TOMORROW is Christmas and the frantic pace of shopping, festivities and overeating has begun. If you suffer from chronic constipation, we are sure you are already thinking about what is coming: a difficult period to regulate your intestinal transit, and you’re wondering how to combat constipation at Christmas time.
So, to help you enjoy this festivity as it deserves, here are some useful tips to keep under control the chronic constipation during these dates. We also take advantage to propose you some suggestions for your diet during holidays.
Start with green. You should try to include in the meals a choice of salad or fresh vegetable. This recipe it is not only delicious but it is also a great ally for you!
End your meal with fruit. There are many delicious desserts that incorporate whole fruit, for example the fruit skewers with melted chocolate.
A long but conscious ‘after-lunch’. You have probably moderated the food intake during the meal, nevertheless the problem comes out after the desert, during the long ‘after-lunch’ when you start to drop what it is left on the table: sweets, candies, X-mas cake, if you need to eat something else after the meal, choose some cheese, grapes or nuts without annoying your intestinal health.
Drink more of water than alcohol. When you suffer from chronic constipation you need a lot of liquid, do you remember the 3F rule? But this liquid cannot be an alcoholic beverage (beer, wine, champagne or “depurative” liquors). Remember that alcohol dehydrates, what aggravates chronic constipation. Clink glasses with alcohol but try to stay true to the water as much as possible!
Intestinal bacterias, your biggest allies. A small ecosystem of intestinal bacteria that can help us when suffering chronic constipation, the intestinal microbiota, lives in our body. Therefore, we would advise to take daily probiotic supplements during this period. You can find them in pharmacies. The most indicated probiotics are those that contains Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium bacteria in their formulation.
Christmas doesn’t last a month, try to recover quickly your daily routine. We all make an extra during parties and family gathering but try to do it just during the key days. During the rest of the holidays keep following your healthy food routine rich in plant foods along with physical exercise. It is also important not to do naps after meals, even though it is difficult! Go for a walk to help your bowel movement.
And if you want to give the greatest of care to your intestinal health we give you an extra couple of advices to combat constipation at Christmas: a table of specific abdominal exercises and a daily abdominal massage will be your best allies.
With these tricks your chronic constipation will stay at bay and you will enjoy the fantastic Christmas meals without worrying too much about your intestinal health, so we can only wish you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous year 2019, with many plant-based foods and physical exercise!
