Causes Of Constipation In Babies
- formula is too strong if your baby is bottle-fed, make sure the formula is made up correctly, so that there is not too much formula powder for the amount of water
- using a different formula changes to the milk formula
- not enough drinks in warm weather, bottle-fed infants require extra fluid such as cooled, boiled water between formula feeds. Breastfed infants may require more frequent feeds
- solids that are not right for the baby use the correct solid foods for the age of your baby. Be aware that excessive use of legumes and high fibre cereals are not appropriate for young infants
Does Too Much Fiber Cause Loose Stools
Youve probably heard it time and time again: Eat more fiber! And while thats great advice, given all the health benefits of incorporating fiber into your diet, it doesnt tell the whole story. Theres no doubt that fiber is essential. It keeps your digestive system regular, decreases cholesterol levels and helps balance blood sugar, but if youre new to following a high fiber diet, loose stools can be an unwelcome side effect.
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That doesnt mean that you should avoid fiber. It just means you may have to take it easy and work it into your diet a little more slowly and strategically.
Tip
Eating too much fiber, or increasing your fiber intake too quickly, can cause loose stools and other uncomfortable symptoms like gas, bloating and abdominal cramps. If you develop loose stools from too much fiber, decrease your intake to recommended daily amounts.
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Negative Effects Of Sugar On The Body
Per Harvard Health Publishing, when we eat sugar, most of it gets broken down and absorbed in the small intestine. Specialized enzymes attack larger molecules and convert them into three simpler sugars: glucose, galactose, and fructose. The liver and muscles store some of the glucose as glycogen, a molecule that can be turned back into glucose when your body needs it.
When glucose enters the bloodstream, however, levels of blood glucose rise. In response, the pancreas secretes insulin to help glucose get where it needs to go in your body. If youre consuming large amounts of added sugar, the cells can become resistant to insulin over time a risk factor for systemic inflammation, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic conditions.
According to a study published in November 2016 in the journal Nutrients, consuming too much added sugar has also been linked to weight gain and obesity, risk factors for heart disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and cancer.
Excessive intakes of added sugars impact our energy, mood, weight, and disease risk, Cording says. Across the board it can impact our physical and mental well-being.
In order for us to function as smoothly and as normally as possible, we need our blood sugar to be operating in the Goldilocks zone of energy, says William W. Li, MD, a physician in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and author of Eat to Beat Disease.
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Can Artificial Sweeteners Cause Diarrhea
The sad fact is that artificial sweeteners are a common addition to many drinks and foods in the modern world, and most of us consume these toxic additives daily without even being aware of it. Disturbingly, some of these can even be found in our drinking water, according to researchers.
What we do know is that these artificial sweeteners can cause diarrhea, due to the fact that they come from a family of compounds called sugar alcohol. According to WebMD, since your body cannot break them down and absorb them properly, they pull excess water into your intestine and cause a runny tummy.
The best thing you can do is to remain vigilant and always check the ingredients on the back of the foods you purchase and avoid those that contain high levels of artificial sweeteners. Youre better off sticking to natural sugar in moderation when it comes to your overall health and wellbeing!
What Is Fiber Again
Dietary fiber is a type of carbohydrate thats found in plant foods like whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. After you eat it, it mostly passes straight through your digestive system, according to the Food and Drug Administration .
Fiber can be broken into two camps: Soluble, which dissolves in water to make a gel-like substance, and insoluble, which doesnt break down and passes through your digestive tract relatively intact.
Dietary fiber is important in our diets because not only does it help regulate our bowel habits and improve our overall gut health, but it also has other systemic benefits such as improving blood sugar control, contributing to heart health by improving cholesterol and blood pressure, and helping with weight loss and management, says Tara Menon, MD, a gastroenterologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Aim for 25 grams of fiber a day!
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Treating Constipation In Babies
- If your baby is bottle-fed, check the formula tin to make sure the formula is being made correctly. Always measure the water first and then add formula powder.
- Offer extra drinks of water.
- Gentle tummy massage can help.
- A warm bath may help the babys muscles to relax .
- Give only medication prescribed by your doctor.
Signs Of Constipation In Children
- saying that it hurts when doing a poo
- showing signs of holding on such as crossing legs, running around, crying or refusing to sit on the toilet
- complaining of tummy pain
- Encourage your child to exercise more.
- Establish a regular toilet routine. Bowel training requires motivation and encouragement. Use a star chart system of rewards to help your child to go and sit on the toilet. This will help your child get used to doing a bowel movement at a similar time each day.
- Discuss the school toilets with the teachers if this is a problem.
- Limit the use of laxatives. They should not be used more than once or twice. They dont solve the underlying problem and may change the way your childs bowels work.
- Use laxatives that increase bulk and fibre in the gut, if you do use them.
- Try to solve the problem quickly the longer your child remains constipated, the worse it may become and the longer it may take to treat.
- See a doctor if constipation is a long-term problem.
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Ignoring The Urge To Go
Holding in your poop occasionally isn’t a big deal, but routinely delaying your bathroom trips can backfire and back you up.
“Ignoring the urge to defecate can contribute to the development of constipation,” Dr. Kumta says. And if you put off pooping frequently, there might be a larger underlying issue at play.
“Developing a daily regimen is also helpful,” Dr. Kumta says. For example, take a fiber supplement every night. In the morning, engage in mild physical activity, drink a hot, preferably caffeinated beverage and eat a high-fiber cereal within 45 minutes of waking.
“This routine augments early morning, high-amplitude peristaltic contractions ,” and will get things flowing in the bathroom, Dr. Kumta says.
What Causes Diabetes Constipation
Damage to the nervous system is a known long-term complication of diabetes. High blood sugar levels from type 1 and type 2 diabetes can lead to diabetic neuropathy, or nerve damage. Damage to the nerves controlling the digestive tract can lead to constipation, diarrhea, and incontinence.
Poor blood sugar control over a long period of time may increase the likelihood and frequency of constipation.
In addition to lifestyle choices and neuropathy, people with diabetes sometimes take medications that can slow gut mobility and cause constipation. Talk with your doctor about the side effects of any medications you take.
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Not Eating Enough Fiber
What I Used To Think: Ugh, don’t talk to me about fiber intake you’re making me feel old. Stop bringing me face-to-face with the grim specter of my own mortality.
The Actual Facts: We may think of fiber as some older person issue that you’ll deal with on the day your grandchildren graduate from space-college but in reality, we all need fiber, even when we seem way too young/beautiful/popular on Instagram to think about this sort of thing.
So how much fiber should you actually be eating? According to a lot of dietary guidelines, most women should eat 25mg of fiber a day, which, if you’re like most people, means literally nothing, and is about as effective as saying you should eat ” jsdfhjhj5purplehat milligrams of fiber” a day.
So what does 25mg of fiber actually look like, in practical terms? It’s five servings of fruits and vegetables, or one to two servings of whole grains or beans. But when you’re getting a lot of fiber, you also have to make sure you’re consuming a ton of water if not, the fiber will simply expand in your body, absorb liquids and … yup, constipate you.
Can all of this keep you from ever living through a constipation nightmare like the one chronicled above? I can’t guarantee it, but I hope so. It would bring me great joy to know that you learned from this and saved yourself, and that my suffering was not in vain .
Images: MaloMalverde/Flickr Giphy
How To Improve Constipation
While constipation can be hard to deal with, there are steps you can take to improve or completely resolve it.
Before we get into these tips, itâs important to note that if your constipation is a result of an underlying medication condition, youâll want to work with your doctor and nutritionist to create a plan of action for your specific health needs.
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Deep Rapid Breathing Often Seen In Terminal Diabetes Mellitus Is Known As What
wants Maintaining What Is Normal Blood Sugar Level healthy blood sugar levels is essential to your overall well being, so bear in mind to verify your blood sugar frequently.
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Natural Remedies For Constipation
When it comes to constipation, fiber is your friend. Aim for 25-30 grams of fiber daily by eating fiber-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and whole grains.
Another way to keep your gut happy is to give it a boost of healthy bacteria. Consume probiotic foods such as kefir, yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha and homemade shrubs.
Also, make sure to eat a variety of magnesium-rich foods throughout the day, every day. This includes dark-green vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds. As Lara mentioned, calcium and magnesium work together.
If you really want to get things moving, add some kiwi to your diet. Its been reported that it eases constipation9 as well as prunes and psyllium powder. Plus, its better tolerated.
Of course, you know its not enough to simply eat healthy foods you have to avoid eating unhealthy ones too. So reduce or cut fried foods along with foods that have added sugar and refined carbohydrates.
The same goes for unhealthy fats. Swap them out for naturally-occurring healthy fats that have a soothing, inflammation-reducing effect. These can be found in plant-based oils, seeds, nuts and fatty fish.Remember to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water every day. Avoid sugary drinks and/or those with toxic food additives. Limit caffeine consumption to 2 to 3 cups of caffeinated beverages a day. Additionally, exercise regularly and get plenty of sleep.
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How Does Diabetes Affect Your Digestion & Bowel Movements
While diabetes is known for raising the risk of strokes and heart attacks, many people dont know that it affects your digestive system too. Over time, high blood sugar can damage the blood vessels in your digestive system. If your digestive system speeds up or slows down, this can result in either diarrhea or constipation.
According to WebMD, around 60% to 70% of people who suffer from any type of diabetes suffer from some form of nerve damage as a result of this, and this can develop at any stage. When diabetes damages the nerves in your stomach and intestines, the food cannot move through normally and this results in constipation.
Fluid that remains in your intestines for too long can also begin to ferment and bacteria will begin to grow. This can result in bloating, pain, and diarrhea.
While all of this sounds pretty bleak, the best thing you can do is discuss your symptoms with a healthcare professional for the best way forward. You may be able to manage your diarrhea and constipation on your own simply by consuming smaller meals more regularly, eating foods rich in fiber, or taking prescribed medication from your doctor.
Lastly, and most importantly, you need to always monitor your blood sugar levels and make every effort to ensure they are stable, as this will lessen uncomfortable symptoms and prevent the nerve damage from worsening.
Where Is Sugar Hiding In Your Everyday Foods
We arent here to make you feel guilty for eating too much sugar every once in a while, nor are we here to make you feel guilty if you regularly eat too much sugar.
What we are here to do is to provide you with the tools you need to avoid the consumption of too much sugar, if that is your goal. The best ways to do that is to cut down on added sugars, and the best way to do that is to familiarize yourself with the many types of sugar and familiarize yourself with common foods that are high in added sugar.
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When Will Constipation Clear Up
If your constipation is directly due to chocolate, it should clear up as soon as you remove cocoa-containing foods from your diet. However, if you stop eating chocolate and your constipation continues, something else may be triggering the condition. You may need to eliminate other foods to find the source, or see your doctor for advice.
Vitamin Overdose Or Insufficiency
If your level of constipation is steadily rising, certain vitamin imbalances may be to blame.
For instance, vitamin B12 deficiency may be the culprit. Alongside weakness, fatigue, loss of appetite and weight loss, a lack of vitamin B12 may cause constipation, according to the National Institutes of Health .
Adults should aim to get about 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B12 each day, per the NIH. Seafood like clams, trout, salmon and tuna are high in B12 and provide more than 100 percent of your daily recommended value per 3-ounce serving.
If you don’t eat meat, though, consider a B12 supplement or adding fortified nutritional yeast to some of your meals.
In other cases, constipation may indicate an excess of certain vitamins.
For instance, taking too much vitamin D can be harmful. Taking more than 4,000 IU a day of vitamin D can cause constipation, as well as nausea, vomiting or poor appetite, according to the Mayo Clinic.
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How Much Chocolate Can You Eat Without Getting Constipated
Whether you should eat chocolate and how frequently you should eat it depends on how it affects you. If chocolate doesnt seem to cause constipation, theres no reason to stop eating it. You should eat chocolate in moderation because its high in fat and calories, though.
If chocolate seems to make you constipated, try eliminating it from your diet and see if that helps. Once you feel better, you can slowly reintroduce chocolate a little at a time and see if you develop constipation again.
Consuming Too Much Caffeine
What I Used To Think: Yeah, coffee can dehydrate you, but you’d have to drink, what, nine cups for it to matter? Plus, coffee makes you poop, everyone knows that.
The Actual Facts: Yeah, since coffee is a stimulant, it can make you poop in the immediate future. But the caffeine that makes it a stimulant can also dehydrate you, and if you don’t consume enough other liquids, all that coffee can eventually lead you down the road to weeping on the toilet while screaming at your boyfriend to go away. Some experts recommend that you drink an additional cup of water for every cup of coffee that you consume during the day, as dehydration is one of the leading causes of constipation.
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How Much Fiber Should I Be Eating To Feel Regular
Youve surely heard all about fiber and its many virtues. For starters, we know that eating lots of fiber-filled foods is associated with a regular pooping schedule, but its also associated with improved heart health, feeling full and satisfied after meals, and keeping your blood sugar stable. But how much should you actually be eatingespecially if your main goal is to go to the bathroom regularly? Heres the deal on how much fiber you actually need to be eating.
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