5 Tips to Help Prevent Constipation

Most people experience constipation at least once during their lifetime and many times more.  Though embarrassing for some folks to discuss; you can take a few steps using the following tips to help prevent it.

1. Eat whole grains each day such as barley (home-made barley soup is great), whole wheat breads and rolls (with whole wheat flour appearing first in the list of ingredients), whole wheat breakfast cereals such as wheat biscuits/shredded wheat each day for breakfast. Whole wheat pastas and brown rice work well for dinner, coupled with a lean protein and a vegetable.
2. Eat fresh vegetables every day such as broccoli (steamed or raw), baby or regular size carrot sticks (raw) and fresh romaine based salads with various raw veggies such as cucumbers and radishes.
3. Eat fresh fruits every day such as apples with the skin, pears, grapes, cherries, blueberries, peaches and nectarines (depending on the season).
4. Stay hydrated with plenty of water each day. Consider high water content fruits such as watermelon and other melons as part of your daily fruit intake (above). Fresh fruits and vegetables contain water; some have a higher content than others.
5. Stay active. Leading an active lifestyle can help prevent constipation by helping to keep the bowels moving.  A sedentary lifestyle can exacerbate constipation. Keep moving to allow your body to function at its optimum level.

Purchase organic produce whenever possible to reduce your exposure to pesticides. All produce must be washed well before consumption. Be creative and change it up; try a variety of whole wheat foods and fresh produce to make your diet interesting and tasty.

Healthier Holiday Desserts

Slice up some fresh apples and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Bake to the desired texture/softness.  This is great dessert that provides fiber and other nutrients and does not need any added sugar.  The natural sugar from the apples gives it plenty of sweetness. This is also great as a side dish to pair up with lean pork loin.(Start with 20 minutes at 350 degrees, you can add more time if needed, depending on your taste and oven).

Cut the sugar by half in your favorite pie recipes. This can be done with many recipes without noticing any change in the taste or texture.  By doing this you’ll reduce the number of calories and lower the glycemic index of each serving.

Go for fresh homemade fruit and vegetable pies such as blueberry, apple, peach, pumpkin and sweet potato.  These contain vitamins and nutrients and, if you cut down on the sugar in the recipes (as above), it will help even more.

Cookies: Homemade oatmeal cookies are delicious. Make them from the “5 minute” type of oatmeal to reap more fiber benefits.

Cut the white flour by 25 – 50 % and replace with whole wheat flour in some of your cookie recipes to add more fiber while maintaining their great taste.

Use Canola oil or light olive oil, (which are healthier fats) in many of your favorite dessert recipes, instead of shortening or stick margarine, which contain trans fatty acids which are unhealthy for your heart, brain and vascular system. Canola oil won’t change the taste, however, depending on the recipe, you may need to experiment regarding the consistency of the final product when using these oils.

If you like quick-breads and cakes:  Opt for pumpkin, carrot,  zucchini and apple recipes, which provide some vitamins, nutrients and fiber, and are all healthier alternatives to a plain old butter and white flour pound cake.  Cut the sugar and tweak the white flour totals with some whole wheat flour and it will help even more.