Nutrition
Staying constipation-free through diet
Eat healthy to avoid constipation
Everyone has a bout of constipation now and then. Infrequent bowel movements, fewer than three a week – and difficulty passing stool are tell-tale signs of constipation. Constipation may be a side effect, dietary habits, or a symptom of a more serious condition.
Constipation may lead to other problems. Straining during bowel movements can cause haemorrhoids, hernias, anal fissures or tears in the skin near the anus.
With just a simple dietary and lifestyle modification, this problem can be alleviated.
Foods to avoid
Low fibre highly processed foods like white breads and pastries, pizza and burgers should be reduced to a minimum in our diet.
Foods to consume
It will benefit us greatly to include high fibre foods like;
• Whole grains such as brown rice, wheat, oats and barley
• Nuts and seeds
• Beans and lentils
• Fruits and vegetables
• Adequate drinking water, at least eight glasses or six sachets of water a day
These increase the bulk of our stool and facilitate adequate bowel movement.
Lifestyle modification
Modifying our lifestyle from a predominantly sedentary lifestyle to incorporating exercises like going for walks, jogging, and riding bicycles, as well as taking alcohol in moderation will serve to prolong our healthy life and prevent constipation from being a burden.
In conclusion, maintaining a balanced diet rich in fibre and fluidsis crucial for preventing constipation. Incorporating fruits, vegetables, and whole grainsinto our daily meals can promote regular bowel movements.
Additionally, limiting the intake of processed foods and high-fat items can further support digestive health.
By making these dietary adjustments, we can reduce the risk of constipation and enjoy improved overall well-being. Remember, a healthy gut starts with mindful food choices.
The writer is a Nutritionist and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Holistic Health Consult.
“Your diet, your health, your health your wealth.”
e-mail:info@holistichealthconsult. org
Kind courtesy of:
Holistic Health Consult
“Your diet your health, your health your wealth”
Contact: 0205143324
WhatsApp: 0248963474
e-mail: info@holistichealthconsult.org
Soya beans is a highly nutritious plant-based food with several health benefits:
-Rich source of protein
-Contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein.
-Helpful for vegetarians and vegans as an alternative to animal protein.
-Supports muscle growth and repair.
– Heart Health
-Helps lower cholesterol levels
-Contains healthy unsaturated fats and fibre that support cardiovascular health
-Can be part of a heart-friendly diet
-Bone health
-Provides calcium (in fortified soy products), magnesium, and protein
-Soy isoflavones may help maintain bone density, especially in postmenopausal women
– May help manage menopausal symptoms
-Contains natural compounds called isoflavones (phytoestrogens)
-Some women experience reduced hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms with soy consumption
-Supports weight management
-High protein and fibre content can increase fullness and reduce hunger
-May help with maintaining a healthy weight
-Good for blood sugar control
-Has a low glycemic index
-Protein and fibre can help stabilise blood sugar levels
Ghana has nutrition policies. Ghana has nutrition targets. Ghana has nutrition programmes spread across multiple ministries and dozens of implementing partners.
What Ghana does not have is a single, empowered body responsible for leading, coordinating, and holding all this together. That is the gap a National Nutrition Council would fill, and stakeholders are calling for one now.
The case for a council
At a stakeholder engagement convened under the Nourish Ghana project in 2025, participants proposed the establishment of a National Nutrition Council to provide effective leadership and a governance framework for addressing malnutrition in Ghana. The meeting, which brought together policymakers, development partners, civil society organisations, and the media, highlighted a fundamental problem: nutrition responsibilities are fragmented across various ministries. Without a dedicated coordination body, efforts are duplicated, accountability is diffuse, and nutrition consistently loses out when budgets are tight.
The proposal echoes a model used in several countries that have made the fastest progress against malnutrition. Nigeria’s National Council on Nutrition, for example, recently pledged $107 million at the 2025 N4G Summit, a level of coordinated ambition that Ghana has struggled to match.
Ghana does have existing coordination structures worth acknowledging. The Scaling Up Nutrition Cross-Sectoral Planning Group (CSPG), established in 2012, was set up to harmonise planning, implementation, and monitoring of nutrition actions across sectors. It has produced real gains. But the challenge has been institutionalising those gains beyond project cycles, and analysts have called for an elevated national coordination body with presidential oversight to ensure genuine cross-sector accountability. A National Nutrition Council would go further, providing the dedicated financing and convening authority that the CSPG, as currently structured, does not have.
What a Council would do
A National Nutrition Council would provide political oversight and coordination across all sectors involved in nutrition, health, agriculture, education, social protection, and finance. It would track Ghana’s nutrition commitments, hold ministries accountable for delivery, and ensure that nutrition budgets are protected and spent effectively. Most importantly, it would give nutrition a permanent seat at the table where national development decisions are made.
The Time Is Now
Ghana made 10 commitments at the 2025 N4G Paris Summit. Translating those commitments into results requires a governance structure that does not currently exist. Establishing a National Nutrition Council is not a bureaucratic exercise. It is the institutional foundation without which Ghana’s nutrition ambitions will remain promises on paper. Leaders must act on this proposal without delay.
Feature article by Women, Media and Change under its Nourish Ghana: Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition project
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