes it difficult for the situation to be resolved by consuming foods with fiber or laxative foods. The following article explains how to combat constipation with diet and what role some dietary supplements play.
some things you should know first:
poop is about 30 cm long. Shorter stools may suggest that the colon is not adequately processing what we eat.
• Texture: a healthy poop should be very firm, something like the texture of a toothpaste. When our food is of good quality, healthy and natural and (very important!) Well chewed and well digested, a firm poop is produced. In addition, half of the feces tend to float and the other half tend to sink. However, if all your stools float, it is a sign that you are not absorbing fat from food properly … another reason to seek the help of a professional.
Are your stools tiny, in the shape of little balls like a mouse’s? then you are constipated, so try consuming less food of animal origin, less salty foods, strong and aged cheeses, leave the bread and consume more fiber! have more vegetables and finally, say YES to whole grain! What do you not like vegetables? Visit my blog section: vegetable recipes … I’m sure you are going to love them!
Did you know:Foods to help constipation
LET’S BE SINCERE… YOU ALSO WANT TO SHIT LIKE A KING!
So now let’s look at my three rules for a healthy and happy stool: fiber, good fluids and intestinal flora.
• Fiber: There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble, and the lack of either can create a bit of chaos. You do not have to go to the supermarket to buy bran to take more fiber, what I recommend is that you make a change in habits and that you introduce foods with more fiber in your daily diet.
Soluble fiber absorbs water and turns to gel during digestion. In addition, soluble fiber helps keep glucose levels stable and can lower cholesterol levels. Where to find it? Well, in foods such as oats, barley, nuts, legumes, peas, seeds and some fruits such as apples, pears and berries.
Insoluble fiber doesn’t absorb water, so its job is like a broom: sweeping up all the poop. It has a mild laxative effect and accelerates the passage of food through the intestines. This type of fiber can be found in whole grains, green leafy vegetables, celery, broccoli, cabbage, onion and in the skin of root vegetables.
• Water intake: when we increase fiber in our diet, we also have to increase our water intake. Remember that soluble fiber absorbs water, so you will need more of it to be properly hydrated. Forget about the famous 2 liters of water a day, each person is different and a 60 kg person should not drink or eat the same amount as a 140 kg person. My rule of thumb: drink alone and whenever you’re thirsty. That is, do not force yourself to drink 2 liters if you are not thirsty and do not feel like it, but if you find yourself thirsty during the day make sure you stay properly hydrated.
One way to tell if you’re drinking the right amount of water is by looking at the color of your pee , which should be a yellow, beer-like color. If your pee is totally clear as water then you are drinking too much, and if it is dark like a good German beer then you are drinking very little.
• Flora: it is very important to maintain a good intestinal flora to go to the bathroom properly. More than 100 trillion bacteria (both good and bad) live in our intestines. Good bacteria, also known as probiotics, are very important for good digestion and elimination. To increase the amount of probiotics in your intestines, I recommend that you eat fermented foods such as tempeh, miso and sauerkraut regularly and that, if you have a problem, supplement with a good brand of probiotics (there are usually good brands in the herbalist ).
The consumption of these foods help you poop will help to have a better digestion naturally, but if constipation persists you should visit your doctor.
Laxative foods and remedies
Fresh fruits, dried fruits, nuts, vegetables and greens, as well as legumes, are foods with a high fiber content. Within these groups, there are some foods that stand out for their content in this compound, exclusively vegetable, and that will be more useful when treating constipation.
- Among the vegetables and greens, the artichoke stands out (9.4 g of fiber / 100 g). foods help you poop
- The most laxative fruits are the fruits of the forest, such as currants, raspberries and blackberries (about 6-7 g of fiber / 100 g), the orange (8 g / 100 g), the pomegranate and the kiwi (3 g / 100 g ). The amount of fiber provided by the rest of the fruits is around 2 g / 100 g.
- In general, dried fruits (almonds, pine nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts) and dried fruits (dried apricots, plums, grapes and dried figs) are the foods richest in fiber. Its consumption will be moderate, since the first ones contain a lot of fat, so they can be caloric and indigestible; and the latter are a concentrated source of sugars. A handful of nuts, about 25 grams, provides 2.5 to 4 g of fiber. Inside the dried fruitsDried plums stand out (16 g of fiber / 100 g) and, in addition, they serve as a basis for preparing different very useful home remedies for constipation, such as pear or apple compote with plums. Likewise, plums contain sorbitol (a type of sugar) and derivatives of hydroxyphenylxanthine, substances that together with fiber stimulate the activity of the colon muscles, which favors evacuation and prevents constipation.
- A good plate of legumes, about two scoops, equivalent to about 80-90 g (dry weight), provides about 10 g of fiber. They also become a good alternative to enrich the diet in this nutrient, which will increase if legumes are combined with vegetables.
- In the same way, whole grains are other of the most effective foods against constipation, so, if you suffer from it, it is advisable to choose whole grain bread, biscuits and biscuits, in addition to whole grain pasta and rice.
- There is also scientific evidence to recommend the daily consumption of yogurt or other fermented milk , due to its effectiveness in reducing intestinal transit time and improving constipation. foods help you poop
Don’t forget:are apples good for constipation
Dietary supplements against constipation
The wheat bran or the oats are some of the possibilities. Wheat bran is the outer covering of the wheat grain and one of the richest dietary sources of insoluble fiber, effective in stimulating the intestinal muscles and treating this ailment. The presentations are very varied since the bran can be taken in the form of tablets, although it is also added to breakfast cereals or cookies. However, it is not advisable to be exaggerated with the taking of supplements. For wheat bran, it is not advisable to take more than 20-30 g per day so as not to feel the consequence of excess, such as flatulence, bloating and abdominal pain.
The glucomannan is one of the most contested dietary supplements for constipation. It is a polysaccharide from a tuber ( Amorphophallus konjac ). This compound has the quality of absorbing water, forming a thick gel, which increases the volume of the intestinal content, which accelerates bowel movements and corrects constipation.