Constipation cure

(A ripe turd is an unbearable burden). As quoted by Felix Faber, Dominican friar c. 15th cent.

Aconstipation. (1988)

S the Filipino diet becomes increasingly fast food – hawker/ street food, burgers, hotdogs, pizza, fries, soft drinks, etc. – so does the interval between bowel movements increase. This is because fiber – carbohydrates from plants, vegetables, and grains that cannot be digested by the body, is lacking. And what can you expect from a diet of refined carbohydrates, dyes and chemicals, and sugar, sugar, sugar. One word:

Constipation is defined as infrequent movement of the bowels, as little as three times a week. The stool is hard and dry, making the morning ritual an ordeal. Imagine pushing until it hurts just to get it out. Elvis Presley died doing that. The strain was just too much for his fat-laden arteries and marbled heart. It’s said he was found dead sitting on the toilet. Usually a result of a diet low in fiber, constipation can also be an effect of lack of exercise, or the use of diuretic (fluid-losing) medications or supplements and, of course, dehydration (not drinking enough fluids especially water). With more fiber in food, stool becomes soft and bulky and almost pleasurable to evacuate. Bowel movement also becomes regular, usually once or twice a day.

Other Clues of a Low-Fiber Diet. WebMD, a reliable medical internet website, lists some warning signs that one’s intake of fiber is low. Aside from constipation, a diet with negligible fiber can allow weight gain. This is because without fiber, the feeling of satiety or satisfaction after a meal is delayed so the person has to eat more. Blood sugar, particularly, in diabetics may fluctuate leading to weakness and mood swings if there isn’t enough fiber.

Benefits of High Fiber. It’s obvious that fiber softens the stool. The rectum was never designed to excrete rocks and pebbles but constipation does exactly that. It’s no surprise that constipated people may also be nursing hemmorhoids, inflamed veins around the anus and rectum. High fiber gives hemmorhoids a chance to heal and go away. Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS symptoms like constipation, bloating, cramping are reduced in a high-fiber diet. As for lowering cholesterol, the substance that in excess leads to dangerous obstructing deposits within arteries, the findings show that its decrease can be as much as 2% per gram of ingested soluble fiber. Another study claims that a diet rich in cereal fiber can reduce the diabetes risk by 28%. In contrast, a high-sugar, lowfiber diet can double the risk for adult onset diabetes. Finally, the US National Cancer Institute suggests that about 1/3 of cancer deaths are diet-related. Diets that are high in saturated fat and low in fiber have been implicated in the genesis of colon and rectal cancers. Diets with lots of fiber from fruits, vegetables, and grains may reduce cancer risk.

Get Fiber Now. The daily fiber intake recommendation is 25 to 35 grams. This may seem a lot because we are not horses. On the other hand, there are many sources of fiber and not all of it needs to taste like cardboard. Get your fiber from:

• ¾ cup cooked oatmeal – 3 grams (of fiber).

• 2 slices whole wheat bread – 4 grams.

• 1 cup cooked brown rice – 4 grams. • 1 banana – 3 grams. • 1 large apple – 4 grams. • 1 cup cooked carrot slices – 5 grams.

• 1 cup cooked broccoli – 4.5 grams.

• 1 sweet potato (kamote) = 4 grams.

• 1 cup cooked cauliflower – 3 grams.

• 2 cups raw spinach leaves – 3 grams.

Fiber sources also include nuts, seeds, and legumes (example: peas, mung beans, kidney beans). Other fiber-rich vegetables are cucumbers, celery, and tomatoes. I must also mention commercial preparations of psyllium husks or senna that can be bought over the counter in drugstores or in health stores. These are marketed as food supplements. One serving in sachet form (mixed with a beverage) is about 5 grams of fiber.

Remember to add fiber in the diet slowly – not the whole 35 grams in one day. Too much fiber leads to diarrhea, stomach cramping, gas, and bloating. As for constipation because of too little fiber, the Dominican friar Faber had this to say: “The pilgrim must be careful not to hold back on account of false modesty and not relieve the stomach . . . go often, loosen your belt, untie all the knots of your clothes over chest and stomach, and evacuation will occur even if your intestines are filled with stones. This advice was given me by an old sailor once when I had been terribly constipated for several days.”

Let’s hope that the centuries-old advice need not be taken, and that we now know better, about fiber.