Do you know any good and natural foods/snacks for improved digestion? -a senior having bowel issues...

There is a lot of information about this on the site. Click on ‘care topics’ on the top right of the screen. On the alphabetic list that comes up, click on diet. It’s a good idea to read it through, then ask any specific questions that apply to your own situation. Give it a go!

Bananas, high fiber oatmeal and produce, decaf coffee, less complex carbohydrates and refined sugars, natural probiotics and digestive enzyme supplements. Fish oil and Vitamin D3.

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.

I've been taking my Dad some oatmeal raisin cookies. He shouldn't have too many sweets, so I put a few cookies in ziplok bags. I figured it's worth a try!

I put snacks on the coffee table for my husband to eat while he's watching TV - apple, baby carrots, celery sticks and a baggie of nuts and raisins.

Have you tried "Live Kombucha Sparkling Probiotic Teas" They come in a good varieties of flavors. I had a battle with some stomach issues and these have probiotics that get in and out of your system quickly. Yakult and probiotic yogurts are also a good ideal. Noosa yogurts have some really good flavors.

In practice I wonder how much control you can possibly have over his diet in the nursing home, even if you provide something there is no guarantee he would eat/drink it and he is still getting his main sustenance from the facility menu.

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.

Have you tried citrucel? I think it best answer. Don't use metamucil. While it is similar it ferments differently in the bowel and causes gas, bloating, and sometimes urgency and incontinence as a result.

Carlos, I would ask his doctor to prescribe magnesium supplements nightly.

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.

This may not be a practical suggestion in the nursing home environment, but I found simply spreading the meals into smaller portions several times a day would help prevent constipation.
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.

Apple juice gets things moving for my dad. The protein drinks back him up terribly. I cut his first diet cranberry juice of the day with half apple juice, so it’s not a terrible amount of sugar, and it works.

deleted because my suggestion may get things moving too fast

Yogurt

Fresh papaya works for many people.

My 80 year old husband chews a few pieces of crystallized ginger each day. Works like a charm!

When my father had those issues his gastroenterologist recommended he eat a package of Metamucil Meta Fiber crackers every day. There are different flavors, my dad likes all of them. They come in a box, available at a drug store. They seemed to do the trick for my father.

Foods with probiotics such as Kefir, yogurt can be helpful. Also foods with fiber. Such as apples or applesauce preferably the apple sauce should have no added sugars or natural.
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.

I would add that Lactulose Brand name: Generlac prescription at a low dose (teaspoon) works well with no after effects. Ask your PCP about it.

My mom loves dried figs (Smyrna). I get them from amazon or costco. She eats 3 a day and loves them because of the sweet and it keeps her regular. Before this addition to her diet, she was using pills to go and pills to slow down the “go”. She has not used pills since April of 2020. She used to eat 5 a day and she thought that was too much... I’ll take her word for it! Lol. If the figs get a bit too dry, I heat water to boiling and pour over the figs-let set about 3-5 minutes, drain off the water and store in a closed container with a few paper towels to absorb moisture. There is a thing as too chewy. I use 3 dates for me. I like the Majool dates but they do have pits. Easy to remove but mom prefers the figs.

My dad has reoccurring issues with loose stools and constipation ,so his dr has him on a Miralax/Metamucil regimen.He starts with Metamucil one tsp daily in water or juice.Once he goes two days without a bowel movement then it's a cap full of Miralax in water or juice until he goes.Then repeat.Staying hydrated especially the elderly is neccessary so if reg water isn't consumed then put some lemon in it or flavored water.Good Luck

Yes,

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.

Is he eating fruits and vegetables every day? The recommended daily serving is 5 every day. Oranges, apples, berries, sweet potato, beans... Facilities usually don't do much of that, nor do they help folks to ambulate. So, this is recipe for disaster.

As others have mentioned, prunes would do the trick. But prunes can be hard to chew, so soak them in water overnight and then chop one or two up and mix with oatmeal. Don’t give him too much or you will end up with the “number 2” mess! I learned that the hard way.

Apple sauce can help. My Mom swears by liquorice.

Eliminate eggs and dairy products. They are proven to cause constipation in most people.

Dietary fat works for many people. Natural fats, that is. Butter, chicken legs, even fatty meats. Avocado and coconut oil, too.

My mil religiously had ten, no more no less, blueberries every night. (I mistakenly counted out eleven one night, you would have thought I was trying to poison her!)

My dad had many issues with constipation mostly due to a fluid restricted diet. The palliative care team suggested a teaspoon of olive oil in the mornings. It helped a great deal! It gave the much needed moisture to his GI tract.
Metamucil can be added to smoothies to help also if your dad can get one.

Pears have the most fiber, fresh or canned.
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 at breakfast each day might help. I eat at least one each morning.

"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])

Greek yogurt (Peach Chobani) provided help for my dad who is in his 90s