blackemerald1
VIP Member
Not a stupid question! :) I'm not a doctor either so though it's a health issue it really is a case of trial and error and yeah doing your own research and taste... because if it doesn't taste ok then the battle is lost!
To be clear you really need both insoluble and soluble fiber from food (or supplements) as part of a healthy diet.
Exercise is so important too. Just a little bit a day!
Lots of water/fluids any way you can get it into him. I'm talking up to six litres a day.. every day. Initially you may find that he complains of pissing a lot. But after a while bladders do manage to adjust and it's not nearly such a bother. Certainly better than jacking up the bowels.
I agree with @Hojay - milk might be constipating him. Bloody lactose intolerance again!! :rolleyes: Generally 250 mls a day is the 'recommended' intake and that's pretty easy to do if cups of tea's, coffee's and smoothies are being consumed. But don't forget cheeses, chocolate and ALL dairy stuff. There's lactose in them all..
If you can convince him to cut out all milk and it's products for a month and see if that unblocks him you might have yourself a happier man. But it may be a combination of factors and not just milk/lactose.
Replacing dairy milk with other milks can get really expensive and finding alternatives to milk products can be a nightmare. You may not have noticed it but lactose is in a lot of food-stuff as in 'dairy milk products'.
See if you can find the lactose free products and try that for a month to see if makes any difference?
Yoghurt is not that bad in terms of lactose and it's got lots of good things for guts in it anyway...
The muesli bar thing that he ate a lot of... idk.. the best ones are made at home.
The problem with all of these ready made products like ^ is that whilst they say they are 'healthy', maybe one a month is, but for daily consumption in a good diet they are laden with sugar, fats, lactose and general fillers, gums and just crap and of course a few oats which were roasted in even more fats are sprinkled on top...negating any healthy things the Oats might have given. Get my drift? So, if he likes that kind of thing make your own and you will be miles ahead in terms of cost, nutrition and taste.
Some people say that chocolate constipates them - and they may be right. I don't eat it at all. I haven't found any studies that seem to prove it and why bother studying it lol? I steer clear of chocolate for lots of reasons aside from constipation.
Soluble means that it dissolves into water/fluids and looks and has the consistency of jelly or jam? It coats the lining of the intestinal tract and bowel and stops/reduces some bad stuff (cholesterol) (sugars) (fat) entering the body via the intestines and it also (if you drink adequate water and fluids) helps regulate bowel movements. The psyllium husk is great for this but there are heaps of other products that might be more available where you are. Go to your health food shop or have a look online. Buy in bulk. Resist the flavoured ones... they are not pleasant and you can flavour the plain tasting ones with whatever you like.
**But drink plenty of fluids with all of these products that are soluble fibre too otherwise it will hold up the whole bowel system and could cause more problems. Yikes!
Soluble fibre (like psyllium husk) that you sprinkle on things or drink is a cheats way of getting fibre. (I love it!) But (as usual) it's not supposed to replace the all natural method even though it is natural. :rolleyes:
Sprinkling things on top of food just helps get the total amount of fibre the 'normal' body needs ( approx. 35 grams p/day) since we all are guilty of eating so much processed food. Processed food has very low amounts of fibre and is usually high in everything that will push up blood sugars, blood pressure, bad cholesterol and constipation. sigh... so why does it all taste so nice???
Insoluble means it (the fibre) stays intact & isn't 'digested' or 'dissolved' and basically travels throughout the digestive tract without being changed much at all. Eg. Have you ever had a big feed of corn kernels and seen the result in the bowl? That's insoluble fibre right there!! There are virtually no calories in this kind of fibre. It bulks up against the walls of the bowel triggering the peristaltic action which is essential to moving feces out.
So similar to soluble in that it is really healthy for the entire digestive tract and will definitely help reduce or eliminate constipation in a normal person.
But since this is the type of fiber that is in all the 'good foods' such as fruits, nuts, vegies, grains (unprocessed) it's so unpopular!!
It's hard to take the extra time to eat an apple instead of drinking apple juice. Unfortunately the body doesn't get the same benefit from the juice and prefers the apple. (an example only)
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Honestly @Never_falter2 - there are heaps of sites that deal with fiber. This is one but if you do a search you will be inundated with products and ideas. I tend to keep it simple and use the psyllium husk because it's so cheap and easily obtained. But there might be something better where you are.
Alternatively, you can sprinkle lots of different seeds on desserts, breakfast etc.
Stress can definitely affect your gut - I suffer from massive problems in my gut that I think are directly attributable to whether I'm stressed out of my tree or managing well. I tend to stop eating which of course is exactly the opposite of what I should be doing.
Digestion is suspended or at least interrupted if the body is overwhelmed. So managing that side of things links into diet too. Medications can and do have an effect on the body and that might be manifesting itself in constipation.
@Never_falter2 When you keep apologising for TMI regarding this subject I want to give you a hug and tell you it's ok. It's not TMI.
If more ppl worried about when and how well they sh*t and had their poo tested about every two years after the age of 50 or if and when they notice a persistent change in their toilet habits - more bowel cancer would be discovered and treated and more ppl would be alive.
As we indulge ourselves in the 'Western' diet of lots of red meat, dairy etc., we are killing ourselves via bowel cancer. 90 % of bowel cancers are curable if found early.
Diet is believed to play a huge part in the incidence of bowel cancer.. but that's just because there is no other common denominator that accounts for the huge increase in it in modern "Western" cultures.
So don't worry about the TMI part. Lots of info., saves lives and in your case you are asking to improve the life of your husband so I see no problem whatsoever. :hug:
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