For some people the banging and pounding are completely inexplicable. A few of them have used different drugs or medications yet there is no relief to the headaches. It will surprise you to know that migraines and headaches can be eased by foods just like they can be caused by certain foods. One major challenge many of us face is that we have refused to pay attention to our body.
Our bodies send very vital information to us on how best to attend to it, yet we always do the opposite. The reactions that follow are head aches, migraines and other forms of body pains. Headaches could occur due to cold or flu, stress and hormonal dysfunction. All theses various forms can actually be improved using foods.
In this short post I will be sharing with you some foods that may help you improve and relief your headaches and migraines.
1. Milk And Yogurt:
When your head aches and bangs such that everything seems difficult to do and you can not sleep at night, it might be due to lack of calcium in your diet. The brains functions well with adequate supply of the mineral. Once your body chemistry recognises absence of this, it could present a request letter to you in the form of headaches. Consuming plain yogurt, calcium fortified skimmed milk or even calcium peels at recommended daily intake could help relieve you. Some of these milk products are also rich in vitamin B2 which also helps in headache management.
During raining seasons, cold had always been a major problem to people which sometimes leads to poor performance at work, school or anywhere they find themselves. From sneezes to coughs, the discomfort continues while keeping the host helpless.
No one dares underrate the effectiveness of foods in combatting diseases and illnesses. Decades back when there was no popularity of drugs, our fore fathers combat cold and its allies effectively with foods. Without doubts, If you include some of this nutritious and immune boosting foods into your diet and that of your children, your family might just be on the way to a cold free raining season.
You must note that asides including these foods into your daily meals, you should avoid exposure to rainfall and cold temperatures as much as you can during this season. Let us check out the list.
Top Four Foods That Help Combat Cold
1. ONIONS: If there is any food condiment I am in love with, definitely it is onions. In fact when I slice them, I enjoy the fact that tears drops down from my eyes. I believe my eyes are getting cleansed of dust and other particles in the process. The healing power of onions cannot be underestimated. Asides fighting cold and flu, it is an effective detoxifying food substance that helps release toxins from the liver. It has antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. Slice onions into all your stews and meal including boiled rice, potato and yam this season and avoid any invading cold.
One thing about onion is just that some people can’t stand the eyes stings that come with cutting the onion. If you fall into that category, you should read this article — there are tips to help you in cutting onions without getting the eye stings and tears that follow.
How would you feel to eat as much Pizza as you want and not be scared of getting fat? Well, this seems a reality now as musclefood.com has come out with a Pizza recipe that does not only help burn fat, but also contains as much protein as three chicken breasts and 5 times less carbs than a standard slice. Should we call this a “SUPER PIZZA”?
This new development in Pizza processing has been making the rounds for some weeks now and I had to wait to see a lot of information about it before deciding to share with you. The manufacturers of this Pizza claim that you can now get slim by eating this pizza. I am waiting for more testimonies from people as much as you are. However, looking at the ingredients and composition of this pie, I would say their claims make sense.
Photo: dailymail.co.uk
This chicken and peppers pizza has 73 calories and 2.4g of fat per slice
One of the that have eaten this Pizza said:
I was a bit sceptical at first as I was expecting a dry and crumbly base but I was pleasantly surprised.
You can’t actually taste the difference from a regular pizza even though there’s protein in the base.
Composition of the Pizza
The online retailer, musclefood.com claims that the high protein pizza contains just 82 calories per slice. This is way below the calories of more than 300 in some fast food alternatives.
They also claim that it contains the same amount of protein as three chicken breasts and five times less carbohydrates making it perfect for people on a weight loss plan or those body building.
Darren Beale from Musclefood.com has the following to say:
High protein isn’t just for bodybuilders and fitness fanatics, it’s for those wanting to lose weight – increased protein keeps you feeling fuller for longer – and for those wanting to lead a much healthier lifestyle.
He continues;
We’re expecting these pizzas to be popular. Products like our high protein cookies and bread have flown off the shelves as soon as they’ve gone on sale and we’re expecting these to be the same.
The gluten and soy-free pizza comes in two different toppings, Chicken and Pepper, and Ham and Mushroom, with the pea protein base adding approximately 10g of protein to the pizza.
Here is a video from MuscleFood that teaches you how to make such low carb meat pizza. Click here to watch it now!
Our skin is made up of three main layers: Epidermis (the outer layer), Dermis (the middle layer) and Subcutaneous or Hypodermic (the deepest layer). Stretch marks form in the middle layer of the skin when the connective tissue is “stretched” beyond the power of its flexibility as a result of rapid expansion or contraction of our skin. Skin expansion usually occur due to sudden weight gain or pregnancy.
The purpose of this article s to show you foods that help you remove the stretch mark and your body and we are going to stick strictly to that. Stretch marks appear on the body for a number of reasons and we are not going to be going into that today. We are only going to discuss how you can make use of foods to remove them from your body.
This is going to be in two part — (i) foods that you should eat to get rid of stretch marks, and (ii) foods that you can apply on your body (not eat), to remove stretch marks. Let’s take this journey together to see these foods and how they work their wonders.
Foods To Eat To Get Rid Of Stretch Mark
The visibility of stretch marks can be reduced by making few changes to your diet. There are foods that, if included in the meals that we consume can help fade the stretch marks away. These are the foods we will be discussing in this section.
Click on 2 below to see the first group of foods that heal stretch marks…
I do not know where people get the notion that a “No fat diet” is good for the body or for those in the train of weight lost. No other food macro nutrient has been demonized and labelled in the bad light as much as Fats. It also surprises me to hear of how some nutritionists or dietitians plan such Zero fat diets for patients who seek professional advice on weight loss. I have never done it before and I would not.
The results of weight loss and improved nutrition based on a calculated fat inclusion diet which I have planned for all of my clients have been remarkable. Hey, I am not say you should go all out for those burgers, deep fried foods, and other trans-fat loaded meals. I am saying; for you to effectively ensure you lose those pounds of fats and never see them again, there is need for you to include some amount of healthy fats.
Photo: vipfitness.zone
So, How Does Fat Make One Lose Fat
One interesting thing about fats is the satiating effect it gives to your entire body system. It takes longer time for fats to be digested and so they stay longer in your digestive tracks while keeping you less hungry unlike other food groups like carbohydrates which are quickly digested. When food manufacturer come up with a low fat or no fat snacks, they most like would have added loads of sugars and its ally in order to sweeten or flavour the foods. Be careful, it is a scam.
It is clear that many certain vitamins can only be digested and transported with the help of fats. These are fats soluble vitamins which include vitamins A, D, E, and K. Many body functions, including: Vision, healthy skin and hair quality function better if you eat a diet rich in healthy fats. When you limit your fat intake, you’re limiting your ability to transport and absorb these fat soluble vitamins which eventually help your body to metabolize fat.
Many people that I have seen following a regime of “No fat diet” always gain back the weight as they cannot sustain a continuous diet without fats. I have repeatedly said to those who care to listen that include foods like peanuts, canola oil, avocados and coconut oil are critical in weight management. Research has also reiterated that individuals who include a certain percentage of fats in their weight loss diet lose fat easily than those who do not include any fat in their diet.
You should note that fat is good and healthy. You should not be scared of eating healthy fats at calculated amount, what you should be scared of is high calorie foods with very low nutrients, usually those loaded with sugars and no nutrients carbs.
I am certain that a few people would probably be reading about moringa seeds for the very first time. It is clear that the plant has just recently become a major inclusion in some people’s diet in Nigeria. Moringa, no doubt is a wonderful plant that has a lot of health benefits which are numerous.
Excessive weight gain is becoming a wide spread health concern among different age groups and sex. This has led to the sales of different supplements on the shelves of drug stores. Many supplements meant to help in weight loss are actually not effective and the result is that those that are obese or overweight remain in their unhealthy weight status.
Moringa without the addition of any other nutrient is a very healthy supplement not only for weight management but for other various health conditions ravaging our world. From its seed to leaves and pods, one can benefit immensely from an array of micro nutrient that trigger and boost metabolism which directly helps in the breakdown of fat.
While moringa seeds can be quite healthy, it is advisable not to indulge in them like you do to nuts. 2 to 3 seeds of moringa seeds should be okay per time while not consuming more than 10seeds on daily basis but for a starter, 4 seeds in a day will help you ascertain your body’s tolerance. Basically, the seed supports the weight loss by reducing the food cravings and providing your body with essential nutrients (vitamins, mineral, carbohydrates and proteins) that offer your body the energy it needs for the day-to-day activities.
Many moringa extracts are available as nutraceutical. if you do not love to eat the seed directly, consuming the supplements at Recommended Daily Intake will definitely aid your weight loss aim with less hassle. Moringa seeds are high in fibre and protein with an appropriate amount of healthy fats such as mono unsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats which are heart health friendly and reduce the concentration of unhealthy fats in your body. Its super detoxifying ability helps to cleanse your body system which eventually aid your metabolism and cause weight loss.
The seeds may be cooked or roasted as you would prefer. As senior citizens you should include these seeds as part of your diets because they are effective in high blood pressure conditions due to many antioxidants loaded in them.
To effectively manage your weight, it is advisable you speak to a Dietitian or Nutritionist, who will take you on a step by step method of weight loss therapy. No one food item solves your problem of overweight. A healthy lifestyle and calculated menu are key to helping everyone facing such challenge.
Whether you are on a weight loss mission or you are fasting and want to resist the urge to eat by suppressing your appetite for food, you should know that there are some foods that you can add to your diet in order to achieve this. Some of these foods are foods that we see and eat often for their taste but they have other functions we may have not noticed; others, many people don’t like to eat because of their taste.
The objective of fasting (not for religious reasons) and weight-loss plan is to make you eat less and burn more calories than you consume, therefore, you cannot afford to eat large quantities of foods.
So what now happens when you get hungry?
When your body needs food, it produces a hormone called ghrelin that causes hunger — it signal hunger to the brain when it gets secreted. You start having some elevated level of appetite — this you can suppress by eating some of the foods listed in this article.
Foods That Help To Curb Hunger & Appetite for Foods
When you add these foods to what you eat in the right manner, you won’t get hungry like you usually would.
1. One piece of Apple can do the magic
Of course you know the saying that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”. This is very true and one of the ways it is true is that eating an apple before or after a meal helps keep you full faster and for a longer period.
Photo: saidaonline.com
It has been reported that the pectin in a piece of apple can keep you full for 1-2 hours. So, why don’t you just eat apple before and after your food. It tastes great and even contributes to whitening of teeth amongst other benefits.
2. High-Water, High-Fiber Foods help curb hunger
These type of foods that are high in water and fibers give us the feeling of being full and prevent us from eating too much. Example of such foods is the vegetable family — they fill the stomach, and helps digestion. These foods, even when you eat large volumes of them, are usually low in caloric density. Therefore, they help you shed weight without feeling like you’re on a restrictive diet.
Often when we want to lose weight, what we do is to eat less foods. But what if you could cut calories, yet still eat plenty of food, and not be feel hungry? This is the dream of any dieter and these type of foods should be incorporated into your diet.
These vegetables, for example Lentils, Lima beans, Spinach, etc., will help you through your diet plan and not make you give up when it matters most. You are often full, less hungry and cutting on your calorie intake. These high fibre foods also help prevent constipation and relieve it in case we have it.
Barbara Rolls, PhD, and some of her colleagues at Pennsylvania State University have done extensive research on the “volumetric” theory of eating more low-calorie, high-volume foods.
They have this to report; ”We have found in numerous studies that when you allow people to eat as much as they want of foods that are high in volume yet low in density (calories), they eat less at the meal or during the day.”
3. Lean Protein Helps To Reduce Hunger Too
If you are wondering about what lean protein is, here is a quick description; many proteins are high in saturated fats that contribute to cardiovascular disease, so it is better to consume lean proteins. These lean proteins are described as a 1-ounce serving that has 2 to 3 grams of fat.
There is evidence of the ability of lean protein from foods such as lean meat, fish, poultry (chicken, turkey, for example), soybeans, and eggs, to help with fullness and weight loss. The white meat from chicken and turkey are especially good sources of lean protein. Fish provides lean protein together with omega-3 fatty acids that lower cholesterol and inhibit inflammation.
Wayne Campbell, PhD, a professor of Nutrition at Purdue University said “You are most likely to feel fuller after eating protein than other nutrients, including fiber, and one of the theories behind why higher-protein diets work well with weight loss is because it helps you not feel hungry.”
It may also interest you to know that even though you can add lean protein at any meal you want to take, research has shown that adding it to your breakfast may be better than other meals in the day. A research that was conducted on this theory revealed that when people eat foods like eggs that rich in protein for breakfast, they tend to eat less during the day compared o when they eat foods that are rich in carbohydrates.
With this knowledge in your head, you can actually start your weight loss diet by including these foods in your meal. If you are going to fast for religious or health reasons (fasting has a lot of health benefits), you can also ad these foods to those that you eat in the morning as they make you full without adding calories to your body. It is not surprising that breakfast is regarded as the most important meal of the day.
I recently got a series of emails from some readers on this blog who seem to be interested in losing weight. When I read a few of their situation, I figured out that a few of them apart from their habit of consuming fatty and high calorie foods, might also be indulging excessively in foods that contains sugar and they do not know. One thing that dieticians and nutritionist in America have agreed upon is that Americans consume a lot of sugars.
While America seems to have been labeled with this due to the fact that they have proper documentation, other countries are not left out. In fact, some other countries are top consumers of sugar without them knowing due to lack of information and documentation. Obesity is taking the rise in our nation and asides planning healthy diet, we must expose foods that appear not to contain sugars but are indeed loaded with a lot of them in order to ensure that people choose to consume them sparingly.
The list below contains some of the foods:
1. TOMATO KETCHUP: It is quite common for people to indulge in consuming tomato ketchup while believing they had exclude sugar from their diets. Most of the common tomato ketchups during processing had been added some form sugars that can be said to be high enough when regularly consumed for those under a low sugar diet. Tomato paste is best when it is made completely at home.
There you can determine whatever ingredients you need to include that soothe your health.
2. YOGURT: Yogurt has generally been seen as a healthy dairy option as it contains healthy bacteria that help digestion. Yes it is. However, most commonly sold yogurt especially the fruity types are loaded with sugars to sweeten it. It will be advisable to opt for plain yoghurt which contains naturally occurring sugars.
Yoghurt contains all the benefits you will derive from milk, most of lactose has been converted to lactic acid by enzyme. This will enable people who are not tolerant to it benefit from the nutrients in ‘milk’.
3. ALCOHOL: If only those who consume many bottles of alcohol know the excessive amounts of sugars in it they will definitely reduce or quit consumption. This group of people are quick to condemn those consuming soft drinks without knowing that they might be caught up with the same problem of high blood sugar level. Many people have the impression that only things that are sweet contain sugar. If you are one of such people, think again.
The high amount of sugar present in alcoholic drinks is often overlooked. Asides triggering diabetes, damage to the liver and poor dental health has also been noticed amount consumers. Alcohol also damages the brain by by killing dendrites — making communication between brain cells slow and difficult.
The common alcoholic drinks we take include lager, beer, ale, stout, wine, etc. (see their differences here).
4. DRIED AND CANNED FRUITS: When people indulge in canned fruits they are battling with more than just the high amount of sugar found naturally in the fruit. You’re dealing with the production processes zapping the fruits of their essential nutrients that made the healthy. When this production steps are carried out, the natural sugars are reduced while eliminating most of the vital nutrients.
What such food manufacturing company does is to add sugar syrups of different kinds to make them sweet to taste but less friendly to your body in reality.
5. SALAD DRESSING: I sometimes include salad in the diets of my patients because it is healthy. However, I take caution in the salad dressing they have to use except I have seen the product to read the label. Many of these dressings are high in sugars with most consumers unaware. If you must consume them check their labels.
6. NO-FAT FOODS: This is one trick manufacturers use to attract buyer who are hoping to lose weight. Fat has been labelled as the bad guy in many nutrition articles. While I sometimes agree with this claim, there is no reason to remove the fat completely from foods. When this is done sugar is used to augment fat loss. Please, learn to check the labels.
Sugar in food either contributes to blood sugar level or adds more calories to your body, making you gain more weight. Whichever it is, it is still bad for our body when they start getting too much – nobody wants Diabetes or Obesity. You just need to watch it.
First, what is heartburn? We are going to explain that because some people experience the symptoms but don’t even know what they are experiencing are symptomatic of heartburn. It is a burning sensation that comes in your chest, just behind your breastbone. The pain is often aggravated when lying down or bending over. Does this sound familiar?
Often, people get heartburn occasionally and can get rid of it with some drugs as prescribed by the doctor but there are severe cases of heartburn which are symptoms of another more serious condition. When this is what you have you need to seek medical care.
What are the causes and symptoms of heartburn?
The simple cause of heartburn is a lower esophageal sphincter, also referred to as LES. When it does not tighten as it should, there is a problem. It only opens when food wants to enter the stomach or when we want to belch. When it is not tightly closed, food can come back into the mouth. Too much food in the stomach (overeating) or too much pressure on the stomach, often as a result of obesity, pregnancy, or constipation. See how to get rid of Constipation easily!
Photo: sharecare.com
Heartburn is simply acid reflux — It happens when stomach acid comes back up into your esophagus. If left untreated, this reflux can damage the esophagus over time. Pregnancy, some types of foods, alcohol, and some medications can also bring on heartburn. You just need to know what triggers your own heartburn — observation could be key.
However, if you are having heartburn for two or more than two times in a week, you need to see your doctor as soon as you can.
What are the remedies I can use at home?
Home remedies to get rid of heartburn very fast!
Depending on the cause and how frequent your occurrence of heartburn is, there are solutions you can make yourself at home to get rid of it fast.
Chewing gum can help you get rid of your heartburn: A small study from the Journal of Dental Research showed that people with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms experienced heartburn relief when they chewed a piece of sugar-free gum for 30 minutes after a meal. You can also give that a shot.
Baking Soda: Dr. Jacqueline Wolf, the author of A Woman’s Guide to a Healthy Stomach, recommends mixing between 1/2 and 1 teaspoon of baking soda with a glass of water. Baking soda is high in salt content so you should not make this your home remedy anytime you have heartburn. If you have heartburn often, the best thing is to see a doctor. So, now you know that baking soda does more than baking and whitening of teeth.
Other home remedies for heartburn include Aloe vera juice reduces any inflammation that is in the esophagus as well as the stomach; avoiding eating too much food too could help prevent this acid reflux.
If you have too much occurrence of these symptoms, you should consult a medical practitioner because some symptoms of a heart attack may mimic that of heartburn.
COMING SOON: Foods That Contribute Largely To Heartburn.
As the Muslim world starts fasting yesterday, this article idea came to my mind. Many people go on special forms of diet in order to reduce weight; these diet plans sometimes include some form of fasting. Let me give you the simple definition of fasting before we go on with the topic of discussion today.
Fasting is primarily an act of willing abstinence or reduction from certain or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. Many people fastas a religious observance.
So, staying without food for some well-planned period of time (fasting) helps reduce weight. This should not come to you as a surprise because we all have, at one time noticed loss of weight in people who have just completed fasting. We even joked with people that did not show significant weight loss by questioning them if they truly took part in the fasting.
Surprising Revelations On How Fasting Improves Our Health
If you want to lose abdominal fat, get smarter and live longer, then you might want to embrace intermittent fasting . New research led by USC’s Valter Longo shows that periodically adopting a diet that mimics the effects of fasting may yield a wide range of health benefits.
Now, here are some surprising health benefits of fasting. You may not know a lot of them;
1. Fasting makes you live longer
Sounds funny right? One would wonder — how could deprivation of foods and drinks help someone live longer? Well, it is hard to believe but the lesser you eat, the longer you live. Some studies have been able to prove that diet of some people in some cultures helped them live longer. Their diet plan simply involved eating less, embracing some intermittent fasting and this we can do too.
You would recall that we talked about the factors that cause early aging and foods that help slow it down. When we age, the rate of metabolism in our body reduces and digestive system slows down in its activities too. The lesser we eat, the lesser load we put on the weak digestive system. Embracing some fasting will help give some rest to the digestive system.
The 13th of June every year is the day set aside as the World Albinism Day in order to help fight the myth and wrong perceptions generally projected by those who do not have it against Albinos. Albinism is a congenital disorder (Birth disorder) which come to be due to lack of melanin in the skin, eyes and hair. Those with no melanin are called Albinos while those with little melanin are called albinoids. This is usually due to genetic interpretation in the body of parents of an albino. While this is the main cause of the condition, a lot of people give different assumptions. Some of them include; The parents of Albinos had intercourse in the hot afternoon, the child belongs to another father or the child is a representation of a certain god on earth. I cannot laugh enough.
Many Nigerians, even the older generation have regularly said to mothers of Albinos to avoid giving their Albino children salt or foods containing salt because it causes the proliferation of dark spots all over the skin of Albinos. Is this the reality or one of those myths that is used to stigmatize people living with albinism?
As I pondered about this, I began to search, and I realised that there seem not to exist any fact on this claim. It was then I went further to consult with a few Albinos and their parents. All of them have this to say; Salt has nothing to do with the dark spot on the faces of Albino, I have included salt in the diet of my child since she was born without caution on the acceptable level as she ate same food with her siblings yet she is evenly coloured without dark spots. The reason for the dark spot is exposure to sunlight which causes sun burn. They emphasised that they did well to protect their children and self from excessive exposure to sunlight in order to have a non dark spotted skin.
While the afforementioned remains the opinion of Albinos and parents, I have also taken a stand to agree with their claims. If you avoid to add salt to the food of your Albino child, do notforget a significant level of sodium is found in all our foods. The last reason that made me completely concur with this opinion was when I heard an Albino speak of his dark spotted skin on a radio show. He insisted that right from childhood her mum had avoided adding table salt yet he is dark spotted. He also said he had been exposed to sunlight when he was younger as he was always playing with other kids in the hot afternoon.
Let your Albino children maximise food options like other kids. Chocolates, biscuits, crackers, sharwama and other snacks contain a reasonable amount of salt and children regardless of their skin type, race and age would always love to have a bite. As your child grows up, you do not want them to develop a condition of hypotension due to low level of sodium which can be very dangerous. I am not saying you should include salt without caution into their diets. Moderation does it.
Although, no scientific fact has explained if salt contributes to this or not but clearly from consultations it shows that it might just be a myth.
If you are an Albino or you know anyone who is an Albino or you are a parent of an Albino, please we would like you to share your opinions to help educate others.
No doubts, I have soft feeling for pregnant women. I sighted one recently and felt pregnant women should be given utmost care in order to help them bring forth healthy babies. The need to do this is because during the developmental stage of pregnancy, the foetus are quite fragile and any unhealthy action by their mothers can lead to serious medical conditions for both mother and child. Certainly, one of the major things that can promote the health of mother and child during pregnancy is good food.
As an expectant mother, you should understand that it is no longer the usual that must go into your stomach as the growth of your unborn child is determine by whatever you put into your system. In recent times, many pregnant women have faced birth related issues due to poor choice of diet.during pregnancy. To avoid this, you must decide to quit certain unhealthy foods for pregnant women. Find below a list of the top four foods to avoid.
Top Foods Pregnant Women Must Avoid
Navigate through this article by clicking on page 2 below and so on. There you will see foods to avoid during pregnancy and why they should be avoided.
Many people have been on the fat side because they eat late at night and not too long from that time they go to bed. This is quite unhealthy. However, many other people cannot afford not to snack at night because they are nocturnal and active in the late hours of the day and so, finds a need to refuel their systems.
While as a nutritionist I do not recommend late night eating except the individual is on a mission of weight gain, it is important to educate people on the best food options to consume if at all they need to eat late at night. When you have decided to eat late night, you must take caution on your calorie intake during the day so that your daily food intake would not supercede your recommended requirement. Now, lets go ahead to see the foods you can snack with late night.
1. Banana: This is one fruit that is excellent. It contains numerous vitamins and minerals that will nourish your body. So, when you are tempted to snack on popcorn and other artificially sweetened products, you could just get 1 or 2 finger of banana. The banana contains natural sugars which will cater for your craving for sweet snack while supplying much lower calorie to your body compared to processed snacks like cookies and pop corn. Remember, it is also contains good amount of fiber which enhances proper digestion.
However, it is advisable to limit your consumption to maximum of three fingers if you must consume at night.
Earlier, I talked about the types of food that can cause constipation when coupled with some other unhealthy behaviors. If you have not read that post, it is still available via the link provided above. While writing that post, I anticipated that many would want to know how to quickly get through the episode of constipation in case they ever find themselves in one, so I added a text at the end of the article telling you I would write about it soon. Here it comes.
When we have constipation, there are foods that we can eat to help relieve the indigestion and there are foods we should totally avoid during that period. We are talking about the food to include in your diet to help you through constipation. Also, if you add these foods to your diet, you won’t even be worrying about reading this ever again because constipation would stay away from you.
Common Foods That Will Help You Relieve Constipation
If you are going through and episode of constipation, you would want to just leave it as an episode; you wouldn’t want it to become a series — episode after episode. When you have constipation, the best thing you can do is to drink water, exercise well and eat the listed foods as much as recommended. What you would basically be doing when you add these foods to your diet is increasing your fiber intake. The average adult needs between 25 and 38 grams of fiber a day to avoid constipation – this value is far less than most of us typically eat everyday.
1. Vegetables helps you with constipation
This is definitely top on my list. Vegetables are known to be very rich in fiber and that is why we have continued to talk about it more and more in articles here. We know the importance of vegetables (both cooked and eaten raw); this is why we have written an article to guide you on how to maximize the nutrients in them and another to guide you on how to cook vegetables such as spinach such that they do not lose all their nutritional values.
If you have constipation and are going to add fiber to your diet, you may want to do it gradually so that you don’t develop abdominal bloating and cramping. You don’t want to suddenly go from eating 10 grams of fiber to 25 in a day, increase the intake little by little.
Examples include Brussels sprouts, carrots, spinach and asparagus.
Click on 2, 3, 4 below to go to page 2, 3 and 4 of this article respectively…
This could sound unbelievable but I have never had constipation more than once in my life. At least since I could tell my left hand from the right — it could have had it before then. Even though I have had it only once in my life, I know the pain that comes with constipation and some that may linger on for the rest of your life. For me, when I see or smell all the food I ate the day I had constipation, I feel like throwing up. That nauseating feeling just comes.
This is one of the reasons I don’t eat cracker biscuits and ojojo (fried balls made from grated yam) till today. Whenever I see them, the memory of that day just comes to my mind. I saw it yesterday and I though about writing this article.
Photo: damianmotlo.com
What Causes Constipation?
The common causes of constipation include a low fiber diet, not drinking enough water, or a lack of exercise. According to a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and dietitian at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, Kristi King, RD, “Constipation is not usually caused by one or more foods on [its] own.” “It’s usually a combination of things.”
We have mentioned those other factors that could contribute to constipation, so, the rest of this post will only talk about food that contribute to constipation. Let’s go.
So What Foods Cause Constipation?
Basically, foods that are low in fibre content can contribute to the development of constipation. Fibre helps us digest our foods easily — one of the reasons vegetables are always emphasized in our diet. They are very rich in fibre.
When you indulge in unhealthy activities like not drinking enough water and not exercising too much, you cannot couple them with eating too much of these kind of foods (low fibre). Dairy products like cheese and milk can help develop constipation because of the high-fat and low-fibre content of many of these products.
Any cereal that is less than 1 g of fibre per serving, e.g. some cornflakes, puffed wheat, Rice Krispies could have really low fibre content. Making milk and accomplice could even make the matter worse. Other foods include white rice, plain white pasta, noodles and macaroni.
Please be informed again that these foods don’t cause constipation on their own — the other factors mentioned above coupled with these foods usually cause constipation. If you are not exercising well enough and still eat high fibre foods such as fruits and vegetables (such as spinach cooked the right way), constipation should not come near you.
NEXT: Foods That Can Help You Relieve Constipation Fast
You have heard about cardiovascular heart diseases and how fat people could be in danger of it and you just think, “I am not fat, so I have nothing to worry about”. Well, you may be right and you may be wrong. Thin people could be in danger of these diseases too — in fact, they could be in more danger of fat than people who are visibly fat. Yeah, mark the word “VISIBLY”.
I have explained in one of the posts published on this site that when we consume too much foods that are high in fat and carbohydrates, our body store the excess as fat. That is why we are always advised to minimize our consumption of foods that will make you fat (high calorie foods).
So, I Am Not Fat, How Could I Be In Danger of Fat-related Diseases?
I will try to explain this in simple and clear terms. Fats are being stored in different ways in our body and I mentioned this when I talked about some of the foods that cause fat belly and the common foods that can help fight fat belly. People with fat belly basically store most of their fats in tissues of their tummy. This is a fact that we are all familiar with.
The way our body store fat and the hence the type of fat we have in our bodies can be classified into two – cutaneous and visceral. The former, which involves storing fat under skin tissues is better in my opinion. This way, you can tell that you are getting too much fat and fight it head on.
The latter involves storing fat around organs including the vital ones like kidney, liver, heart, etc. This is what makes it dangerous because from outside, you are looking all slim and without much fat but the organs are suffering inside. You would agree with me now that cutaneous (skin) fat is better than visceral fat.
You should endeavour to always check your weight from time to time. With this you can always calculate your Body Mass Index to determine if you are underweight, overweight or even obese. You can use our free online BMI calculator to do that now (link opens in new tab).
If you find out that you are overweight, obese or very close to overweight, you should start watching what you eat and also start exercising. You could also consult a medical doctor or a nutritionist to advise you on further steps to take.
I hope this post brings it to the awareness of everyone that anyone could be in danger of diseases that are caused by fats and their compositions. I am going to write about the types of fats that are dangerous to us and the foods they can be found in. I will also take time to write about the diseases that are caused by these fats and their symptoms.
