Constipation Prevention: How can you prevent it?
Constipation is the condition of unbalance activities in the intestine. It can be easily prevented by making some diet and lifestyle changes.
Food content and eating timing have a significant effect on regularity. Retraining toilet habits, adding fiber to the diet, and exercising regularly can help to avoid the situation. The factors that help prevent the constipation are given below:
Well- balanced diet
A healthy balanced diet plays a pivot role in almost every body process including digestion. There are some things which should be remembered:
Don’t skip meals
Skipping meal is the main culprit of constipation. Eating helps move stuff forward in the gut. When nothing is eaten, nothing moves and constipation occurs. For a smooth digestion and easy flow of the stuff, several small meals are beneficial in spite of one large meal.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because that’s what starts the digestive process for the entire day.
Fill the meal with fruits and vegetables
Fiber is the most important nutrient for the prevention of constipation. It helps to create soft and mobile stool. Fruits and vegetables are a good source of fiber. Including them in the diet helps a lot.
Doctors suggest three servings of vegetables and two fruits a day for better digestion. There are other sources of fiber which can also be included in the diet:
- Legumes
- Whole grain bread
- Bran
- Oatmeal
Introduce fiber slowly
The sudden increase of fiber in the diet can solve the problem of constipation but also increases the risk of gas, bloat and diarrhea. Therefore fiber should be introduced in small quantity and gradually.
Fluids
Liquids add fluid to the colon which prevents the colon to absorb extra water from the stool. It also adds bulk to the stool that helps in the easy movement through the colon.
Fiber and water work together to keep the body regular. One should always follow the below-given guidelines:
Drink a lot of water
It is recommended that nearly 8-9 glasses of water are necessary for the normal functioning of the body processes. Water flushes out the toxins from the body. It also makes the stool soft that helps in easy movement.
Try other fluids too
Apart from water, there are other fluids that can help in the prevention of constipation. These include:
- Herbal teas
- Fruit juice
- Vegetable juice
Avoid caffeine
Caffeine is a dehydrating agent. It makes the body to lose water thereby causing constipation. Avoiding it is the best option if one does not want an encounter with constipation.
Read about what causes constipation.
Read about foods that can help in constipation.
Exercise
Being active is the key to almost everything including constipation. Regular exercise helps in constipation by stimulating the bowel functions. Doctors recommend a minimum of 30 minutes exercise for at least 3 days a week for preventing constipation. The exercises which may help with constipation are:
- Walking
- Swimming
- Aerobics
- Yoga
Toilet habits
There are certain things which should be followed if one wants to get rid of constipation. These things include:
- Give an undisturbed and undivided time to empty the bowels.
- Go to the bathroom whenever the urge is felt.
- Always sit and never strain.
- Use a good toilet position by keeping the feet up on a stool or something.
- Keep pelvic floor muscles strong by regular exercise.
