Eat 6 ounces of grain products each day. Switch from a highly processed
cereal to a whole grain cereal, move
from heavily cooked vegetables to
less-cooked vegetables, and choose whole-grain products over products
made with white flour. Fiber, the indigestible parts of plant foods, adds mass to
the stool and stimulates the colon to push things along. Fiber is found
naturally in fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans . Meats,
chicken, fish, and fats come up empty-handed in the fiber category. To avoid
getting gassy, increase the fiber in your diet gradually, and be sure
you drink plenty of water so the fiber can move smoothly through your
digestive system.
Barley.
Make it a permanent addition to your diet -- it can relieve
constipation and keep you regular, and it has cholesterol-lowering
properties, too. What more could you ask of a simple grain? Buy some
barley flour, flakes, and grits. Add some barley grain to vegetable
soup or stew.
Blackstrap molasses.
Take 2 tablespoons before going to bed to relieve constipation.
Molasses is too high in calories to use it as a daily preventative, but
on an occasional basis, it can help to get you moving. It has a pretty
strong taste, though, so you may want to add it to milk, fruit juice,
or for an extra-powerful
laxative punch, prune juice.
Walnuts. Fresh from the shell, they may be just the laxative you need.
Don't forget beans.
Dried beans and legumes, whether they're pinto beans, red beans, lima
beans, black beans, navy beans, or garbanzo beans, are excellent
sources of fiber. Many people don't like them because of the gassiness
they may cause. Cooking beans properly, however, can ease this problem
considerably. Plus, if you add beans to your diet gradually, you'll
minimize gassiness.
Try a cup of coffee.
The bitter-tasting constituents in coffee, and all bitter-tasting
foods, stimulate the digestive tract. If you don't like coffee, try an
herb called Oregon grape. The root of this plant and some close cousins
such as barberry have been used safely since ancient times to overcome
occasional constipation. Mix 1/2 teaspoon Oregon grape tincture in
water and sip slowly before eating for best results.
Home Remedies From the Refrigerator
Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
Select a variety of fruits and vegetables, including sweet potatoes,
apples, berries, apricots, peaches, pears, oranges, prunes, corn, peas,
carrots, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, and cauliflower. And opt for the
whole produce over juice as much as possible; a glass of orange juice,
for instance, provides 0.1 grams of fiber, while eating an orange gives
you 2.9 grams.
Apples. Eat an hour after a meal to prevent constipation.
Apple juice, apple cider. These are natural laxatives for many people. Drink up and enjoy!
Bananas. These may relieve constipation. Try eating two ripe bananas between meals. Avoid green bananas because they're constipating.
Raisins. Eat a handful daily, an hour after a meal.
Rhubarb.
This is a natural laxative. Cook it and eat it sweetened with honey, or
bake it in a pie. Or, create a drink with cooked, pureed rhubarb, apple
juice, and honey.
Home Remedies From the Spice Rack
Sesame seed.
These seeds provide roughage and bulk, and they soften the contents of
the intestines, which makes elimination easier. Eat no more than 1/2
ounce daily, and drink lots of water as you take the seeds. You may
also sprinkle them on salads and other foods, but again, no more than
1/2 ounce. Sesame is also available in a butter or paste and in Middle
Eastern dips, such as tahini.
Garlic.
In the raw, it has a laxative effect for many. Eat it mixed with onion,
raw or cooked, and with milk or yogurtest results.
Honey.
This is a very mild laxative. Try taking 1 tablespoon three times a
day, either by itself or mixed into warm water. If it doesn't work on
its own, you may have to pep it up by mixing it half and half with
blackstrap molasses. Keep in mind, however, that honey (like molasses)
is high in calories, so use it as an occasional laxative, not a daily
preventative.
Oil.
Safflower, soybean, or other vegetable oil can be just the cure you
need, as they have a lubricating action in the intestines. Take 2 to 3
tablespoons a day, only until the problem is gone (not on an everyday
basis). And remember that on those days when you increase your intake
of oils, balance the calorie count by lowering your consumption of
butter. Otherwise, you risk packing on extra pounds as you seek relief
from constipation. If you don't like taking oil straight from the
spoon, mix the oil with herbs and lemon juice or vinegar to use as
salad dressing. The combination of the oil and the fiber from the salad
ought to fix you right up.
Vinegar. Mix 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon honey in a glass of water, and drink.