TCM Foods to Eat to Relieve Constipation

The purpose of defecation is to help get rid of toxins inside our bodies. If the waste stays in our intestines for too long, these toxins will be absorbed by the body, causing undesired health conditions.

Thus, it is very important to maintain a regular bowel movement habit. If you are currently bothered by constipation, perhaps this article will help you relieve the condition.

Avoid This Mistake!

A lot of people thought that in order to treat constipation, they just need to eat lots of fiber (from vegetables or fruits). This is only partially right.

What Is Required For Good Bowel Movement?

Besides eating fiber-rich foods, you also need to consume foods with water or oil-based foods in order to help in bowel movements.

Consuming water is the most direct way but note that the water you consume will not go directly to the large intestine.

A good way to make sure your large intestine is well-lubricated for bowel movement is to consume oil-based foods regularly.

Some examples of oil-based foods are nuts, seeds, coconut oil etc. A good way is to eat your daily breakfast with bread and nut/seed spread. Take note that only purchase those spreads with original content (like 100% black sesame seeds etc) and not those that have many other ingredients.

Black sesame seeds are a very good source of oil-based products to help relieve constipation.

Foods That Will Help In Relieving Constipation

The following foods can help to relieve constipation effectively. Do your best to include them in your diet. For sweet potatoes, do not eat them too frequently as they may cause stomach bloating.

  1. Aloe Vera – Aloe vera is a good food to relieve constipation. You can read this blog post on how to prepare a dessert to relieve constipation using aloe vera and papaya.
  2. Sweet Potatoes – Sweet potatoes promote fluid flow in the body and hence, can relieve constipation to some degree. Read here for more details.
  3. Radish – Raw radish has very good effects on bowel movement. Just make sure you do not overly consume raw radish as it can be too cooling, especially for elderly people. Read here for more details on radish.
  4. Green Vegetables – Most green vegetables are a good source of fiber, do make sure you also drink enough water or consume oil-based foods such as nuts or seeds to make the fiber work well in your intestines.
  5. Mixed Grains – A lot of times, just eating more greens may still not be able to satisfy the fiber amount. A good way to ensure you have enough fiber intake is to replace white rice with brown rice + mixed grains. There are a lot of mixed grains products in the market nowadays that you can add a bit to your brown rice and you will not need to worry about the fiber intake anymore.

Hope you find this post useful!

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