My dad is in a nursing home and regularly having bowel issues and constipation as he is not moving very much due to his condition.
They keep giving him pharmaceutical laxatives to 'move' the digestive tract. But after drinking those he is having incontinence (not always though). I kind of don't see this as the best option in the long run.. :/
So I was wondering are there any really natural digestive remedies?
Or maybe some good-for-digestion food/snacks I could bring him the next time I visit?
I would really appreciate your help,
Thank you very much,
Carlos
Ensure / Boost works but lack filler.
I find banana and flaxseed smoothies with protein powder work fairly well, sometimes with blueberries or kale and cilantro, etc. to have a different flavor.
The old fashioned advice still holds true - more whole grains, fruits and veggies, more fluids of any kind (this is often the #1 problem, people in the NH just don't drink enough), prunes and prune juice. You could ask about a probiotic being prescribed, that's the only way to ensure it will be given.
I'm popping back to add - you should bring this up at your care conference, staff may have some good ideas and it is always better to get them working with you to solve any problem.
These will help keep his system regular and it helps with many other body functions. (Milk of Magnesium is used for constipation and the active ingredient is the magnesium) I recommend using the magnesium supplement nightly and forget about the chemical additives that MOM has. Adding a 30mg zinc to the magnesium will give the added benefit of better sleep, the combination helps our bodies naturally produce melatonin, the sleep hormone.
This with the benefit of added fibers through his diet can help immensely with his problem.
Oh, a probiotic would be beneficial for his overall health as well.
Consuming more boiled foods (as opposed to baked/fried) can aid digestion as can slow cooked casseroles and traditional soups which can reduce the work required to break down the nutrients.
Snack-wise, a fresh apple daily is a simple way to cleanse the gut.
My dad would drink shakes that had pureed cauliflower and pumpkin and it worked like a charm. It was flavorful and tasted like pumpkin pie for him.
1 cup of frozen pumpkin puree (I froze mine in ice cube trays the night before)
½ cup of frozen cauliflower florets
1 cup milk of choice
2 tablespoons of liquid sweetener (agave, maple syrup, honey, etc. Sugar free maple syrup can be used, but real syrup is best.)
1 tablespoon of nut butter (I used almond butter)
1 scoop of protein powder
Pinch of salt (or salt substitute)
¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon. Pumpkin Pie spice is best)
Instructions:
Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy and smooth. Add more liquid, a couple tablespoons at a time, as needed to get the blender going.
He needs to make sure he's drinking enough fluids and getting a little exercise.
Bring him foods with fiber or let him start taking fiber pills.
Oatmeal is a good fiber so bring him some oat and oatbran muffins and breakfast bars.
Bring packages of Prunes to snack on several a day, they taste good and do the trick.
Apples are also a good source of fiber.
I believe they even have fiber to mix with water.
Metamucil can be added to smoothies to help also if your dad can get one.
Plus, they taste good and are easy to swallow.
Give him and Aloe pill from the health food store once a week, if that doesn’t help.
Better than a stool softener and it’s natural. (No belly ache)
"An apple a day keeps the pathologist away." (R. P. Bolande MD, ECU-Brody School of Medicine, Dept. of Pathology [heard in person, some 30 years ago])