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Nutritionist for constipation
Could you please recommend a nutritionist, if that’s the right word, for me? I am 52 and have been constipated my entire adult life. I feel I cannot keep relying on laxatives when I know the problem is going to get worse with age. I eat fruit and vegetables and very little else. I drink plenty of water but feel I now need a consultation where I could discuss my options.
The word is nutritionist and you are very sensible to try and tackle this problem which secretly blights the lives of millions of people, especially women, who suffer in silence and who think it is normal to only empty their bowels just once every three days. A healthy colon will be emptying the bowel three times a day, usually after every meal, so you can use this to gauge the extent of your own problem.
You are already, to some extent on the right track with the high fibre fruit, vegetables and water in your diet. The latter especially helps to soften the stools, making them easier to pass through the digestive tract. Aim for eight glasses of unpolluted, still water every day. The gluten in processed wheat is difficult to digest and can exacerbate the problem so if you are constipated, avoid both wheat and mucous-producing dairy products until the problem is under control.
I wanted to call my Vitality Cookbook the “Pooh Bible” but the publisher was not impressed. The fact is, the whole household became as regular as clockwork, dutifully eliminating after every meal when we spent a week testing out the recipes, many of which were designed to tackle digestive disorders - which now cause more days off work, after the common cold, than any other condition.
You are certainly right to be concerned about the long-term use of laxatives which, far from relieving the problem, actually increase it by making the colon lazy. You need to re-educate your digestive tract and one of the gentlest ways to start this is to introduce psyllium seeds into your diet. Take a tablespoon sprinkled on your cereal in the morning or on your salad at lunchtime. If you dislike the idea of seeds, you can also use flaxseed oil to counter constipation.
You may also be deficient in the so-called good bacteria which aid digestion - you can remedy this by taking a good probiotic to replenish levels of the organisms which help. I usually recommend Biocare’s Lactobacillus acidophilus, which the health professionals use.
To find a qualified nutritionist for a tailor-made treatment plan contact the Institute of Optimum Nutrition on 0181-877 9993 or the British Association for Nutritional Therapy at www.bant.org. Biocare sells 60g of Lactobacillus acidophilus powder (which should last a month) for £16.65. To order, call 0121-433 3727