Nine useful tips to prevent constipation

To prevent such an unpleasant ailment as constipation, as well as to remove the signs of already existing constipation in its initial stage, you can take simple preventive measures. Preventing constipation is a small effort that requires a person to just concentrate and take some simple measures every day. So, so that laziness does not destroy us, let's work for the benefit of our own health.

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Tip #1 – See a doctor for an examination

Constipation can be the result of poor bowel function, diets, a lifestyle that involves constant sitting or irregular exercise. Therefore, to find out what you need to correct in your habits, it is important to consult a gastroenterologist. He will tell you which diet is harmful for you, and which will be more useful for preventing constipation. Perhaps some products should be excluded from the diet altogether, and others should be given more attention.

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Tip #2 – Eat Right

A sensible diet is not just about weight adjustment. It is also about the specifics of the colon and the entire gastrointestinal tract. In order for the diet to be balanced and not cause problems in the digestive tract, it is important to have fats, proteins, and carbohydrates in the menu, without excluding any of these elements to prevent constipation.

If you are prone to constipation, you need to eat less processed foods - refined sugars, flour that has been thoroughly processed (that is, completely devoid of all useful substances).

The list of foods that it is advisable to reduce in order to prevent constipation includes:

• Pasta
• White bread
• Potato
• White rice

There are also foods that can slow down bowel movements. These include:

• Tea (black)
• Chocolate (dark and extra dark)
• Kissels with starch in the composition

Instead of these products, it is advisable to eat unprocessed food, in particular bread - black or gray - made from wholemeal flour, and if rice, then unpolished.

Tip #3 – Be sure to eat bran

Avoid instant porridges and instant muesli. Instead, opt for bran that needs to be soaked overnight or doused with boiling water and left to swell for a while to prevent constipation.

First, eat 1 tablespoon of bran if you don’t want or can’t have more. Then add it to your diet regularly – a normal single dose of bran can be 30 grams.

Bran is a wonderful remedy that helps to improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and cleanse the body of toxins. And also helps feces move better through the intestines. So, bran is an excellent remedy for the prevention of constipation. They also help prevent atherosclerosis, help in the treatment of diabetes.

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Tip #4 – Eat breakfast

There are several different opinions among gastroenterologists about whether you need to have breakfast if you don’t feel like it. And yet, most gastroenterologists are inclined to believe that breakfast is absolutely necessary. And that it is preferable to a large and heavy dinner when you are hungry and haven’t eaten anything all day.

So, breakfast plays an important role in preventing constipation. It wakes up the intestines to work. If you have a problem with not wanting to eat in the morning, just get up early. Ideally, do some exercise, or even better, go for a run. After that, wait 20 minutes and you can have breakfast – the body itself will ask you for it. In addition, food will be better absorbed after physical exercise, since it promotes intestinal peristalsis.

It is advisable to have breakfast at the same time every morning to accustom the body to a clear regime. At the same time, you should not rush and should be in a good mood, because stress does not contribute to normal digestion and assimilation of food.

It is advisable to drink green tea and still water for breakfast to prevent constipation, and eat porridge cooked in water. And salads.

Tip #5 – Do your morning toilet at the same time every day

If you train your bowels to empty at the same time every day, you will most likely not have any problems with bowel movements in the future.

To prevent constipation, you need to leave about an hour after breakfast before going to work. Because half an hour after breakfast, as a rule, the urge for morning defecation occurs, and you will be able to do it in a normal, familiar environment, without rushing. Morning defecation is usually faster and easier than other types.

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Tip #6 – Massage your stomach periodically

Combined with a normal diet and a leisurely visit to the toilet, this is an excellent way to avoid constipation. Massage in a circle with smooth, light movements, this will give your intestines the opportunity to work better and more productively. Do not strain or strain when defecating, and massage while sitting on the toilet will help you prevent constipation.

Tip #7 – Don’t try to have a bowel movement every day

It is wrong to think that constipation is a sign of a lack of daily bowel movements. If a person defecates once every 2 days, this is normal. This is his physiology. It is worth sounding the alarm when the stool during defecation is too dry or if you have to strain hard during the act of defecation. The act of defecation should also not cause discomfort and pain.

Tip #8 – Exercise

Constipation's strongest friend is lack of exercise and frequent sitting in one place in the same position. When a person fights his own laziness, he simultaneously fights constipation. Physical exercise promotes good bowel function.

It improves muscle function. Including causing more active contractions of the intestines. This allows the stool to exit the rectum easily and painlessly.

But the exercises for preventing constipation should be feasible and correspond to your level of physical fitness, as well as your age and well-being. Do not overexert your body. A doctor - a specialist in therapeutic exercise will help you choose a set of exercises for preventing constipation.

It is worth noting that exercises that train the abdominal muscles are very good for preventing constipation. If a person uses abdominal breathing, this allows the abdominal cavity to contract in volume and thus stimulate the intestines to work. This is the so-called intestinal massage for the prevention of constipation, which will definitely thank you for such care for its health.

Tip #9 – Don’t rush to grab laxatives

Laxatives, especially taken without a doctor's recommendation, can cause many negative consequences. First, a person can provoke dependence on laxatives. Having convinced himself that he will not be able to perform the act of defecation without laxatives, a person imperceptibly gets involved in this game, and gradually the intestinal walls become weak. The act of defecation without laxatives really becomes more difficult and painful.

You will have to take many measures to restore your previous ability to defecate independently.

Of course, you can't give up laxatives completely. Therefore, you should definitely consult a doctor about the cases in which you can't do without them, and when a laxative will not bring any benefit at all.

So, if you follow all the simple methods of constipation prevention, you will not need laxatives in the future.