There's not much that people don't talk about these days.
Spend a few minutes around the water cooler, and you'll hear about sex, divorce, and the details of a colleague's prostate surgery.
The one thing people don't talk about, even with their doctors, is constipation.
If they did, constipation probably would no longer be the most common digestive complaint, because they'd find out that it's easy to treat.
For most people, getting more fiber and fluids in their diet can put an end to constipation for good.
Unlike vitamins and minerals, fiber isn't absorbed by the digestive tract.
Instead, it spends a long time in the intestine, absorbing large amounts of fluid.
And that's precisely its constipation-fighting secret.
When fiber absorbs water, stools gradually swell, getting bigger and wetter.
Unlike small stools, which can accumulate for days before moving on, large stools are moved out of the intestine much more quickly.
And because large stools are much softer than small ones, there's less straining when they do move.
•All fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole-grain foods contain healthful amounts of fiber.
Doctors once believed that insoluble fiber, the kind found mainly in whole wheat, was the only choice for beating constipation.
As it turns out, however, both insoluble and soluble fiber, the kind found primarily in legumes, oats, and many fruits, can help keep the intestine working smoothly.
Both types of fiber add bulk, soften the stool, and speed transit time.
•The reason that constipation is so common is that most Americans simply don't get enough fiber.
On average, we only get about 11 grams a day, a lot less than the Daily Value (DV) of 25 grams, says Pat Harper, R.
D.
a nutrition consultant in the Pittsburgh area.
Since virtually all plant foods contain healthy quantities of fiber.
A 1-cup serving of Wheaties has 3 grams of fiber, 12 percent of the DV.
A half-cup of cooked kidney beans has 3 grams of fiber, 12 percent of the DV, and an apple also has about 3 grams.
•There is one problem with adding more fiber to your diet.
When your body isn't used to it, it can cause cramping and gas.
To get the benefits without the grief, it is recommended that you gradually add fiber to your diet over a period of several months.
A lifetime of not getting enough fiber can't be fixed in a week.
But if you gradually increase the amount of fiber you get each day, you probably won't have any discomfort at all.
•We often think of water as being sort of an add-on to a healthful diet, not an essential ingredient in its own right.
But not getting enough water is a very common cause of constipation as stools can absorb large amounts of water.
When they don't get enough, they get hard, sluggish, and more difficult to pass.
This is particularly true when you're eating more fiber, which must be accompanied by fluids in order to keep things moving smoothly.
•To avoid walking on the dry side, it is recommended by doctors to drink at least six to eight full glasses of water a day.
Or, if you don't want to drink that much water, make up the difference by having soups or juices.
Beverages containing alcohol or caffeine, however, don't count toward your daily fluid total because they're diuretics, meaning that they actually remove more fluids from your body than they put in.
•Prunes are probably the oldest home remedy for constipation and researchers have discovered it one of the most effective.
Prunes contain three ingredients that help keep digestion on track.
For starters, they're very high in fiber, with 3 grams of the rough stuff, about 12 Percent of the DV, in just three prunes.
They also contain a compound called dihydroxphenyl isatin, which stimulates the intestinal contractions that are necessary for regular bowel movements.
Finally, prunes contain a natural sugar called sorbitol, which soaks up enormous amounts of water in the digestive tract and helps keep the system active.
Spend a few minutes around the water cooler, and you'll hear about sex, divorce, and the details of a colleague's prostate surgery.
The one thing people don't talk about, even with their doctors, is constipation.
If they did, constipation probably would no longer be the most common digestive complaint, because they'd find out that it's easy to treat.
For most people, getting more fiber and fluids in their diet can put an end to constipation for good.
Unlike vitamins and minerals, fiber isn't absorbed by the digestive tract.
Instead, it spends a long time in the intestine, absorbing large amounts of fluid.
And that's precisely its constipation-fighting secret.
When fiber absorbs water, stools gradually swell, getting bigger and wetter.
Unlike small stools, which can accumulate for days before moving on, large stools are moved out of the intestine much more quickly.
And because large stools are much softer than small ones, there's less straining when they do move.
•All fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole-grain foods contain healthful amounts of fiber.
Doctors once believed that insoluble fiber, the kind found mainly in whole wheat, was the only choice for beating constipation.
As it turns out, however, both insoluble and soluble fiber, the kind found primarily in legumes, oats, and many fruits, can help keep the intestine working smoothly.
Both types of fiber add bulk, soften the stool, and speed transit time.
•The reason that constipation is so common is that most Americans simply don't get enough fiber.
On average, we only get about 11 grams a day, a lot less than the Daily Value (DV) of 25 grams, says Pat Harper, R.
D.
a nutrition consultant in the Pittsburgh area.
Since virtually all plant foods contain healthy quantities of fiber.
A 1-cup serving of Wheaties has 3 grams of fiber, 12 percent of the DV.
A half-cup of cooked kidney beans has 3 grams of fiber, 12 percent of the DV, and an apple also has about 3 grams.
•There is one problem with adding more fiber to your diet.
When your body isn't used to it, it can cause cramping and gas.
To get the benefits without the grief, it is recommended that you gradually add fiber to your diet over a period of several months.
A lifetime of not getting enough fiber can't be fixed in a week.
But if you gradually increase the amount of fiber you get each day, you probably won't have any discomfort at all.
•We often think of water as being sort of an add-on to a healthful diet, not an essential ingredient in its own right.
But not getting enough water is a very common cause of constipation as stools can absorb large amounts of water.
When they don't get enough, they get hard, sluggish, and more difficult to pass.
This is particularly true when you're eating more fiber, which must be accompanied by fluids in order to keep things moving smoothly.
•To avoid walking on the dry side, it is recommended by doctors to drink at least six to eight full glasses of water a day.
Or, if you don't want to drink that much water, make up the difference by having soups or juices.
Beverages containing alcohol or caffeine, however, don't count toward your daily fluid total because they're diuretics, meaning that they actually remove more fluids from your body than they put in.
•Prunes are probably the oldest home remedy for constipation and researchers have discovered it one of the most effective.
Prunes contain three ingredients that help keep digestion on track.
For starters, they're very high in fiber, with 3 grams of the rough stuff, about 12 Percent of the DV, in just three prunes.
They also contain a compound called dihydroxphenyl isatin, which stimulates the intestinal contractions that are necessary for regular bowel movements.
Finally, prunes contain a natural sugar called sorbitol, which soaks up enormous amounts of water in the digestive tract and helps keep the system active.
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