Diet for constipation – A balanced diet allows you to normalize the work of the gastrointestinal tract and control weight.
Long-term stool retention is a common problem that worries people of all ages, gender, and social status. According to rough estimates of experts, up to 50% of the working-age population is regularly faced with the issue of treating chronic or episodic constipation.Therapy involves the mandatory elimination of the causes that caused this condition. Regardless of what this condition is associated with, the most important stage in eliminating the problem of constipation is the normalization of nutrition.
Diet as part of the treatment of constipation
The purpose of the diet is to normalize bowel function. In particular, proper nutrition promotes regular emptying and ridding the body of toxic products that are formed during the metabolic process. The diet in adult men and women, as well as children and the elderly, is aimed at increasing the intake of fluids, minerals, vitamins and plant fiber.
The importance of a balanced diet
A balanced diet allows you to normalize the work of the gastrointestinal tract and control weight. Many experts recommend diet number 3 for constipation. It is aimed at normalizing the functions of the intestines and metabolic processes in the body. A diet for constipation and bloating involves eating at least 4 times a day. In this case, the daily volume of food should not exceed three kilograms. You must drink at least 1.5 liters of fluid per day. Breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner should include healthy foods that contain proportionate amounts of fat, protein and carbohydrates. It is advisable to minimize the consumption of sugar and salt.
What can and can not be eaten with constipation?
An approximate diet is drawn up by a specialist and may include the following list of permitted foods:
| wholemeal wheat or rye bread | lean meat and fish, seafood (boiled or baked) | vegetables (beets, cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, sauerkraut, pumpkin, etc.) | berries (red mountain ash, lingonberry, gooseberry, blueberry, etc.) | honey and jam |
| hated vegetable soups | porridge on the water (wheat, buckwheat, oatmeal) | low-fat dairy and fermented milk products (cottage cheese, milk, sour cream, fermented baked milk, etc.) | eggs (boiled soft-boiled, in the form of an omelet) | vinaigrette with vegetable oil |
| fruit compotes and decoctions of dried fruits, rose hips, wheat bran | herbs (celery, parsley, dill) | fruits (plums, apricots, melons, figs, etc.), both fresh and dried (prunes, dried apricots, etc.) | vegetable oils |
Prohibited foods include:
| fresh white bread, pastry and puff pastry | Astringent fruits (quince, pears, blueberries, pomegranates, lingonberries, dogwood) | soups from rich and fatty broths | fatty dairy and fermented milk products | hot snacks |
| high fat dairy products | legumes | some drinks (coffee, cocoa, alcohol, strong tea, jelly) | hot spices (horseradish, pepper, mustard) | mushrooms |
| flour dishes (dumplings, dumplings, pies) | fatty meats and fish | vegetables that cause fermentation in the intestines (onions, radishes, radishes, turnips, garlic) | canned food | fried eggs |
| pastry with fat cream | slimy porridge (rice, semolina) | some sweets (cakes, jellies, pastries, marmalade, chocolate, marshmallow) | smoked meats | mayonnaise, sauces |
Cooking methods and temperature conditions
As part of a diet for constipation, boiled and steamed food is prescribed. You can also eat food baked in foil (no crust). With atonic constipation, food must be cooked in portions and not chopped. This helps to strengthen intestinal motility. It is recommended to exclude mashed potatoes and minced meat dishes. This is because these foods do not stimulate intestinal motility. On the other hand, with spastic constipation in the elderly, food should be very soft so as not to provoke abdominal pain. The diet provides for compliance with the temperature regime: you should eat food warmed up to 15-60 ° C. Foods that are too hot or too cold can irritate the stomach, which can negatively affect bowel function.
Diet for adults with spastic constipation
Spasmodic constipation is caused by cramps in the intestines that prevent stool from passing out. To eliminate this condition, it is recommended to use minced meat, boiled fish, low-fat cheese, honey, olive oil, pasta, jam, vegetable puree, strawberries, grapes, figs, plums, melons, pears, oranges, tangerines. Lamb and beef, mayonnaise, smoked cheese, pastries, chocolate, sauces, cakes, salami and white bread should be excluded from the diet.
Sample menu for day number 1
| Breakfast | a glass of low-fat milk, rye toast with honey and butter. |
| Lunch | a glass of apricot nectar and 2-3 cookies. |
| Dinner | zucchini cream soup, chicken with spinach, gray bread, some fresh fruit. |
| Afternoon snack | 300 g of prunes. |
| Dinner | a portion of carrot puree and 2 cutlets. |
Sample menu for day number 2
| Breakfast | 1 bunch of grapes, a decoction of St. John’s wort with honey. |
| Dinner | stewed eggplant with tomatoes, boiled fish, rye toast, some strawberries. |
| Afternoon snack | 2 cookies and a couple of spoons of jam |
| Dinner | pumpkin puree and rosehip broth. |
Sample menu for day number 3
| Breakfast | grape juice with wholemeal toast with butter and jam. |
| Dinner | chicken soup, pumpkin or mashed potatoes with chicken. |
| Afternoon snack | 300 g of prunes. |
| Dinner | a glass of apricot nectar and an omelet with vegetables. |
Diet for children and adults with atonic constipation
To normalize bowel movements, it is necessary to regularly eat foods high in fiber, as well as consume a sufficient amount of fats, which contribute to the contraction of the intestinal walls. Compared to the diet for spastic constipation, the diet for atonic constipation is less gentle.
A diet for constipated bowel disease usually includes raw fruits and vegetables. They are rich in ballast substances such as cellulose and fiber. These substances adsorb water and irritate the intestinal nerve receptors, which, in turn, contributes to the normalization of peristalsis.
Sample menu for day number 1
| Breakfast | vinaigrette with low-fat sour cream, a portion of boiled poultry, weak tea. |
| Dinner | cold beetroot, boiled or baked chicken with barley porridge, some figs. |
| Afternoon snack | a glass of rosehip infusion, bran crispbread and a couple of teaspoons of honey. |
| Dinner | boiled fish with vegetable stew, one baked apple. |
Sample menu for day number 2
| Breakfast | weak green tea, sandwiches with low-fat ham, cucumbers and tomatoes. |
| Dinner | tomato soup with brown rice and parsley, boiled turkey with fresh vegetables, a glass of freshly squeezed apple juice. |
| Afternoon snack | a few apricots, a couple tablespoons of raisins, low-fat yogurt |
| Dinner | salad with egg, green beans and tomato, rosehip broth. |
Sample menu for day number 3
| Breakfast | oatmeal in water, tea with milk, toast with low-fat cheese. |
| Dinner | cauliflower puree soup, lean baked fish, freshly squeezed carrot juice. |
| Afternoon snack | some figs, dried apricots and prunes. |
| Dinner | stewed vegetables, boiled turkey, flax seed broth, apple. |
Diet for chronic constipation
A diet for chronic constipation is an individual diet that includes the use of a large number of healthy foods that have a beneficial effect on human health and contribute to the natural process of defecation. The list includes dried and fresh fruits, raw vegetables. Doctors advise including apricots, prunes, figs, freshly squeezed vegetable and fruit purees, and juices in the diet for constipation. It is advisable to eat them at least 4 times a week. Useful cereal cereals of gray and dark colors (buckwheat, oats, barley). They need to be cooked in water with the addition of a small amount of vegetable oil.
Sample menu for day number 1
| Breakfast | low-fat cottage cheese, milk, ham and tomato sandwich. |
| Dinner | borscht, boiled veal with baked vegetables, a few apricots. |
| Afternoon snack | rosehip broth with rowan jam, a couple of cookies. |
| Dinner | boiled fish , a couple of baked potatoes. |
Sample menu for day number 2
| Breakfast | freshly squeezed carrot juice, protein omelet. |
| Dinner | vegetable soup, mashed boiled beets with vegetable oil, wholemeal rye bread. |
| Afternoon snack | a glass of ryazhenka and a few loaves of wholemeal wheat flour. |
| Dinner | baked beef, fresh carrot salad with vegetable oil, baked potatoes. |
Sample menu for day number 3
| Breakfast | beetroot, boiled brown rice, baked low-fat fish. |
| Dinner | beetroot, boiled brown rice, baked low-fat fish. |
| Afternoon snack | some dried fruit and freshly squeezed fruit juice. |
| Dinner | vegetable casserole, baked chicken breast. |
Diet for irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome ( IBS), Specialists have compiled lists of permitted and prohibited products, but depending on the patient’s condition, the attending physician adjusts the menu. In any case, it is necessary that a person has a complete and varied diet and does not consume food that irritates the intestines.
Drinking regimen
For normal functioning of the whole body, a person needs a certain amount of water, for example, an adult needs to drink 1.5- 2.5 liters per day. If this need is not met in a timely manner, the body begins to take water from the intestines, leading to dehydration of feces, hardening and constipation. For the prevention and treatment of difficult bowel movements, the use of boiled and table mineral water (preferably without gases) is excellent.
Consequences of not following the diet
Failure to adhere to the diet prescribed by your doctor as part of the treatment of frequent constipation can lead to complications, such as:
- megacolon (dilated and elongated intestine);
- chronic inflammation of the colon;
- intestinal obstruction;
- rectal diseases (cracks, hemorrhoids, paraproctitis);
- malignant tumors in the intestine.
