Foods that tend to cause constipation:

• Meat, particularly beef and pork, because these types of food slow down the digestive process
• Potatoes, because they contain too much starch
• Cheese commonly causes constipation for many individuals
• Fast Foods, there is very little nutritional value to foods purchased in a fast food restaurant and they make it difficult for your body to digest
• Breads
• Pasta
• Corn
• Pizza, which contains a lot of cheese
• Milk, contains too much mucous, which solidifies within the body
• Products full of sugar, such as pies, cakes and cookies, as these types of foods bog down the system, creating low energy and often times, weight problems

Constipation can make it difficult for you to have a bowel movement.  Stools may be extremely hard or large and difficult to pass.  Some people will continue to feel the need to have a bowel movement even after they have just finished having one.

Some people have between one and three bowel movements a day, but this is not the case for everyone.  Other people only have a bowel movement three times a week.  Constipation can usually be classified as an individual who has three or less bowel movements a week.

Avoid processed foods as much as possible.  These types of food do not digest as easily.  Digestion is a huge part of having regular bowel movements.

Adult Couple Playfully Sharing Fresh Fruit at Home

You can treat constipation by increasing your fiber intake.  It’s true that you can get fiber from supplements and with fiber powders mixed in your drink and food, but the best kind of fiber is the fiber you get from the food you naturally eat.  Whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables are the best methods of getting natural fiber.

Fiber-rich foods include:

• unprocessed wheat bran
• unrefined breakfast cereals
• whole grain and rye flours
• grainy breads, like whole wheat breads, rye or pumpernickel
• fresh fruits, with the exception of bananas
• dried fruits, like prunes, apricots and figs
• vegetables, with the exception of potatoes, which are full of starch
• legumes, like chick peas, baked beans, lima beans and soy beans

Long-term use of laxatives can also be a problem for some individuals. Individuals who use laxatives too often, sometimes become dependent on them and their bodies do not function without the use of laxatives.  Long-term problems that laxative use can cause include:

• they can cause the intestines to become lazy, so to speak, causing you to become even more constipated
• they can cause issues with your body’s ability to use drugs
• they can cause food to move through your system too fast, so that the nutrients are not absorbed into your body
• they can cause you to lose too much water in your stool