Diet for Constipation

What is constipation? Constipation is an ailment of the digestive system. It refers to the improper digestion of food, disabling the cleansing of the bowel by defecation. The undigested food remains in the stomach for a longer period, causing discomfort and stomach ailments. Constipation also makes your body prone to other ailments, thereby weakening the immunity mechanism of the body.

Causes and symptoms: The prime cause of constipation is irregular dietary patterns. The other causes of the affliction are stress, a lack of fiber in the diet, the excessive intake of calcium or iron supplements, the regular use of diuretics and a lack of fluids in the body. In addition to these causes, the intake of certain medications like painkillers with codeine or certain medicines for depression as well as a lack of physical exercise can also cause or aggravate this problem. The common symptoms of the ailment are dry and difficult bowel movements, nausea, stomachache, abdominal swelling and vomiting.

Food for Constipation

The diet recommended to cure and avert the recurrence of constipation is as follows:

• You must consume a lot of fruits, including fruits like guava and papaya which are particularly rich in their fiber content.

• You should also consume a lot of spinach in raw or cooked form to treat constipation.

• You are advised to consume orange juice at least once a day as oranges are instrumental in cleansing the digestive system. You may also consume other acidic or citrus fruits like grapefruit and lemon as these help in cleansing the bowels.

• You must also consume grapes as grapes have laxative properties, thereby curing constipation. You can consume grapes in dry or soaked form.

• Apples are instrumental in boasting your immune system and help in cleansing the bowels of germs. Hence, apples must be included in any diet to treat constipation.

• You must drink plenty of water so as to appropriately hydrate your body. Water eases the bowel movement thereby relieving constipation.

• Dry foods must be avoided.

• Cut down on your intake of rice. You may substitute rice with wheat in your daily diet as this is a fiber-rich substitute.

• You must include tomato and beet root in your diet, perhaps as a salad, as these foods are helpful in cleansing and rejuvenating the digestive system.

• You are also advised to consume at least a glass of sugarcane juice daily.

• Avoiding consuming processed or canned foods.

• Alcohol and tobacco are a strict no-no if you want to get rid of this problem.

These are some diet inclusions and exclusion which will help treat and prevent constipation.