Information

If you are suffering from mild to moderate constipation (having a bowel movement fewer than three times per week), constipation can be treated at home by making some changes to your diet. The most essential change is to eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of fiber. Fiber and water help soothe the process to pass stool through the colon. Some foods high in fiber include fruits, legumes, whole-grain bread, and cereals.

Guidelines for Managing Constipation:

Increase fluids to at least six to eight glasses per day.
Eat a diet high in fiber.
Eat fresh fruits, fruit juices, and vegetables.
Avoid pasta, pastries, cheese, rice, and foods with white sugar.
Exercise regularly.
Establish a regular time for defection (the best times for evacuations are usually after a meal).
Drink warm prune juice or other warm beverages one hour before the scheduled defecation time to stimulate the urge.
Use toilet or bedside commode instead of bedpan if possible (Ideal position is a modified squatting position with feet placed on a stool.)
Relax by reading or listening to music in the bathroom.
Don’t delay when you have the urge to evacuate.
Avoid laxatives and enema abuse.
Take stool softeners, suppositories, or laxatives as ordered. (Overuse of laxatives can cause constipation.)
Use enemas or manual disimpaction for severe constipation.
Report constipation that frequently reoccurs or that does not respond to treatment to physician.

Following a diet high in fiber has a wide range of benefits, including improving bowel Fiber is an ingredient in many common foods such as fruits, grains, and vegetables that our body cannot break down. Adding more fiber to your diet helps ensure that food is moving quickly through your digestive tract and consuming the proper amount of fiber daily along with adequate fluid intake enables your digestive tract to function properly. We recommend consuming 25-35 grams of fiber per day to help improve bowel and colon health. The proper amount of fiber has been shown to have many benefits, including decreasing cholesterol, improving glucose control, and may reduce your risk of high diverticulosis, colon cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Many fiber-containing foods also have good sources of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. 

INSOLUBLE FIBER SOURCES

CelluloseHemicelluloseLigninBran
ApplesApplesBranBran
BeetsBananasBrazil nutsWhole grains
BranBeansCarrots
Brazil nutsBeetsCereals
BroccoliBranEggplant
CabbageBrussel sproutsFruits with edible seeds
CarrotsCabbageGreen beans
CeleryCerealsMature vegetables
Cucumber skinsCornPeaches
Green beansLeafy greensPears
Lima BeansPearsPeas
PearsPeppersPotatoes
PeasWhole grainsRadishes
PeppersRadishes
VegetablesStrawberries
Wax BeansTomatoes
Whole grainsTomatoes
Whole wheat flourWhole grains

SOLUBLE FIBER SOURCES

GumsPectinMucilage
BarleyApplesPsyllium
Dried BeansBananas
Guar gumBeets
LegumesCabbage
OatbranCarrots
Citrus
Okra
Peas

We recommend rotating the food and fiber types. In general, whole grain products have more fiber than refined grains. Gradually increase your fiber intake until your bowel movement are optimum for you (consult your physician for information and guidance). There are also many dietary supplements available for fiber if you are not able to get a properly balanced diet, but gas and bloating may worsen with intake.

Food sensitivities or intolerances can be extremely painful, uncomfortable, and inconvenient to deal with. Common symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, bloating or gas, abdominal pain, constipation, and/or diarrhea. In some cases, a Low Fodmap diet can be the most effective way to combat these sensitivities by reducing or eliminating foods containing these types of carbohydrates. 

Foods Suitable for a Low FODMAP Diet

FruitVegetablesGrain FoodsMilk ProductsOther
Fruit
banana, blueberry, boysenberry, cantaloupe, cranberry, durian, grape, grapefruit, honeydew melon, kiwifruit, lemon, lime, mandarin, orange, passionfruit, pawpaw, raspberry, rhubarb, rockmelon, star anise, strawberry, tangelo
Note: If the fruit is dried, eat in small quantities
Vegetables
Alfalfa, bamboo shoots, bean shoots, bok choy, carrot, celery, choko, choy sum, eggplant, endive, ginger, green beans, lettuce, olives, parsnip, potato, pumpkin, red capsicum (bell pepper), silverbeet, spinach, squash, swede, sweet potato, taro, tomato, turnip, yam, zucchini
CerealsMilk
*Lactose-free milk, *oat milk, *rice milk, *soy milk
*Check for additives
Tofu
Herbs
Basil, chili, coriander, ginger, lemongrass, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme
Bread
100% spelt bread
Cheeses
Hard cheese, and brie and camembert
Sweeteners
Sugar* (sucrose), glucose, artificial sweeteners not ending in ‘-ol’
RiceYogurt
Lactose-free varieties
Honey Substitutes
Golden Syrup*. Maple Syrup*, Molasses, treacle
*small quantities
OatsIce-Cream Substitutes
Gelati, sorbet
PolentaButter Substitutes
Olive oil
Other
Arrowroot, millet, psyllium, quinoa, sorgum, tapioca

Eliminate Foods Containing FODMAPs

Excess Fructose Lactose Fructans Galactans Polyols
Fruit
Apples, mango, nashi, pear, tinned fruit in natural juice, watermelon
Milk
Milk from cows, goats, or sheets, custard, ice cream, yogurt
Vegetables
Artichoke, asparagus, beetroot, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, fennel, garlic, leek, okra, onion (all), shallots, spring onion
Legumes
Baked beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils, soybeans
Fruit
Apple, apricot, avocado, blackberry, cherry, longon, lychee, rashi, nectarine, peach, pear, plum, prune, watermelon
SweetenersCheeses
Soft, unripened cheeses, cottage, cream, mascarpone, ricotta
Cereals
Wheat and rye, in large amounts of egg bread, crackers, cookies, couscous, pasta
Vegetables
Cauliflower, green capsicum (bell pepper), mushroom, sweet corn
Fructose, high fructose, corn syrupFruit
Custard apple, persimmon, watermelon
Sweeteners
Sorbitol (420), Mannitol (421), Isomalt (953), Maltitol (965, Xylitol (967)
Large total fructose dose
Concentrated fruit sources, large serves of fruit, dried fruit, fruit juice
Miscellaneous
Chicory, dandelion, insulin pistachio
Honey
Corn syrup, fruisana