Nutrition - Updated on July 23, 2019

DIGESTION

Nutrition is an important tool not only to perform certain tasks in sports, but also because it defines our health and causes illnesses. The intestines health comes first, therefore I suggest to figure out how to support its work.

Athletes pay a lot of attention to their diet, forming their own food basket from various macro and micronutrients. The main component is the building material - protein as it supports the ligaments, muscles, immune system and other organs proper work. But sometimes there is too much of protein in one’s diet which leads to the digestive system disruption. Constipation is the most common cause of problems.

Constipation is a body condition when evacuation does not occur daily and bowel movement occurs once every 3 or even more days. If this condition is permanent, then a doctor's consultation is definitely necessary in order to understand its cause. But first I advise you to rethink your diet.

In addition, there are other constipation causes:

- Not enough fiber (soluble and insoluble);

- Excess of fiber;

- Not enough liquid and water during the day;

- Low physical activity, sitting in one place for more than 2 hours;

- Lack of exercise (especially for strengthening the pelvic muscles);

- Frequent changes in diet styles (keto-diet, Dukan diet, high-protein diets);

- Medications (especially long-term use of laxatives, antacids, antidepressants, iron;

- Chronic stress, frequent stressful situations, insomnia, neurosis;

- A large amount of protein in the diet;

- Disorders of the thyroid gland and other endocrine glands.

How to solve the problem and normalize the gastrointestinal tract work?

The easiest and surest way - to eat simple and whole food - always! No refining, processing or anything else that takes away the product’s life.
Make sure to bring unsaturated fats to your food basket first of all: avocados, nuts, flax/pumpkin/chia seeds, fatty fish varieties, olive oil and eggs with yolks! Those who adhere to low fat diet will always have problems and not only in the form of constipation.
Fiber from vegetables, berries, fruits (especially kiwi, bananas and plums), legumes, sweet potatoes and whole grains is the basis of your diet. Norm - 25-30 g fiber per day.
Drink water, but do it wisely. This is not about 4 liters (135 oz) a day - it's about your physiological norm! At least 1,5 (51 oz) liters should be drunk for those who have constipation.
Move and do not sit all 12 hours in the office! Without movement, peristalsis simply dies! And if you start to train further, you will be very surprised with your intestine.
Nutritional supplements - magnesium citrate (200-1000 mg), probiotics (from 30 billion), prebiotics, symbiotic, vitamin C (2000-4000 mg), silymarin/artichoke, plant enzymes, betaine and much more. Remember, this all should be selected by doctor according to the scheme, since side effects are possible for everyone!
Proper evacuation technique.
Coffee is an excellent gastrointestinal tract stimulator, but the rule is to drink it without milk and not more than 2 cups a day, provided that you tolerate caffeine well.
And finally - avoid stress, balance your life and make friends with cortisol.