Constipation: Symptoms, Causes, and Relief When someone says they’re constipated, the complaint is met with immediate sympathy from anyone who has suffered this seemingly innocuous symptom. Despite the annoyance and inconvenience, there’s the discomfort and often pain accompanying constipation. And that doesn’t even take into consideration other medical conditions. In addition to the bloating, gas, and abdominal pain often involved, constipation can negatively impact your quality of life. Unfortunately, constipation is common among all age groups in the United States. About 16 percent of all adults struggle with constipation, and it’s more than twice as prevalent (33 percent) among those age 60 and older. The good news is that constipation responds well to treatment, and many constipation treatments are readily available in the form of both self-help and medical interventions. In this post, we explore the symptoms of constipation and present a stool chart that enables you to rate your […]
Diets
Can eating fat make you thin? Proponents of the ketogenic diet (the keto diet) say, “Yes!” And they’re right. When you starve the body of carbohydrates — either by fasting for several days or by following a high-fat, extremely low-carb diet — your body’s metabolism shifts from glycolysis (burning sugar/carbs) to ketosis (burning fat). Stay in ketosis long enough, and your body literally burns away stored fat, assuming, of course, you don’t significantly increase your total caloric consumption. Rationing Your Macros To shift from glycolysis to ketosis, you must consume the proper ratio of macronutrients (fat, protein, and carbohydrates): About 70% to 75% fat About 20% to 25% of protein Less than 5% carbohydrates For example, a woman weighing about 200 lbs. needs to eat about 2,000 calories per day to maintain her weight. The amount of fat, protein, and carbs she would need to eat to achieve ketosis would be as follows: