Drinking lots of water but still constipated. It could be because the intake is not balanced. Constipation or difficult bowel movements in medical terms known as constipation occurs when the frequency of bowel movements decreases.
Actually, there is no standard regarding the frequency of bowel movements in a day or a week. This can be different for each individual, some defecate once a day, some defecate 1-2 times a week. But sometimes if you don’t have a bowel movement for more than 3 days, you can be said to be constipated.
The cause of drinking a lot of water and fiber but still constipated
Here are some causes of difficult bowel movements even though you have drunk a lot of water:
- Delay defecation. The more delaying the urge to defecate, the harder the consistency of the stool or feces, which can lead to difficult bowel movements
- Side effects of drugs. For example calcium supplements, iron, anti-epileptic drugs, and others
- Certain health conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, etc.
- Psychological factors, such as stress, depression, violent trauma, sexual harassment
- Poor diet, which is less fiber from fruits and vegetables and lack of fluid intake
It would be nice when you check with your doctor, so you can know about the causes of constipation. In addition, you can do the following tips:
- Weight gain is related to excess food intake compared to energy expended. Therefore, eat a balanced diet, avoid foods that are high in fat and high in sugar
- Get used to exercising regularly, 3 times a week for 45 minutes
- Manage psychic stress with counseling, meditation, yoga
- Do not delay the urge to defecate
The factor of constipation is not only dependent on fiber and water
Having difficulty defecating even though you have been diligent in eating fiber-rich vegetables and drinking water could be because the intake of fiber and water that you consume is not in a balanced portion. A lot of fiber accompanied by insufficient water intake will actually cause constipation. Therefore, it is important to balance fiber and water intake.
Factors such as sedentary lifestyle, drugs, stress, and hormonal factors also affect the occurrence of constipation. Many consume probiotics that are rich in fiber which can overcome constipation. Such as yogurt, kefir, tempeh, or kimchi.
If it’s still difficult to defecate even though you’ve increased fiber and drinking water, it doesn’t hurt to schedule a time to stay on the toilet. Determine your time to defecate.
At that time, you just hang out in the toilet, whether you want to pee or not, the important thing is to stay still. Make it a body timer so that you get used to defecating at that hour which will become routine.