How to get rid of constipation in 5 days without drugs

Foods that make transit difficult

A diet rich in refined foods (white flour, white sugar …) encourages constipation, as well as consuming too much chocolate, sweets or red wine.

Better "the integral"

Switch to whole wheat bread, rice and pasta, which give you an extra fiber, which is what makes you gain regularity. However, changing the white sugar for the whole grain does not gain anything. Try to sweeten with honey, but without overdoing it, or with sweeteners such as stevia.

Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink

Waiting to be thirsty can cause us to drink less than the recommended 1.5-2 liters of fluids per day, which can make it difficult to eliminate waste substances from the body and also worsen the consistency of the stool, making it harder.

Start the day right

Drink one or two glasses of water on an empty stomach. This will make it easier for you to reach the recommended daily amount. You can also opt for a freshly squeezed fresh orange juice, and better with the pulp. And throughout the day try to drink water and drink vegetable broth, infusions, juices … until you complete the two liters of recommended daily fluids.

Too much meat

Eating too much meat and not enough legumes also tends to cause constipation.

More vegetable protein

Limit your consumption of meat or fish to about 100 grams a day. And it increases that of legumes, a source of vegetable protein very rich in fiber.

The banana, better ripe

If the bananas are green, they can cause constipation due to their high starch content. On the other hand, if they are mature they help regularity.

What if you lack magnesium?

Watch the supply of magnesium because this mineral helps hydrate and soften the stool, and stimulates bowel movements. If you are on a diet and consume less than 2,200 kcal / day, do intense exercise, feel tired or your eyelid tremble, you may have a deficit.

Increase your magnesium level

To be able to take the necessary amount of magnesium you only have to include in your menus more green leafy vegetables, chocolate (no more than an ounce a day) and nuts.

Folic acid deficiency

One study linked chronic constipation to folic acid deficiency. If the difficulties to evacuate are accompanied by tiredness or nervousness, this may be your problem.

Make friends with vegetables

To fill your stores of folic acid, take three times a week broccoli (or Brussels sprouts, kale …), twice spinach or Swiss chard and every day one or two lettuce salads. If you struggle, try the green smoothies.

Bran: better from oats than wheat

Wheat bran is one of the most popular remedies against constipation. However, it should not be consumed regularly because it reduces the absorption of calcium and iron, essential nutrients. Instead, whole oat bran, richer in soluble fiber, is a preferable option.

Oat bran and something else …

You can take one tablespoon a day along with a yogurt, juice, fruit … In no case should you exceed four tablespoons a day.

Coffee, never alone

Although many believe that morning coffee is stimulating, in reality, abusing caffeine causes constipation by dehydrating. If you drink it with milk, you will not have this problem, but if you usually drink it alone, accompany it with a glass of water, so you will surely not have this negative effect.

How to get more fiber

You should take about 40 g of fiber daily, but the ideal is to reach this amount little by little, to avoid gas and other discomforts. Add two pieces of fruit and a large lettuce, tomato and onion salad to your diet. You will be adding 18 to 20 g of fiber. After a few days, add cooked vegetables to your menus (you will add 3-6 g more); and then whole grains or legumes (8-12 g).

Your friends, the oat flakes

Eating a bowl of oatmeal muesli with raisins, almonds and yogurt for breakfast will help you reach the recommended amount of fiber per day.

Laxative compote

Make it with dried apple and plums, boiling them with a little water and a teaspoon of honey. Dried plums taken on an empty stomach are also a common remedy for constipation.

Honey based remedies

Honey has a mild laxative action that has been known since ancient times. Contains rapidly absorbed dextrose and fructose, which improve intestinal motility. In addition to adding it to milk or yogurt, you can mix it with two tablespoons of avocado pulp or add it to a chamomile infusion with a teaspoon of flax oil.

Flax seeds

These seeds contain mucilage, a type of soluble fiber that is released when soaked in water (one tablespoon for one finger of water). By creating as a gel, it increases the volume of stool and facilitates intestinal transit. Take them as is or mixed with yogurt or juice (but without discarding the gel).

The discomfort caused by the symptoms of constipation (bloating, abdominal pain, gas, headaches or heavy legs) is, according to an international study, comparable to that caused by cardiovascular problems.

But … when is constipation considered? We speak of constipation when the number of weekly stools is less than three.

And what is the most common cause? Bad habits! Behind constipation there can be disorders that range from hemorrhoids (if you want to face them, we have all the keys to heal hemorrhoids quickly) to a colorectal tumor, but the truth is that it is almost always due to incorrect habits: low-fiber meals , sedentary lifestyle, use of laxatives …

In the gallery we give you the guidelines to improve them, if you follow them for 5 days you will notice the results.

And what else can I do?

Improve your posture and your transit will improve

We are "designed" to evacuate squatting. However, the design of the bathroom does not allow it. Put a stool in the bathroom and support your feet, so that your knees are above your hips, and you will achieve a much more physiological posture that will make expulsion easier.

Go when the body asks

You never have to put up with the urge to go to the bathroom, even if you're busy with work or in a public place. If you habitually ignore the messages in your body, it will stop warning you.

Laxatives don't help

If at the first symptoms of constipation you resort to laxatives, even if they are natural, the body gets used to them and the intestines lose interest in moving, and only react to the laxative. In the end, you will end up going to the bathroom only when you drink them.

Bowel stimulation techniques

Abdominal massage. With your fingertips exerting light pressure, massage the path of the large intestine towards the anus. Starting from the top of the groin on the right side, work your way up towards the center, across the abdomen and down to the left groin.
Press on the abdomen. Put both hands open on the abdomen and press gently inward and downward, simulating bowel movements. Repeat several times.
Forward tilt. Bring your waist forward keeping your torso straight. The diaphragm will press down and there will be a greater perineal opening, intra-abdominal pressure will increase, and stool will be forced out.

Fill your gut with "good bacteria"

Eat yogurt, kefir and other fermented dairy products, which provide live bacteria that enhance the balance of the intestinal flora, responsible for good transit. Before going to sleep, put two prunes cut into pieces in the yogurt. Have it for breakfast. The bacteria in yogurt combine with the fiber and sorbitol (a type of sugar) in plums, increasing their laxative power.

Sign up for sauerkraut

It is white cabbage fermented with salt, which generates lactic acid and digestive enzymes as beneficial to the intestine as fermented dairy products. You can have three or four tablespoons of sauerkraut in salad or a glass of its juice, which despite being acidic, is pleasant to the palate.

By moving your legs, you stimulate the intestine

Exercise does work l os abdominal muscles, such as running, cycling, swimming, crunches, etc., helps fight constipation. Yoga or Pilates, which also work abdominal breathing, are also very effective. If you are at home , lie on your back, raise your legs at a 90-degree angle, and hold for about 20 seconds. Then, do toe-flex with your feet, and then trace circles with them.