One more: unmentionables!

1.12 Digestive Issues

Although we don't like to discuss it at the dinner table, everyone occasionally has gas, diarrhea, or constipation. And, of course, what you eat has everything to do with it.

Fight diarrhea with the B.R.A.T. Diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. Avocado helps. Be sure to drink lots of water to replace lost fluids. Diarrhea can be caused by too much salt, too much sugar, too little fiber, or too much fat, all of which can be found in overly-processed food. Food that is no longer fresh can also cause diarrhea.

Fight constipation with prunes, or any fibrous, sweet fruit. Apples and grapes are particularly good. Reducing your meat intake helps, as does avoiding B.R.A.T. Foods. Constipation can also be caused by dehydration, so drink lots of water. Stress and overly-processed foods can also cause constipation.

Whole grains and vegetables contain lots of fiber that helps maintain “regularity”.

Gas is caused by the breaking down of certain foods during digestion. While beans and vegetables such as cabbage are usually blamed, the biggest culprit is actually milk and milk products, especially as we age and our bodies become less able to digest milk. Try getting your calcium more from other sources to reduce your dairy intake. As for those troublesome beans and vegetables, eat them more regularly, and your body should become more efficient at digesting them, and thus produce less gas. You can also take a product such as Beano to help with gas.