Did You Know? 8 Foods That Can Relieve Constipation

This topic may have you wrinkling your nose in disgust, but if you’ve ever suffered from constipation, I’m sure you’ll agree that the pain is not for small children. So, in my opinion, knowing how to find relief when you are dealing with it is well worth a few wrinkles. Before I tell you about my experience with constipation, a brief explanation of this disorder is appropriate. Constipation is a digestive problem that occurs when your bowel movements are tough or when they happen less often than normal. Some common causes of this ailment are regular consumption of low fibre diets, lack of exercise, dehydration, pregnancy, or the act of delaying the impulse to have a bowel movement. Symptoms can include bloating, pain during a bowel movement, passing hard stool, fewer than three bowel movements a week, or feeling the urge to empty your bowel yet being unable to do so.

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I was in my mid-twenties when I had my first experience with constipation.  I normally have a bowel movement every day. So you can imagine my discomfort when I couldn’t empty my bowel for four days. On the morning of the fifth day, the serious drama started. The pressure in my abdomen woke me up. I rushed to the bathroom. After trying without success to empty my bowel, I went back to my room. I laid down but after a few minutes, I was sitting. In my bid to get comfortable, I kept changing position like person wey dem dey send a message with remote control. Between my change-your-style sessions, I would make quick trips to the bathroom. But relief never came. When the pressure in my abdomen increased and it became obvious that I could not manage this situation alone, I called for help make person pikin no die because person dey hide sickness. I was visiting with my aunt in Enugu at the time. But she travelled a day before I started shooting this movie. Still, I called her first. She was sympathetic but she didn’t know what I could do to find relief. So, I called my Dad. Lol. There’s nothing that man has not heard as the surviving parent of four children. God, please bless and keep my Dad and all super dads. Back to my story, I was in tears when I called him. I remember telling him that I feel like I’ve reached the end of the road. My Dad rebuked the devil that was speaking through me. He called back later with prescriptions and instructions after speaking with our family doctor. I sent someone to buy the prescriptions. Then I took them and waited for the result. After sometime, I found relief. Now, the instruction was that I should eat healthily and exercise if I want to avoid constipation. I’ll tell you about foods that can help you prevent or relieve constipation in a bit. I hope you take note of them and incorporate them into your diet. So, here they are:

Water

You know the popular saying, water is life, right?  It’s not a joke. If you are suffering from constipation, increase your water intake. I’m sure two to four extra glasses a day should bring you some relief. That said, leave cold water alone. Instead, go for with lukewarm water. Take note of this, the job of the colon is to absorb water. So, drink water. If you’re dehydrated, your stool will be difficult to pass.

Banana

This fruit needs no introduction. It’s available in different sizes which means that it’s affordable and readily available. Apart from being full of goodness, banana is fat-free, cholesterol-free and fibre rich. A medium-sized banana contains about three grams of fibre. If you find green bananas, go for them. They contain resistant starch(the kind which the body cannot digest).

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Green Vegetables

I’m sure you’ve heard this like a zillion times but it still won’t stop me from telling you again. Eat vegetables. We kuku dey rainy season now so they are very cheap. Make the most of it. There are very few foods that don’t go with vegetables. Go ahead and experiment. This food will, in turn, work its magic in your system and relieve you of constipation. Apples

This fruit is nutritious and healthy. More importantly, apples have a high concentration of the fibre, pectin, which is great for your digestive health. This fibre which is a form of soluble fibre which draws water from the digestive tract to form a gel that slows digestion and pushes stool out of your intestine.

Oatmeal

I don’t joke with this food. I eat it at least two or three times a week. Oatmeal is to my digestive system what maintenance is to cars. Oatmeal contains both soluble and insoluble fibre both of which work together to ensure that I pass stool with ease. You should consider adding it to your diet.

Sweet Potatoes

I’m sure you already know that this food is a wonder food. The health benefits plenty, which one you wan count leave the other? Anyways, back to the matter on the ground. Sweet potatoes can help relieve constipation. That’s because it contains both soluble and insoluble fibre, both of which your body cannot digest. Soluble fibre absorbs water and softens your stool while the insoluble fibre adds bulk to your stool.

Corn

The rainy season is corn season. So enjoy it while it lasts. There are several meals that you can prepare with maize. All of them will work wonders for your digestive health. So, what are you waiting for?

Yoghurt

Live active bacterial cultures or probiotics are contained in this food; these probiotics replenish the good bacteria in your gut. They can increase the number of bowel movement you have in a week and also improve the consistency of your stool. This makes you more comfortable when you go. In conclusion, improve your diet and constipation will stay far from you.   References Fab Woman Health Healthline Medical News Today Web MD

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This article was first published on 4th July 2020

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