6 Foods that Cause Constipation

It is time for a poop-talk! Constipation is a very common condition and is greatly influenced by our lifestyle. Food, exercise and water intake are all contributing to ether a healthy or unhealthy digestive system. Luckily there are ways to combat constipation and allow your stomach to return to a balanced and functioning rhythm once again. Basically constipation is slow passage in the digestive system where food takes a long time to be processed and gets hard and difficult to get out. If you have less than three bowel movements per week, and the stool is hard, it is considered constipation. There are certain foods that cause constipation, which you may want to stay away from if your have stomach issues. So here is a list of 6 foods to avoid.

1 – Bananas

The types of bananas to stay away from are unripe green bananas. These bananas are not fully developed and contains large amounts of starch, which can cause constipation. Ripe bananas on the other hand can help alleviate constipation due to its high amount of fibers. So make sure to get those fully developed yellow bananas if you are dealing with constipation.

2 – Red Meat

Red meat is considered fairly unhealthy for the body, and is a tough piece of food for the stomach to handle. Red meat is one of those foods that cause constipation, as it is very fatty. Fat is difficult for the stomach to break down, and the digestive process will slow down and take longer than usual, when the stomach tries to digest red meat. Red meat also contains a lot of protein fibers, which are difficult for the stomach to digest. So you may want to cut back on your red meat intake and replace it with fish or vegetables.

3 – Dairy Products

Lactose intolerance is a major issue in today’s society, and many people are very sensitive to dairy products in general. Products like milk, cheese and ice cream can cause constipation and bloating, and is something you may want to cut back on. Some people use a lot of dairy products on a daily basis, which can make them sensitive to lactose over time. Dairy product contains no fiber but are rich in fat, which causes constipation.

4 – Pastries

Things like cakes, cookies and pies are all very high in both sugar and fat, two ingredients that are not good for your overall health and digestion. As mentioned before, fat is difficult for the body to digest and can slow down the natural gastrointestinal movements, making your stomach work harder and take longer time to process the food. Pastries are therefore some of the foods that cause constipation and which you should cut back on if you eat them on a regular basis.

5 – White Products

White bread, white pasta, pizza dough, crackers, and white rice. What they all have in common is that they are low on fibers and cause more harm than good. Due to their low amounts of fibers and the high amounts of gluten in many white products, it can slow down the digestion and cause constipation and bloating. So replace those white product with whole grain products. Also replace white rice with the healthier option of brown rise, which contains more fiber.

6 – Processed and Fatty Food

Any food or snack that contains a high amount of fat, slows down your digestion, as it takes longer to process. Avoid things like fries, potato chips, burger, pizza, fried chicken and prepared processed foods or frozen meals. Fast food is replacing a healthy meal, and instead of getting the fibers you need, you get a lot of fat. This is only making your stomach work harder to process those artificial products.

So if you are dealing with constipation and bloating, then these are some of the foods to stay away from. Instead, make it easy for your stomach and give it something that stimulate the digestion. Eat something that creates a healthy and functioning environment inside your body. The stomach is often times the center of your well-being… if your stomach is out of balance, then you are out of balance. So do your body a favor and stay away from foods that cause constipation.

Love and Light!