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Is your low-carb diet causing constipation?

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Are you on a high-fat or high-protein diet that’s also low in carbs? Constipation is often a nasty side effect. Here’s how to ensure your trip to the bathroom is a comfortable one.

If you’re following a low-carb diet, you may have to deal with constipation – either chronically or occasionally.

Why do these diets cause constipation?
Well, there are two likely reasons:

- You're not getting enough dietary fibre. Most complex carbohydrate-rich foods such as whole grains, and fruits and veggies like sweet potato, are avoided in high-fat or high-protein diets. Fibre aids digestion, and without it you could be setting yourself up for a hard time.

- Protein is processed and broken down by the liver and kidneys, and both these organs use water in the process. The more water your body uses, the quicker it becomes dehydrated. Why is this bad? Well, simply put, dehydration causes your stools to harden, which inadvertently leads to constipation.

Tips that will help loosen things up
You're probably worried that you might have to change your diet again – but don't worry, that's not necessary. Here are a couple of sure-fire tips that will prevent constipation:

• Eat more fibre. Whole grains aren't the only source of fibre. You can get lots of it from (unsalted) seeds and nuts as well as from (preferably raw) fruit and vegetables.

On some diets, however, fruit is limited. If this is the case, be sure to up your intake of green leafy veggies. Luckily, nuts are included on the menu.

The American Dietetic Association recommends at least 30g of fibre a day if you suffer from constipation.

• Drink lots of water. Water cleanses and detoxes your body, so it washes out all the toxins, including your stools. (As we said, water prevents your stools from hardening.)

You need between six and eight glasses of water a day.

• Exercise. This helps your gut to work more effectively, digesting everything much more quickly. Exercising also increases your nitric-oxide levels, which helps your colon to empty.

The best exercise, experts have found, is walking.

• Cut down on caffeine and alcohol. Both these substances dehydrate your body, and, once more, hydration is super important to avoid constipation.

• Don't overeat. Too much protein (and food in general) in the body means your liver and kidneys have to use lots of water, which will dehydrate you. Also, being overfull means that you're less likely to want to drink water.

• Tuck in to natural laxative foods. The following foods, spices and herbs are reputed to be natural laxatives: prunes, aloe vera, sour figs, cayenne pepper, turmeric, ginger, garlic, citrus fruits, omega-3 fatty acids, beans, avocados.

Also, tuck in to foods that are rich in natural probiotics, such as yoghurt, kefir (a fermented milk drink similar to yoghurt) and sauerkraut.

• Fibre supplements. If the above tips sound like too much effort, a supplement is the last resort. Psyllium husks are a good bet – get sachets at your pharmacy. However, remember to drink lots of water with it – this is soluble fibre that absorbs water like a sponge.

If the above-mentioned tips don't work, high-protein/high-fat diets may not be for you. But just to make sure, consult your doctor first – these types of diets have their fair share of risks, and not all bodies are strong enough to handle it.

REMEMBER: Constipation may lead to irritable bowel syndrome or, even worse, bowel cancer. So, don't take this condition lightly if you don't have a bowel movement for 2 - 3 days.

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