Constipation is a common problem and I know you want to know the foods that cause constipation, but before we get them, if you are bound up right now try this.

Often Doctors will recommend high fiber supplements, as a long term fix for chronic constipation sufferers. In general, if the supplement is in powder form and involves adding water, it will be gentle on your digestive tract and safe for long term use. But for a quick fix Digest It works well.

These are the foods that cause constipation

• Heated and cooked protein rich foods such as animal meat, fish, beans (inc’ Soy), grains and some vegetables.
• All dairy products, including yogurt.
• Prepared grain products such as bread, pastries, pasta and cakes
• Health supplements such as iron tablets and calcium tablets
• Salt, either added or inherited in prepared food (As preservative).

A caveat to this is that if consumed in moderation these foods should not automatically bind you up. The message is moderation; your body will function as it was meant if you don’t overload it with just one type of food. You are what you eat and raw fish isn’t a bad thing.

So what can you substitute for foods that cause constipation?

The research by reputable medical bodies such as the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins points to an outcome that will surprise many. We should not avoid these foods altogether, but follow the “all things in moderation” credos and eat less of most foods and regulate our alcohol intake. If you want to substitute cooked meat for raw fish, eggs and avocado with splash of cold pressed olive oil on a 50/50 basis, the research points to you enjoying controlled, regular and satisfying trips to your toilet. It is recommended you eat plenty of fruit (Tomatoes and Cucumber are fruits as well) and eat prior to your protein meals. The fruit will be digested easily and quickly making way for the slower moving proteins. Many oriental medical practitioners recommend that you not consume liquids after a heavy protein meal, but to make sure you load up with water prior to the meal.

Cooking Foods That Cause Constipation

Proteins that are cooked go through a process call denaturation. For example a piece of Tuna turns from deep crimson to pink brown when cooked. This is a visible sign of denaturation. Cooked Tuna protein energy is 94% available for the human body, but raw tuna only has 55-64% of its energy available. The same happens to dairy products like cheese and bean curd products like tofu. The more energy available to more likely a food is to be slowed in the digestive process and cause constipation.