Constipation is a problem that often plagues city dwellers.Once constipated, other physical symptoms such as breathing and bloating will also occur, which will affect mood. Romance, a registered dietitian with the United Christian Nethersole Community Health Service, shared the causes and symptoms of constipation and recommended a simple recipe that can help you with bowel movements.
Romance said constipation generally refers to changes in bowel habits, bowel movements become infrequent (less than 3 times a week), stools are hard and grainy, or it takes a lot of strength to pass, and there is a feeling that is not clear. According to a government survey of noncommunicable diseases, the prevalence of constipation among adults living in the community was 14.3%, and the prevalence of constipation also increased with age.
There are many causes of constipation in urbanites, including insufficient drinking water, insufficient fruit and vegetable / fiber intake, lack of regular physical activity, and failure to develop the habit of regular bowel movements, all of which can induce constipation.
Additionally, the elderly and pregnant women are at high risk for constipation. Women are also more likely to suffer from constipation than men, because women’s bowel movements are slower than men’s. Constipation can be caused by changes in daily life patterns (such as family and work stress), the use of certain medications, or other medical conditions.
symptoms of constipation
He explained that the frequency of bowel movements for the average person varies from three times a day to once every two days.Simply counting the number of days is not enough to determine if there is a constipation problem and it still depends on others. factors. According to the objective definition of King’s College, University of London, constipation is defined as 2 or more of the following 6 conditions, including fewer than 3 bowel movements per week and more than a quarter of the following conditions in the toilet:
1. Do your best to defecate
2. Stools are hard and grainy
3. Feeling unclear after defecation
4. Rectal obstruction
5. Need to use artificial methods to promote defecation
Preventing constipation from diet and behavior
To prevent constipation, it is very important to practice healthy living and eating habits. First of all, you need to pay attention to your diet. Romance shared the following 4 diet methods:
1. Humidity
It takes time to soften the stool with water. If the stool is already dry, even drinking plenty of water immediately will not help soften the stool immediately. It is recommended that you drink water at least once every one or two hours to prevent the stool from drying out and making it difficult to defecate. A good water intake is around 30ml per kilogram of body weight. For example, for a 65kg man, the recommended daily water intake is 1950ml (i.e. 8 cups), including water, clear tea, clear soup, and milk.
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2. Dietary fiber
Dietary fiber comprises soluble dietary fiber and insoluble dietary fiber.
Soluble fiber absorbs water, softening the stool and maintaining a certain amount of water and volume. Foods rich in water-soluble fiber include oats, oat bran, chia seeds, psyllium, barley, beans, mushrooms, and pectin-rich fruits (such as apples, citrus fruits, bananas, etc.).
Insoluble fiber helps with bowel movement, so both should be consumed. Foods high in insoluble fiber include whole grains such as brown bread, brown rice, red rice, wheat bran, nuts, leafy vegetables, and fruits (especially bark and seeds).
According to Chinese nutrient reference values, adults are recommended to consume at least 25 grams of fiber per day. Since water and dietary fiber have a mutual booster effect, that is, once a large amount of fiber is ingested, but water cannot be replenished at the same time, it will only be counterproductive.
3. Fermented foods
Diversification of gut flora will affect digestive health.Fermented foods are probiotics / lactic acid bacteria, which are food sources of good gut bacteria, such as low-fat cheese, kimchi, black and natto beans, etc., to regulate bacteria in the intestinal tract The quantity can stimulate intestinal / fecal peristalsis and help defecation.
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4. Moderate exercise
To increase the amount of physical activity, the intestines naturally increase peristalsis. Do not sit down immediately after having a full meal, it is recommended to walk for 20 minutes. Also, doing waist exercises can indirectly massage the intestines, such as playing hula hoop or twisting the waist.These waist exercises can stimulate intestinal peristalsis and help defecation.
Recipe recommendation
Romance recommends a recipe that can help laxatives: strawberry chia seed milkshake, in which chia seeds are rich in soluble fiber, which helps soften stool; wheat bran and strawberries are rich in non-soluble fiber, which can promote gastrointestinal motility and help defecation. In addition, calcium-enriched soy milk is lactose-free and suitable for those who are lactose intolerant.
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Strawberry chia seed smoothie (for 2 people)
Material:
Strawberries 150 g (about 6-8 pieces)
2 teaspoons of chia seeds
5 g of wheat bran
Soy milk enriched with calcium (low sugar content) 250 ml
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practice:
1. Soak the chia seeds in half a cup of water for 30 minutes, then pour into the cup.
2. Place the rest of the ingredients (pear straw, wheat bran, calcium-enriched soy milk) in a blender and blend together, then pour into a cup with the chia seeds and serve.
Suitable for people: Suitable for people with constipation and lactose intolerance.
People who should not eat: People with diarrhea, wheat allergy, celiac disease and gluten intolerance are not suitable for alcohol consumption, it is recommended to consult a registered dietician first.
Strawberry chia seed smoothie (image courtesy of interviewee)
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