A Non-Crappy Thread (or Foods that Constipate)

Jeez! It's amazing how I can't squeeze out one number out of six in a million dollar lottery, but my regular daily diet can totally nail the top five foods that constipate!

Top 5 Foods That Constipate

Sorry for the crappy topic, folks, but seeing as most of us live in a world of processed foods I can't be alone in this.
I'm so tired of having weekly back pains from constipation, so I googled 'list foods that constipate' and when the link (above) opened up, it was like someone had written down my personal daily menu.

1. I LOVE chocolate, and it loves me so much that it doesn't want to leave!

Chocolate is also problematic because it has several elements MayoClinic.com recommends avoiding; low fiber content, high sugar content and a high amount of processing. Foods with these characteristics tend to aggravate constipation. Read more: www.livestrong.com...

2. Bread: Is there such a thing as a meal without bread????

Not only was it [bread] mentioned second to chocolate by the NCBI, QualityHealth.com lists it first in constipating qualities due to the fiber removal which is part of the processing white bread goes through. Processed breads in general should be avoided as processed wheat, rye and barley grains can all be constipating. Read more: www.livestrong.com...

3. Dairy Products - Life without CHEESE pizza - are they kidding?????

MayoClinic.com states that ice cream and cheese tend to be constipating partly due to their lack of fiber and processing. Any dairy products that are high in fats and sugar are problematic. Although other foods that contain dairy products like milk shakes, candy, pudding and quiche should all be avoided, yogurt is an exception according to QualityHealth.com. Read more: www.livestrong.com...

Screw yogurt, I want my CHEESE PIZZA!

4. The ONLY fruit I really love! Bananas.

According to NaturalHealthRemedies.net, bananas may only be constipating to those with low energy or a predilection towards constipation from bananas. Read more: www.livestrong.com...

Low energy? What, am I supposed to run a mile after eating a freakin' banana?

5. Caffeine (Just shoot me.)

Since caffeine tends to be dehydrating, the lack of water in the system is one factor contributing to constipation according to MayoClinic.com. Black tea, coffee and chocolate containing caffeine should all be avoided. Read more: www.livestrong.com...

I have to change my whole freaking diet! Jeez!

reply to post by jiggerj


All the food choices you mentioned...I am assuming you do eat...so my question to you is...are you constipated?

If the answer is no...I say still eat those foods...in moderation.

By the way...I think the title of this thread is very humorous...

Originally posted by caladonea
reply to post by jiggerj

 

All the food choices you mentioned...I am assuming you do eat...so my question to you is...are you constipated?

If the answer is no...I say still eat those foods...in moderation.

By the way...I think the title of this thread is very humorous...

edit on 29-6-2013 by caladonea because: edit

Am I constipated? Right now I'm hunched over with back pain; that's how bad it gets. And this happens every week. I eat about four loaves of bread per week, pizza twice a week, and a lot of pasta which is probably just bread in a different form. I have three to five coffees per day and I honestly can't see my life without it.

I have $20 bucks for food for the week, and instead of really cheap Ramen Noodles (three slices of cheap store-brand bread with each serving), peanutbutter sandwiches, and lots of coffee (I also have a weekly charge on the lunch truck at work - all submarine sandwiches), now I have to figure out what I can eat that will provide fiber and keep me from getting hungry every half hour.

I know! Tonight, no bread with a huge plate of macaroni and cheese. AHHHH! Oh, non-CRAP!

Another constipating food ( for some people) is red meat.

Unless its eaten with a big salad

reply to post by jiggerj


Bean and rice dishes, and go raid a neighbour's garden - don't get yourself shot though

Barley is super cheap too.

Is there a fishing spot nearby?

Originally posted by snowspirit
reply to post by jiggerj

 

Bean and rice dishes, and go raid a neighbour's garden - don't get yourself shot though

Barley is super cheap too.

Is there a fishing spot nearby?

My main problem is that I have a job that requires lots of calories to burn. Every day in an eight hour period I throw 6,000 individual pieces of cardboard into a fast moving machine, and then retrieve each piece once the machine cuts them. I consider it to be the equivalent of jogging over two miles a day on my hands.

So, I need a diet high in calories for work, high in fiber to become regular, and the type of food that will stay in my stomach for a while so I don't feel hungry every half hour. It's a nightmare!

reply to post by jiggerj


Hard to do on very little money.
Protein is slow burning in the body, beans and brown rice together are supposed to make a complete protein. Or any pulse crop (lentils, beans, peas) mixed with a whole grain. Add ground beef for more protein (beans are the fibre). For a fast snack - eggs - more protein and they're cheap.

Big ol pot of chili, make sure any bread is high fibre whole grain. Big pot of stew, loaded with carrots? Snack on hard boiled eggs? Celery sticks with peanut butter?

Whole grain bread (is never cheap) with peanut butter and lettuce (the crispy kind).
Google recipes for high fibre protein bars?

I'd suggest a Metamucil type mix, but that costs half your budget. Won't work on a strict budget.

Very hard to do an active job on very little money. Food prices just keep going up too.

I worked in a mill before, and the doctor wrote them a note saying I had to eat an hour before the first coffee break. I was one of 2 people that could stop and munch down a snack while working. The other person was diabetic. We both had to eat every two hours or more often.

You still need a fruit or veggie after work to get your system emptying itself out properly...

Proper healthy food is expensive .....
Good luck

I'd suggest a Metamucil type mix, but that costs half your budget.

reply to post by snowspirit



Metamucil hurts my liver. I don't know if it's connected but I was diagnosed with Fatty Liver a few years ago, and that when I tried the Metamucil.

I did some checking on food with high fiber. Split Pea soup has 16 grams per cup. Males need 30 to 38 grams. So, next week I'll get off the bread as much as possible and try some soup. But GAWD I love my bread!

P.S. I'm only short on money this week. I should able to afford the healthy stuff soon.

Thanks for all your advice.

Love the thread title and your sense of humor. The subject is an issue for me too.

My diet has been poor for many years, and I used to eat the way you described - lots of junk carb foods. Pasta with parmesan was a staple, red meat, sandwiches, mac & cheese, pastries, snacks, and all that was the mainstay. My body didn't process it well, but I didn't care because it was all so good. A bagel plugs me up for days, as does pumpkin pie (which I LOVE). Eventually, I got tired of feeling like . . . well . . . crap.

So, I stopped eating all those goodies and cleaned up the diet. Lucky for me, I am retired and had the time to devote to doing this. I don't like to cook, so there had to be work-arounds. It's a harsh adjustment, which brings me to my suggestions for you.

Make changes to your diet in moderation. Completely changing your dietary habits while you're working and have other things going on sets you up for failure and isn't practical either. It requires a lot of thought, attention, acting deliberately vs. automatically, more planning, dealing with the frustration of doing it at all, and getting irritated that the problem exists! Been there. It's not easy. But it can be done.

So, thinking moderation: Instead of three pieces of bread with the mac & cheese, try one piece and add a salad (roughage and liquid), for instance. Cut back a bit on the frequency you eat pizza. Have your beloved chocolate but buy a better brand with less sugar and no unpronounceable ingredients in it and only eat half the bar. Eat more fruit (even if you're not crazy about it), drink more water (NOT sugared liquids), consume less bread. (I'm suggesting "less" bread, not "no" bread, so don't freak out on me, okay?!) and make sure it's whole grain and not the processed white stuff.

Better carbs (the so-called "complex carbs) digest more slowly and keep you feeling full longer. I'll attach a link to a comprehensive list of complex carb foods that might help you make better choices for your meals and snacks to keep you going (I meant energy-wise but both meanings are appropriate!).

Good luck.

List of Complex Carbohydrates

reply to post by DreamingsFree


Thank you, DF. I bookmarked the link and I'll definitely take a look at it.

Hi Jigger

There are 15 recipes for high energy healthy snacks/ meals HERE

I don't know if this is really what you're looking for but worth a look

Cody

if coffee/caffeine dehydrates people so bad I am surprised I have not died yet as some days coffee is ALL that goes into my system as far as liquids go. It has been that way for 30 years. Maybe my body is just adjusted to it.
I have started to drink a bit more water lately though, and now that you mention it, it seems to constipate me...lol How backwards is that?

Four loaves of bread a week ?!

Jigger, you really need to get off of this man sammich addiction of yours.



If you eat a lot of garbage foods, then you need to at least drink a ton of water everyday to flush it all out.

Otherwise you're just full of crap... and hence the reason why these foods give you the illusion of being "full". But you're not full with nutrients and substance, instead you're literally full with, well, crap... intestinal-ly speaking.

You're filling yourself up with bread (empty calories). But you will also get that same "full" feeling and the energy that goes with it by eating proper foods with substance.

It's just a bad habit you've developed without realizing that you can get the same sensation with eating proper foods instead.

Typical bachelor... pizza, Kraft Dinner, and sammiches.

Originally posted by cody599
Hi Jigger

There are 15 recipes for high energy healthy snacks/ meals HERE

I don't know if this is really what you're looking for but worth a look

Cody

eeeEEEEYUCK! LOLOL Most of those 'snacks' look positively disgusting. Even if they looked good those fifteen meals would probably run about five-hundred bucks!

But, thanks for the laugh!

reply to post by CranialSponge

Typical bachelor... pizza, Kraft Dinner, and sammiches.

Holy constipation, you nailed me!

Now I'm going to have to work at what I eat. I hate that idea! But I am sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.

Does anyone know: If I switch to decaffeinated coffee (bleck!) would I then be able to drink it all day? On average I have 4 to 7 big cups a day.

CRAP! Never mind.

Decaf Coffee Bad

Veganism FTW.



Just reading your diet makes my colon hurt. lol

Ok, ok. Seriously. I know you already mentioned elsewhere that veganism isn't for you. This is the best I know of if you are on a budget.

Chicken breast, brown rice, and broccoli. From what I read way back when is that the most nutritious meals will have one fist/palm sized portion of the following:

1). Protein
2). Carbohydrate
3). Vegetable
4). Fat (1 TB portion)

When I was single, poor, couldn't cook, and needed something healthy, I would bake the chicken (baste it in olive oil), make some real brown rice (not instant), steam some packages of broccoli, then mix it in a big bowl. Kind of like a stirfry.

That is the perfect nutritional mix of all your macronutrients. The protein/fat will slow digestion and the fiber in the rice and broccoli will help you feel full and keep you regular.

It will taste bland so keep it interesting by changing your flavors. Top it with salsa, mango salsa, Pico, Teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, etc.

It's the best thing I can think of for tight budgets and great nutrition and very versatile with your flavors. And you can make a huge bowlful for the entire day and just eat when hungry. No need to spend all day constantly cooking.

Oh, and I also wanted to add, that my little concoction is great for weight loss as well because it is proportionally low carb and free of processed food like your macaroni and cheese. It's also low on the glycemic index.

My exboyfriend was a body builder and, God bless him, anytime I'd open his fridge there would be his little pre-made plates of chicken, broccoli, and rice. lol

If you want to sub out the olive oil baste for substance food, just cancel the olive oil and add in a small ramekin of mixed nuts instead.

Also, if you want a shake, toss in some plain greek yogurt or lowfat cottage cheese (protein), a banana or mixed berries (carbs), flax oil (fat), and spinach (vegetable). It tastes great and has all you macros.

One more thing (is it obvious I'm a health freak? lol) I wanted to give you some information on coffee since it seems to be a concern for you.

5-7 cups a day.

The good thing about coffee is that it creates peristalsis. Which means it gets the smooth muscles in your digestive track moving for elimination. Think along the lines of the movement of a caterpillar. So 2 cups each morning or so can help you stay regular.

The down side is, which you already mention, is that it can also dehydrate you, causing you to have digestive blockage. So just limit yourself to a couple of cups in the morning if you must. AND offset it by drinking about 16 oz of water for every cup of coffee.

Then you can still have your coffee!

reply to post by jiggerj


Try Fiber One cereal....the original flavor....
It works. All you need is about a half cup....60 calories.....and 14 grams of fiber.
Made my husband happy
We even give the dog some...and it's helped her out too.

An, oh yeah...you need more water in your diet....see the post above