No one wants to talk about it but sometimes you just can’t go.
Constipation is an issue that a lot of people deal with daily, especially when eating gluten free.
Managing constipation by adding fiber into your gluten-free diet can be a helpful way to ease the discomfort of constipation.
Fiber is a nutrient in food that helps keep your stomach and intestines healthy. Fiber has many important roles in the body and comes from plant foods like wheat, bran, vegetables and fruits. Fiber moves food through your stomach and intestines and helps to easily pass waste.
Here are four gut friendly solutions that I use to eliminate constipation.
Drink more water to help reduce dehydration in the colon. Water is your friend!
Magnesium is vital in maintaining healthy muscle function -- including the intestinal muscle contractions that help you produce bowel movements. Most people are deficient in magnesium, which can lead to constipation. You can boost your magnesium intake by eating nuts, seeds, dark green vegetables, legumes, beets, peas, and bananas. Magnesium powder that you mix in water, like Natural Calm is also great to take before bedtime to help relax you. I also love these gummies!
Eating more greens is an easy way to stay regular. Mix up a big salad of leafy greens each day, add greens to a smoothie, or blend into a pesto sauce (check out the recipe below). Did you know that leafy greens are high in magnesium? A lot of people dismiss these powerhouse foods!
Resistant starch is a form of indigestible starch that feeds the microbes in your colon, benefiting friendly gut bacteria and promoting regular bowel movements. However, adding starch can be tricky for people with gut issues. You don’t want to cause more bloating and issues. Try adding foods from this list that you know you can tolerate - bananas, plantains, legumes, rice, rolled oats, millet, potatoes, and yams. If you need to add a boost check out Heather’s Tummy Fiber and Larch powder. Larch powder is one of my favorites because it is flavorless, mixes effortlessly and has other prebiotic benefits.
