Not only young people suffer from constipation, but older people are more prone to it. It is often characterized by bloating, discomfort, and the feeling of wanting to have a bowel movement but being unable to. This causes great distress for older people. Here, traditional Chinese medicine teaches you several methods to relieve constipation!
Causes of Constipation in Older People
1. Reduced gastrointestinal function
The digestive system of older people deteriorates, with decreased secretion of digestive enzymes from salivary glands, stomach, intestines, and pancreas. This leads to reduced digestive and absorptive functions, resulting in a relative decrease in food intake. The gastrointestinal reflex of older people weakens, and the contraction force of abdominal and pelvic muscles decreases, making defecation difficult.
2. Lack of dietary fiber
Older people have poor dental health and tend to consume easily digestible, nutritionally rich, soft and residue-free foods. They lack vegetables, fruits, bran, and coarse fiber foods. In addition, older people have a limited diet and eat monotonously, which leads to insufficient mechanical stimulation of the rectal mucosa, weakened intestinal peristalsis, and inability to produce a defecation reflex.
3. Slow intestinal motility
Older people have reduced physical activity or may be bedridden due to prolonged illness. This weakens intestinal peristalsis and makes defecation difficult. The feces stay in the intestines for too long, and most of the water content is reabsorbed by the intestinal mucosa, resulting in dry and hard stools that are difficult to pass.
4. Psychological and mental factors
Older people often experience constipation symptoms due to mental stress, depression, changes in environment, or disruption of daily routines. This is due to the dysfunction of neural regulation.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Teaches You Several Methods to Relieve Constipation
1. Develop the habit of drinking water
Water can expand the fiber in the large intestine, create enough stool volume, and soften the stool. "Don't wait until you are thirsty to drink water," emphasizes a nutritionist. Drinking water must become a habit. If you drink a glass of water every hour, you can consume 1500-2000cc of water throughout the day.
2. Swing your arms and walk briskly
In good health, after drinking water, you can go out for a brisk walk for 30 minutes to help the water circulate in your body and accelerate gastric and intestinal motility. If it is not convenient to go for a walk, at least stand up and swing your arms for 10 minutes to achieve the same effect.
3. Cut and cook food into smaller pieces
Nutrition experts believe that large and crispy foods should be avoided. Try to cut the ingredients into smaller pieces before cooking. Experts suggest cutting vegetables into small pieces and making dumplings or steamed buns. This not only retains the water in the dumplings but also makes the fiber in the vegetables easier to absorb. Adding some minced meat can make the nutrition more balanced. The proportion of vegetables to meat should be 2:1.
4. Don't filter the pulp in fruit juice
Nutritionists recommend eating fruits according to the season, using a juicer to make mixed fruit juice, and eating the pulp along with the juice. This not only provides fiber but also supplements vitamin C.
5. Have a plate of vegetables with every meal
Experts who have conducted long-term research on diet and nutrition suggest that at least one plate of vegetables should be eaten with each meal to effectively help with bowel movements. They can be cooked into a puree using a juicer, or simply steamed with water. Both methods are good.
Foods that can prevent constipation in older people
1. Wash and cut 500g of pig large intestine into pieces, stew until tender, then add 30g of peach kernels, 30g of sweet almonds, salt, and seasonings. Add about 500g of spinach and cook briefly.
2. Soak 200g of sea cucumber in water, then cut it into slices. Stew it until 80% cooked, then add 100g of soaked black fungus and cook until done. Add a small amount of minced lean meat and seasonings, and stew for about 15 minutes.
3. Cut one soft-shelled turtle weighing about 500g into pieces, remove the internal organs, and stew until cooked over low heat. Add 50g of Eucommia bark and 50g of cooked rehmannia root, washed and wrapped in gauze, and a suitable amount of seasonings. Stew for another 30 minutes. The meat and soup can be consumed.
4. Tear 20g of seaweed into shreds and boil it into a soup. Add an appropriate amount of monosodium glutamate, soy sauce, dried shrimp skin, and other seasonings. After seasoning, add 2 teaspoons of sesame oil and about 50g of chopped chives. Drink it for dinner.
5. Soak 100g of barley and 50g of black sesame seeds for half a day, then cook them into porridge. Honey can be added and consumed in the morning and evening.
