Constipation is a problem that often plagues urbanites. Once constipated, other physical symptoms such as breath and bloating will also occur, and it will affect the mood. Romance, a registered dietitian from 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 that constipation generally refers to changes in bowel habits, bowel movements become infrequent (less than 3 times a week), the stool is hard and granular, or it takes a lot of force to pass, and there is a feeling that it is not clear. According to a government survey on non-communicable 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, too little intake of fruits and vegetables/fiber, lack of regular physical activity and failure to develop the habit of regular bowel movements, all of which can induce constipation.
In addition, the elderly and pregnant women are at high risk of 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.
constipation symptoms
She explained that the frequency of bowel movements for the average person ranges from three times a day to once every two days. Simply counting the number of days is not enough to determine whether there is a constipation problem, and it still depends on other 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 less 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. Stool is hard and granular
3. Unclear feeling after defecation
4. Rectal obstruction
5. Need to use artificial methods to assist defecation
Prevent constipation from diet and behavior
To prevent constipation, it is very important to practice healthy living and eating habits. First of all, you must pay attention to your diet. Romance shared the following 4 dietary methods:
1. Moisture
It takes time to soften stool with water. If the stool is already dry, even drinking a lot of water immediately will not help soften the stool immediately. It is recommended to drink water at least once every one to two hours to prevent the stool from drying out and making it difficult to defecate. A good water intake is about 30 ml per kilogram of body weight. For example, for a 65kg man, the recommended daily water intake is 1950ml (ie 8 cups), including water, clear tea, clear soup and milk.
2. Dietary fiber
Dietary fiber includes soluble dietary fiber and insoluble dietary fiber.
Soluble fiber absorbs water, softening stools 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 bowel movement, so both should be consumed. Foods rich in insoluble fiber include whole grains such as whole-wheat bread, brown rice, red rice, wheat bran, nuts, leafy vegetables, and fruits (especially the cortex and seeds).
According to the Chinese Nutrient Reference Values, adults are recommended to consume at least 25 grams of fiber per day. Because water and dietary fiber have a mutually pulling 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 the intestinal flora will affect the health of the digestive tract. Fermented foods are probiotics/lactic acid bacteria, which are food sources of good intestinal bacteria, such as low-fat cheese, kimchi, black bean and natto, etc., to adjust the bacteria in the intestinal tract The amount can stimulate bowel/fecal peristalsis and help defecation.
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4. Moderate exercise
To increase the amount of physical activity, the gut naturally increases peristalsis. Don’t sit down immediately after a full meal, it is recommended to walk for 20 minutes. In addition, 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 to soften stools; wheat bran and strawberries are rich in non- Soluble fiber, which can promote gastrointestinal motility and help defecation. In addition, calcium-fortified soy milk is lactose-free and suitable for those with lactose intolerance.
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Strawberry Chia Seed Shake (Serves 2)
Material:
Strawberry 150g (about 6-8 pieces)
2 tsp Chia seeds
5 grams of wheat bran
Calcium-fortified soy milk (low sugar) 250ml
practice:
1. Soak chia seeds in half a cup of water for 30 minutes, then pour into the cup.
2. Put the rest of the ingredients (straw pear, wheat bran, calcium-fortified soy milk) into a blender and blend together, then pour into a cup with 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 drinking. It is recommended to consult a registered dietitian first.
Strawberry Chia Seed Shake (image courtesy of interviewee)