A nutritionist has shared a simple breakfast addition that could help alleviate constipation, a common gastrointestinal symptom affecting women up to three times more than men, particularly during pregnancy due to hormonal changes. People over 60 can also be more prone to constipation.
While it’s a common issue, some individuals experience almost chronic constipation, often exacerbated when travelling or spending several days away from home. Thankfully, there are home remedies and foods that can help ease the symptoms of constipation.
On the ‘With Ginger and Lemon’ podcast, hosted by nutritionist Sandra Moñino (@nutricionat_) and journalist María Pérez Espín (@mariapespin), listeners are offered advice on food and nutrition. In one episode, Moñino suggests a straightforward trick to incorporate into our morning routine to combat constipation – simply take a tablespoon of coconut oil on an empty stomach or add it to your coffee.
Constipation is a very common gastrointestinal symptom
Not only can this help with constipation, but it can also provide an energy boost, especially for those who prefer to exercise before eating.
“And if you mix it with salt or bicarbonate, it also serves as an exfoliant in the shower to remove impurities,” adds the journalist. In another clip, they offer more advice and uses for coconut oil, such as strengthening or hydrating our hair.
“When we need to wash our hair, we take the ends and hydrate them as if it were a mask; just like we do with hair masks, we do with our coconut oil,” Sandra Moñino explains. She details how it’s as straightforward as making a bun and simply washing your hair after leaving it in for two or three hours. It looks wonderful, hydrated, shiny and with that vitality we often seek,” she comments. Coconut oil is beneficial for moisturising “elbows, knees or feet,” areas prone to drying out and becoming rough.
Additionally, nutritionist Sandra Moñino mentions using coconut oil as a mouthwash. “For example, mouthwash contains ingredients that are not beneficial for our oral microbiota because it kills all the good and bad bacteria in our mouth. So coconut oil helps us eliminate those bad bacteria,” she outlines.
Furthermore, practicing this routine every morning upon waking may assist with halitosis. However, it’s critical to dispose of it in the trash, as she cautions: “We know it’s liquid when warm, but in winter, when it starts to solidify, it can clog pipes.”
She clarifies that using coconut oil for rinsing does not disrupt intermittent fasting. “Since you spit it out afterwards, you don’t need to rinse your mouth with water or anything,” she concludes.