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Increase your fiber intake to prevent
constipation. Constipation means difficulty in moving your
bowels. This may involve not moving your bowels as often as is
considered normal. It is difficult to say precisely what is
normal in terms of bowel habits and what is constipation, as people's
bowel habits vary widely.
Doctors often define constipation as
moving the bowels less than 3 times a week.
Constipation involves having to strain
to pass a bowel movement, often with pain, and the bowel movement is
often harder than normal.
What causes constipation?
Constipation is actually a symptom and
may be an indication of a number of problems. There are a number
of causes of constipation including:
- Changes in diet
- Lack of exercise
- Certain drugs such as pain
medications or antacids
- Nervous tension
- Dehydration
- Diseases of the bowel
- Overuse of laxatives
- Older age
Dietary Fiber
Sometimes a change of lifestyle is
enough. You may find that your bowel movements slow down due to
a lack of bulk or fiber in your diet.
If you do not have enough roughage in
your diet, you will need to increase the amount of fiber that you are
eating. You should increase your fiber intake gradually so as
not to cause abdominal bloating or gas.
The recommended intake of fiber is
between 35 and 45 grams per day.
Fiber-packed choices:
Some good sources of fiber include
whole-grain cereals, fruit and vegetables, both raw and cooked.
They can help prevent constipation, producing bulky stools that are
easier to pass.
Easy ideas to bulk up:
- Avoid white, refined grains.
Instead, opt for brown rice and whole-grain
bread. But make sure
you check the ingredients or nutritional information on
the packaging to be certain
that the bread is actually whole-grain.
- Peas, beans and legumes are
excellent sources of fiber, as well as protein.
Try adding them the next
time you cook your rice, or sneak some into your
salad.
- Dark green and leafy vegetables
are rich in fiber. This includes broccoli,
bok choy, spinach and
collard greens.
- Eat more fruit and nuts.
Bananas, in particular those that are unripe or are
only partially
ripe, are high in dietary fiber and resistant starch. When
having
a pear or apple, leave the
skin on for added fiber.
Dried fruits such as prunes
and apricots are also a good choice.
- Choose breakfast high-fiber
cereals with oatmeal or bran. Check the
nutritional label on the
box when you go shopping for cereals. Aim for 2 grams
of fiber per serving.
- Increase the fiber content of
many meals by adding unprocessed wheat, oat
or rice bran to the foods you are eating.
- You can also take fiber
supplements such as bulk-forming stool softener
containing psyllium husk.
Wash it down:
It is important to remember that when
you increase your fiber intake you need to increase your fluid intake
as well. The fiber that you consume absorbs liquid to keep the
stools soft and easy to pass.
You should aim to drink 8 to 10 glasses
of liquids per day. This liquid can be water, juice, soup or
other fluids. Drinks containing caffeine or alcohol are not good
sources of fluid, as they tend to dehydrate the body rather than
supply it with fluid.
Regular exercise will also help keep
your system healthy. And try not to ignore your body's needs
when you feel the urge to have bowel movement - take the time.
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