Diet and Constipation
Dieting can be a cause of constipation
Oftentimes people start a diet without thinking about the consequences on health that are not weight-related. One of those negative consequences is how dieting can sometimes lead to constipation even if the diet is initially successful in helping one shed a few pounds. The reason is mostly to do with how sudden and poorly planned changes in the diet can change how the intestines respond to food. For example, a prolonged decrease in fiber intake can lead to constipation.
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One can avoid constipation problems while dieting by following a few simple rules. One of them is to ensure that meal intake remains regular to help stimulate the intestines to move the food in the same way before the diet. Instead of skipping breakfast or lunch entirely, have a low calorie meal that stimulate the stomach and colon.
Reduction in fiber intake
Moreover, as mentioned previously, reduction of food intake inadvertently leads to reduction in fiber intake as well. And for about 20-30% of people, constipation is treated successfully with high fiber therapy. Therefore even if one is dieting one should plan meals that contain substantial amounts of fiber (30 grams per day is the FDA recommended daily allowance) to circumvent or obviate such problems. There are primarily two ways to ensure that one gets enough fiber while on a diet.
Balancing
The first way is to make a conscious effort to include more high fiber foods in meals. This is actually not trivial as the fiber content of foods is not apparent visually and must instead be consulted in a reference. Popular salad ingredients like tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and apples and oranges are low fiber (containing only 2 to 3 grams) but mushrooms, chick peas, beans and even some seaweed are very high fiber according to their respective weights. To create a balanced meal while dieting, choose high fiber foods that have low caloric content or are consistent with one's diet. A dieter on the Atkin's might instead go for beans which are high fiber and high protein at the same time.
Supplementing
The second way to prevent constipation while dieting is to buy supplements such as psyllium (available from health nutrition stores and manufacturers like Metamucil) which can be taken during meal times in the form of a drink. Taking daily doses of such fiber supplements will satisfy the fiber requirement. The one drawback is that a lot of fluid intake is involved and may not appeal to people who get bloated or full easily on taking in fluids.
Constipation and diet not always related
Finally, there is a chance that the constipation and the diet are not related and the above remedies will not work in alleviating the constipation. This is not unusual as constipation is a very common condition afflicting up to 30% of the population to varying degrees. Most constipation is termed "idiopathic" meaning that there is no known cause and is diagnosed purely through its symptoms. In these cases, guidance from a physician and co-exploration of therapeutic strategies may be the best option.