7-day Diet Against Constipation
In addition to including foods rich in fiber in our diet to combat constipation, we must increase water consumption to, thus, also facilitate evacuation.
Constipation is a very common intestinal disorder. However, fighting it can be as easy as changing a few habits in your routine. In this article, we propose a specific diet against constipation to avoid the use of irritating laxatives and prevent other health problems.
Classification
Depending on its duration, constipation is classified as:
- Acute or occasional: it usually lasts a few weeks and is the result of temporary situations, such as travel, stress, changes in diet, etc.
- Chronic: when constipation lasts more than 6 weeks, or when in a period it occurs for a minimum of 12 weeks, even if they are not consecutive.
According to their origin they differ:
- Secondary chronic constipation: due to diseases that alter the motor function of the colon, systemic diseases or the administration of some medications.
- Functional or primary chronic constipation: the causes are unknown, since the patient is not in any of the situations in the previous section. It may be due to changes in routine or a low fiber diet.
Causes of constipation
Knowing the reasons behind constipation is the first step in knowing how to treat it. Some of the most common causes are as follows:
- Nervous matters.
- Intestinal parasites.
- Lack of physical exercise.
- Injuries to the digestive tract.
- Drink little water during the day.
- Weakened liver and gallbladder function
- Schedule mismatches. When the urge to go to the bathroom is inhibited because we are away from home.
- Abusive use of irritating laxatives, muscle pain relievers, antibiotics or other medications that affect intestinal function or bacterial flora.
- Inadequate diet, rich in refined foods and low in fiber, according to a study published in 2015.
7-day diet against constipation
Can we resolve constipation in 7 days? Yes, or even before, as long as the cause is not one of those we have mentioned, such as a possible injury or the use of certain drugs.
For this reason, we recommend going to the doctor to perform the relevant tests, especially if we have been suffering from it for more than 6 days or it has appeared suddenly without us having suffered it before.
In this diet we highlight some ancient remedies to combat constipation and we choose foods rich in fiber and water, while avoiding any type of cereal or refined flour.
If the diet works against constipation, we can maintain some of these habits to avoid suffering from constipation again.
On an empty stomach
To solve constipation, the way to break the night fast is essential, since it will allow us to activate the functioning of the entire digestive tract.
Ideally, get up early, before 7, and start the day as follows:
- We will take two glasses of hot or warm water.
- We will wait 5 minutes.
- We will take a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, along with the juice of half a freshly squeezed lemon. We can mix them or take them in a row.
These steps will activate the function of the stomach, liver and intestine.
Breakfast
At least twenty minutes later we can have breakfast.
During these days we will have a smoothie for breakfast with the following ingredients:
- 1 ripe kiwi.
- ½ ripe banana.
- 1 organic apple with its peel.
- Toasted almonds or hazelnuts (a handful).
- 1 glass of the plum and chia water (about 200 or 300 ml).
- 3 prunes (which we will have soaked overnight).
- 1 tablespoon of chia seeds (which we will have soaked overnight).
We will beat everything well for a minute. We can take it throughout the morning, if it is too much.
Midmorning
Throughout the morning it is very important to drink water, since by increasing fiber consumption our body will also need more liquid. Otherwise, we could make constipation worse. It can be hot or cold water or infusions.
If we are hungry we can eat a piece of ripe fruit or a handful of nuts.
Lunch
To eat we will have three servings each day:
- A first vegetable dish : vegetables, salad, cream or gazpacho.
- A second protein dish : meat, fish, egg or legume.
- Small portion of whole grain cereal : bread or brown rice.
It is important that a yogurt without added sugar appears in the dessert. In this way we will provide a good amount of probiotics that can be decisive in the management of constipation, according to an article published in the journal Advances in Nutrition .
Snack
In the afternoon we will do the same as in the morning. We will sip water or infusions continuously. It will help us to have the bottle or glass next to us.
We can have a snack to avoid being so hungry at night. If we want a sandwich, it must be whole wheat bread. We can also have a fruit smoothie or a yogurt with nuts.
Dinner
For dinner we will do it in a similar way to lunch, but without whole grains:
- A first vegetable dish: vegetables, salad, cream, gazpacho or roasted apple.
- A second protein dish: fish, egg, legume, avocado or nuts.
Relieve constipation by improving your diet
Even if you try this diet against constipation, it is important that you go to your doctor so that he can perform the appropriate tests and offer you treatment. In no case should resort to self-medication.
Remember that a varied diet rich in fruits and vegetables is a good option to help fight constipation. Guarantee the consumption of fiber and do not forget the importance of probiotics in the management and prevention of this type of pathology.
