Foods that Cause Constipation

Does avoiding Foods that cause constipation helps?

Over recent years it has become apparent that people who eat more fibre are less prone to various bowel diseases and also are likely to be healthier in other ways.

Fibre, in any form is known to diminish transit time (i.e. the length of time it takes for something that is eaten to pass right through the system) and thus reduce constipation. Of course the amount of water you drink is also as important as the food that you might have. Yeast and other related products that contain yeast are great for your digestive system. White breads and pastas along with refined and processed foods have less fibre and more of the unwanted fat making you lethargic.

Beta-carotene supplements and supplements that are specifically designed for B complex are best in curing all kinds of constipation. The reason it is perhaps known as B-complex is because it has the ability to digest and break down various complex items and food stuffs that might not be otherwise digested.

Certain Do’s for easing constipation

Although the lethargy takes only nano seconds to get into your system, it can create havoc with its initial symptom of making you so lethargic, that you might even find the task of drinking water truly disgusting. Funnily enough, if you take more fibre it will tend to normalize bowel habit, and may well cut down the frequency of motions in somebody tending towards diarrhoea.

In general it is wise to eat small meals often and plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as having plenty to drink (one and a half to three litres of fluid daily). Foods containing fibre include brown rice, whole meal pasta, whole meal/brown bread, potatoes with their jackets, etc. It is also wise to take regular exercise or at least remain active. When you suffer from constipation, you are most likely to have dry skin as the constipation removes any and trace of water from your body.

Certain Observations while treating Constipation

The Cells, if devoid of water, can create havoc while playing with the bowels and allowing the spread of toxins in your body. It is these toxins that spread all kind of smells, giving you a truly stale breath. Moreover, you tend to weigh more with the excess undigested food that lies in your tummy, so what you might be really proud of the pot belly, associating it with your progress, may actually boil down to the fact that all of that is nothing but undigested food. Try not to put off the "call of nature", as this can make the body's natural functions more sluggish. Since this is confusing for your bodily functions, it’s advisable that you attend to it as soon as possible.

Normally, the waste products of digestion are thrown out through your intestines by muscle contractions. In the large colon, most minerals comprising of water and salt gets reabsorbed, as they are absolutely essential for many of your body's functions. If there is too much water absorbed or if the waste moves too slowly, you may become constipated.

A low-fibre diet, lack of visiting the loo, the age factor, lack of physical activity, depression, pregnancy, illness, stress, etc are major players in causing you to be constipated. At times even a dedicated and prolonged use of laxatives may cause constipation. It’s only at times that constipation may lead to serious connotations. Thyroid patients may also face constipation problems from time to time.

Sometimes young children are constipated because they forget to take time to use the toilet. At other times, they may dislike the act of visiting the loo as sometimes children get a wee bit fussy and irritable and this may cause constipation. So if your little toddler hates visiting the loo, you need to make sure that he/ she does to avoid such a situation.

Medication is rarely required for constipation cases. But in case it is required, here are some tips that can help in determining foods that may help in easing constipation:

• Fibre supplements, which come as powder, which makes up a small drink, granules, tablets containing bran or indeed raw bran and even papaya, which is a laxative in its most natural form. Most cereals can cause constipation if left undigested. Try getting rid of these from your diet if you can.
• Red meat and other meat preparations can cause heartburn and constipation. If you must then stick to a diet of fish and boiled chicken instead of meat! Although there are some people who understand the consumption of meat as putting fibre back in your body, its best if you could avoid it.
• Try and avoid foods with high cholesterol content. While these are difficult to digest they also block the other forms of nutrition that might be great for your system.
• Biscuits and other heavily baked pastries and cakes that have high contents of margarine and flour can also add on to constipation.
• There are some people who are allergic to apples too. Ideally its not possible for people to be so, its not surprising to note that there are some fruits that can be a cause of worry especially for constipation.

Natural products like Laurus Nobilis, Di-tone, Patchouly, Ledum, and Laurus Nobilis can be of great help and effective in constipation treatment.