Why the intestines go into sleep mode
For those who love logic and want to understand what’s really going on: constipation is not just infrequent trips to the bathroom. It’s a whole miniseries with unexpected twists, where instead of a reward, you’ll be rewarded with a feeling of a thick, hard mass, difficulty defecating, and a feeling of incomplete bowel movement.
Sometimes it even seems like there’s an invisible brick blockage inside – and the only thing that doesn’t decrease is the irritation.
There remains this unpleasant feeling that you are something like a half-empty trash can – supposedly not full, but not emptied either.
What causes this chaos in the gut?
Eating chaos
When the menu is dominated by:
burgers
chips
mayonnaise and other foods with trans fats
The intestines are rightfully on strike.
Add to this a serious lack of fiber (less than about 25 g per day), and the situation becomes even more tense. It’s like you’ve clogged your own toilet and invited a whole neighborhood of cats to visit.
It is believed that the optimal daily dose of fiber is around 25–30 g. This can be achieved approximately with:
about 400 g of vegetables per day
plus a serving of whole grains – such as buckwheat or oatmeal
And don’t forget: overeating refined carbohydrates – white bread, sweets, cookies – turns you into the main enemy of your own intestines. Or at the very least, into someone who prevents them from doing their job.
Sedentary lifestyle
Movement is life – but not if you spend most of your day sitting.
If you sit in a chair for long hours, and your only movement is from the sofa to the refrigerator, your intestines will quickly follow your example. They will also decide to rest.
This is often compounded by insufficient water intake.
Many people drink mainly:
coffee
tea
carbonated drinks
But these drinks don’t always contribute to hydration. Coffee, especially in large quantities (over 5 cups a day), can have a mild dehydrating effect.
Some experts believe that the effect is not that dramatic, but still, if you overdo it with caffeine, it is wise to increase your intake of pure water.
Good idea:
for every cup of coffee – drink at least one glass of water
Make sure your urine is light in color – this is a simple guide to hydration.
Medications and lazy bowels
Frequent and uncontrolled intake of:
laxatives
analgesics
certain types of medications, including antibiotics
can lead to so-called lazy bowels.
The prolonged and uncontrolled use of strong laxatives is particularly risky – the body gets used to the external help and gradually reduces natural peristalsis.
After a course of antibiotics, it is important to take care to restore the beneficial intestinal microflora. Otherwise, more aggressive bacteria will settle in the intestines, which do not contribute to good digestion.
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