What to eat to avoid constipation?

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Constipation is a common digestive disease of all ages, causing many discomforts in life and directly affecting health. Constipation can be completely overcome by changing the diet and scientific activities. So what to eat to relieve constipation?

1. What is constipation?

Constipation is a condition where defecation is difficult, the stools are dry and hard, and cannot be eliminated from the body. When you go out, you have to push hard, causing the anus to burn and bleed for a long time. If you do not have a bowel movement less than 3 times a week, you are considered constipated.
Many causes of constipation such as unwanted effects of some medications being used, gastrointestinal diseases, constipation during pregnancy. The most common causes are due to a low-fiber diet, a sedentary lifestyle, and a lack of exercise common in office workers. Prolonged constipation will lead to many negative effects on life and health.

2. What to eat to not be constipated?

2.1. Drink plenty of water Water is an indispensable ingredient to treat constipation. Water aids bowel movements for easier bowel movements. Therefore, not drinking enough water every day can be the main cause of constipation.
According to the recommendations of medical experts, for men should drink at least 3.7 liters and women should be 2.7 liters per day or about 6-8 glasses of water per day on average. However, the amount of water can also change depending on the location of each person, as well as the weather and season.
Lack of water in the body can easily make stools dry and hard, leading to constipation, so adding enough water will make stools soft and easy to pass out.
Besides using filtered water, you can also use fruit juice instead. Certain fruits such as pear juice or apple juice have a mild laxative effect. Caffeinated drinks can increase bowel movements and relieve constipation, but they also dehydrate the body. When you have intestinal problems, difficult to pass stool should avoid drinking caffeinated drinks regularly.
2.2. Drink lemon honey tea Lemon honey tea is considered a beneficial drink in supporting the functioning of the digestive tract, soothing bowel movements as well as preventing constipation.
According to Traditional Medicine documents, lemon has a sour taste, cool properties, has the effect of clearing heat, antiseptic, anti-emetic, cough and digestive benefits. As for honey, this herb is both a food with many positive effects for health, in addition to acting as a medicine for constipation. Honey is sweet, neutral, has a detoxifying effect, helps to regulate other medicinal herbs.
Mixture of honey, fresh lemon with warm water in the morning when waking up is very beneficial in detoxifying the liver, good for digestion, and preventing constipation. Note that you should mix lemon and honey in warm water, avoid using cold water so as not to affect the stomach. When drinking tea, you should take small sips for good effect.
Besides the above uses, the mixture of honey lemon tea also helps you to strengthen the body's immunity, support the treatment of insomnia, brighten the skin, regulate blood sugar; At the same time, against muscle fatigue.

2.3. Yogurt What to eat to not be constipated? When you are constipated, you are advised to limit dairy products. However, medical experts recommend using yogurt when suffering from long-term constipation. This is because yogurt contains probiotics (such as Bifidobacterium longum or Bifidobacterium animalis). According to recent studies, this food has proven to be effective in helping to stimulate bowel movements more often.
2.4. Herbs Herbs such as fenugreek seeds, flaxseeds, and plantains are seeds that have a laxative effect and soften stools. Consuming these foods and drinking plenty of water will help treat constipation effectively. In addition, there are other herbs that contain similar ingredients that you can also try.
2.5 Whole grain bread You should use whole grain bread instead of regular bread, because whole grain bread has very little fat but is high in fiber and high in complex carbohydrates. Therefore, whole wheat bread works well in helping to relieve constipation.

3. What vegetables to eat to avoid constipation?

Besides the foods and drinks mentioned above, fiber-rich foods are known as effective natural remedies for constipation. These vegetables act as a natural laxative. The effect is to help the stool absorb more water, thereby increasing the size of the stool. You should also pay attention to add at least 20-35g of fiber through your daily diet to keep the digestive system healthy. Food sources rich in fiber include green vegetables, grains and some fruits such as apples, figs, grapefruits, oranges... and legumes.
3.1. Cauliflower If you suffer from chronic constipation, simply drink a glass of cauliflower juice or enjoy boiled or steamed cauliflower. The fiber in the composition of cauliflower will reduce the remaining substances in your digestive system. Cauliflower contains a small amount of soft cellulose that is easy to digest.
Besides, you will notice that the amount of cholesterol in the body will decrease significantly after using cauliflower regularly. In addition, in fact half of the nutrients contained in cauliflower are proteins - which are easily digestible protein compounds, thus also the most absorbable vegetable for the human body.
3.2. Cabbage is a food that helps remove toxins from the digestive tract thereby cleaning your digestive system. You should add cabbage in your daily diet to relieve constipation. You can even make sauerkraut which will help maintain a healthy digestive tract.
3.3. Legumes, beans Beans, beans work to provide a lot of fiber, including soluble and insoluble fiber to help food digest better. From there, they help repel constipation effectively. Legumes should be eaten such as white beans, red beans, kidney beans, black beans, green beans,...
3.4. Bananas Bananas have a very good effect on the digestive tract such as laxatives, softening stools, making the process of bowel movements easier and faster. Eating a banana a day will help overcome constipation relatively effectively.

3.5. Avocados Avocados not only have the effect of beautifying the skin, keeping in shape, but also a rich source of fiber, vitamins and minerals. The ingredients in avocado also help the intestines work better, support and effectively prevent constipation.
3.6. Sweet potatoes A whole sweet potato contains about 3.8g of fiber. With such a high fiber content, sweet potatoes are one of the foods to eat when experiencing constipation. Not only the tubers, but also the leaves or sweet potato vegetables also have a laxative effect with equally effective results. You can stir-fry sweet potato with garlic or cook sweet potato soup, it is very delicious to enjoy.
3.7. Apple Apple is a fruit that is always recommended for pregnant women. Because in its composition it contains many essential nutrients and vitamins such as malic acid, tannin and fiber.
Many pregnant women do not want to gain too much weight and apples are the ideal daily menu. Apples help pregnant women not gain weight too quickly but also help the development of the fetus. This fruit is also very good for the digestive system, especially improving the digestive tract, reducing constipation or diarrhea.
When you know the diet helps to improve constipation, you should apply it every day to help improve your health better.

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