What are the dietary recommendations for constipation? - Constipation

Eat high-fibre foods such as raisins, raw vegetables, salads, bran cereals, whole-grain bread and fresh fruit.

Eat prunes or figs.

Eat oatmeal, apple, legumes (dried beans) and barley, to soften the stool.

Flax meal is excellent. You can buy the seeds and grind them yourself. Flax meal is a good source of natural fibre and health-promoting Omega-3 fatty acids. It can be stirred into or sprinkled on foods.

Drink plenty of liquids—at least eight glasses a day. Water and herbal tea are best. Juices are not recommended, nor are caffeinated drinks, as your body can become dependent on these in the long run.

Drink several cups of warm-to-hot liquid in the morning. Herbal teas or water work well.

Use brown rice instead of white rice

Consume whole grain breads

Snack on dried fruits, nuts and dates.

Cook with whole grain wheat, bajra, jowar flour.

Eat high-fibre cereal with fresh fruit for breakfast

Select whole fruits rather than juice

Eat the skin of well washed fruits and vegetables

Have a salad with dinner

Add beans to salads

Foods that make constipation worse are alcohol, canned fruit, bananas, pears, guava, white rice, white bread, and sabudanna. Using certain laxatives also causes constipation. With continued use, your body becomes accustomed to the effects of the laxative, and if you stop taking it, the colon slows down and its contractions become very weak. This is called laxative dependency constipation, and it can be severe.