Constipation and Nutrtion

What is Constipation?

Constipation  (medically called Constipation) is a common digestive problem. In particular, factors such as stressful life, inactivity, bad eating habits, which are the returns of modern life, cause constipation. Actually, constipation is not a disease, it is a problem that usually occurs as a result of underlying causes or diseases. Although it is hidden by most people in the society, constipation is a health problem that seriously affects the quality of life of the person.

In order to understand whether a person has a problem with constipation, the person’s normal  stool frequency  should be evaluated. For example, if the person has been defecating twice a day for years and suddenly started defecating once a day, this may be an indication of a serious problem. However, since each person’s normal bowel movements differ, constipation also differs.

Constipation is the hardening of the stool that occurs as a result of slowing bowel movements. With the causes of hardening of the stool, it becomes difficult for the person to defecate. Due to the foods moving slower than normal in the digestive system, the absorption of liquid in the intestine increases and the stool becomes dry and hard, causing constipation and symptoms of constipation appear. Constipation is a condition encountered in all age groups and genders. It is more common in women than men. The frequency of defecation of the person differs depending on the metabolic rate.

What Are the Symptoms of Constipation?

Constipation can show different symptoms in each person. Especially if there are different problems or diseases underlying constipation, these symptoms may vary and the number may increase. The most common  symptoms  of constipation in general are as follows;

• stool hardness,
• defecation difficulty,
• Stomach ache,
• Anorexia,
• swelling in the abdomen,
• blood in stool,

Apart from these symptoms, people with chronic constipation may experience a condition called hemorrhoids or piles. This discomfort occurs with the expansion of the veins around the anus.

What Causes Constipation?

Constipation may occur due to the underlying diseases of the person. If a healthy person has constipation problems, the  reasons for this are ; Not consuming foods rich in fiber, insufficient water consumption, deterioration of intestinal flora after antibiotic use, not consuming foods containing probiotics and not taking probiotic supplements, intense stress, and large intestine functions may be impaired due to too much tea and coffee consumption. In addition, factors such as unhealthy diet and dietary habits, drug use, and inactivity can cause constipation. Other causes of constipation include:

• Postponing the need for the toilet
• Eating solid foods too often
• Consuming too much cow’s milk
• Stenosis or obstruction in the rectum or colon,
• hormonal diseases,
• Dysfunctions of muscles that have a role in defecation,
• Metabolic and digestive system diseases,
• inflammatory bowel diseases,
• thyroid disease,
• Depression,
• Blood pressure,
• Iron deficiency,
• Various drugs.

Constipation is more common especially during pregnancy due to the hormones secreted. Again, in the last stages of pregnancy, as a result of the growing uterus pressing on the rectum, it causes constipation.

What Is Good For Constipation?

The most curious thing of people with constipation complaints is “What is good for constipation?” is the answer to the question. Particular attention should be paid to the foods that are primarily consumed during the treatment  of constipation  . In addition to the food consumed during the treatment of constipation, it is very important to consume plenty of water. The foods that those who complain of constipation can consume during the treatment process are:

• dried fruits,
• Apricot,
• Pear,
• Kiwi,
• FIG,
• Citrus,
• Spinach and other green leafy vegetables
• White meat,
• Olives and olive oil,
• Engineer,
• legumes,
• chia seeds and flax seeds,
• Grain breads,
• Avocado,
• Rolled oats.

It is especially important to consume vegetables, fruits, legumes and grain foods that are high in fiber.

Apart from paying attention to the foods to be consumed, the things to do for constipation are as follows;

• Consuming plenty of water and liquid foods,
• lead an active life
• Chewing food thoroughly in the mouth,
• Creating a toilet order and not delaying the need for toilet.

Constipation exercises that can be done very simply at home will also help the treatment process of the  constipation  problem. Abdominal muscles support the stomach and intestinal tract. For this reason, simple abdominal exercises to be done before or after meals make the intestines work better. Exercises such as the movement of pulling and releasing the knees to the abdomen, the movement of kneeling and getting up provide the movement of the intestines.

What Foods Cause Constipation?

For people with constipation problems, it is important to avoid or consume very little foods known to cause constipation. Foods that cause constipation can be listed as follows:

• unripe banana,
• Pasta,
• Porridge of rice,
• White bread,
• Rice,
• Excessive consumption of milk and dairy products,
• Excessive consumption of tea or coffee (caffeine),
• Alcohol,
• Packaged products (especially frozen foods),
• Red meat,
• Chocolate, cake and cookies,
• Fast food and fried food.

These foods can slow down the digestive system and cause constipation. For this reason, it is recommended that people who have constipation problems stay away from these foods or consume them in a limited way.

How to Overcome Constipation Period in Babies?

Constipation is a common problem in babies as well as adults. Structural and anatomical problems in the intestines, genetic intestinal slowness, excessive milk consumption, psychological factors, continuous solid food consumption are among the causes of constipation in infants  . To find out if the baby is constipated, toilet habits should be observed. The applications that can be done for the treatment of constipation in babies are as follows:

• Regularly massaging their abdomen with baby oil,
• Making the baby do various exercises,
• Feeding especially pulpy fruit purees to infants in the supplementary food period,
• Adding olive oil to your soups,
• Bathing the baby with warm water
• Applying petroleum jelly or olive oil to the baby’s bottom so that he or she can defecate easily.

How should nutrition be in order to get over the constipation period fast?

People with constipation problems can get rid of their complaints with a few very simple nutrition tips. Some nutritional  tips for the constipation period are  itemized as follows:

• Starting the day with 1 glass of warm water,
• Drinking 2-2.5 liters of water a day,
• Vegetables and fruits should be given enough place in the diet,
• Probiotic supplements should be taken,
• Not skipping meals
• Consuming fiber-rich foods,
• Consuming pulses 2 times a week,
• Drinking fennel, green tea, chamomile and anise tea,
• Consuming enough raw nuts,
• Consuming foods rich in magnesium
• increase physical activity,
• Avoiding smoking and alcohol
• Avoiding unhealthy foods
• And finally, going to the toilet at the same time every day.

Recipes for Constipation

You can eliminate the problem with a few simple yet delicious recipes that you can add to your diet list during constipation. The recipes that can be consumed during the treatment of constipation are as follows:

Pistachio Spinach Salad Recipe

Materials:

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 tablespoons of salted peanuts
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 500 grams of spinach
• Salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in a pan and add peanuts and fry until golden brown. Roasted peanuts are taken on a plate. Finely chopped or grated garlic is added in the pan and mixed and spinach is added. The spinach is cooked on medium heat until it is slightly tender and after cooking, peanuts are added on it again. All the ingredients are cooked for 1-2 more minutes and served by adding salt and pepper.

Artichoke Soup Recipe

Materials:

• 4 bowls of artichokes
• 1 onion
• 1 potato
• Half a teaspoon of oil
• Juice of half a lemon

Finishing Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon of milk
• 1 tablespoon of flour
• 1 egg yolk

Onions are chopped, sautéed, and coarsely chopped artichokes and potatoes are added. Then add salt, lemon juice and enough water to reach the top of the ingredients and cook on low heat until the ingredients are soft. After the vegetables are cooked, they are passed through the blender. For its dressing, all the ingredients are whisked and added to the pot, stirring is continued and after boiling for a few minutes, the bottom is turned off. Dill can be added optionally during service.

Dried Apricot Balls Recipe

Materials:

• 1 bowl of dried apricots
• 1 bowl of raisins
• Half a glass of walnuts
• Half a glass of peanuts

Top materials:

• coconut
• Pine nuts

As a preliminary preparation, dried apricots and raisins are kept in water. Then, walnuts, peanuts, raisins and dried apricots are passed through a rondo and mixed. The ball-shaped materials are decorated with coconut and pine nuts.

Oat Bran Bread

Materials:

• 12 tablespoons of oat bran
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of milk
• 3 tablespoons of yogurt
• 1 packet of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and add yogurt and milk, continuing to whisk. After all the ingredients are mixed, baking powder, salt and oat bran are added and whisking is continued. The baking dish is lubricated and the mixture is poured. Bread dough is baked in a preheated 180 degree oven for about 20 minutes.