Elsie UdohThe New Year is approaching and we’re pretty sure that you’re in high anticipation for the new year. At least, being alive and in good health is enough to host friends and family, throw a party, and celebrate together.
But unlike last year, let’s help you make this year’s celebration different and even better. The last thing you want after eating your favourite meal is to end up with tummy troubles and festive periods can be such a setup when it comes to this.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThis is because you spend so much time in a celebratory mood that you could fail to watch what you eat, or how you eat it and end up with constipation. But hey, this will be way easier if you just avoid meals that have the potential to leave you constipated.
While some of these meals might be your favourite New Year dishes, would you not rather enjoy your New Year free from stomach discomfort than eat all you want and begin to pray to the ‘god of the restroom’ to help you take a drop? Think about it.
On our part, we’ve gathered the top 10 common foods that you should try to avoid on New Year’s Day if you want to avoid constipation.
Why Constipation Mostly Happens After Festive Events
If you’ve ever wondered why your stomach feels overly full and uncomfortable during festive events, then we have a clear explanation for that.
You see during celebrations, we tend to eat more than usual and these meals are often high in fat and low in fibre.
Now, here’s why that’s a problem:
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Fibre is your digestive system’s best friend and without it, things slow down.
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During festive events, with enough to eat and drink, you might overeat and this could overwhelm your gut and delay digestion.
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High intake of soft drinks and alcohol during festive events could cause dehydration and make it harder for waste to move through your system.
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If you’re the guest at an event, then you might not move around often and this wouldn’t aid digestion.
READ ALSO: What To Do If Your Uber Driver Charges ₦38k And Above This Christmas, New Year
10 Foods To Avoid On New Year’s Day
Now that we’ve seen why we tend to get prone to constipation during festive events, let’s take a step further to meals that have a high potential to leave you constipated after festive events:
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Fried Plantains
Wait, before you attack us, hear us out first.
We know that ‘dodo’ is a fan favourite for many; in fact, we are big on anybody who doesn’t like plantains being an alien. But then, the goal here is to avoid constipation on New Year’s Day so on that day, try to say no to plantains.
Plantains (fried ones) are high in fat and this slows down digestion. When they are paired with carb-heavy meals like white rice or yam, then you’re asking your stomach to work overtime and that could be a lot for your digestive system to handle.
But if you can’t enjoy a meal without plantains then, try grilling or boiling them instead.
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Pounded Yam
Pounded Yam with egusi soup is a New Year’s classic, especially in Igbo households.
But then, if you’re looking for a meal that will digest quickly without leaving you feeling bloated, then this might not be the best meal for you.
Although it’s filling and satisfying, Pounded yam is low in fibre and this can leave you feeling stuck. And if you’re pairing it with a rich oily soup then in Ivie’s voice (from “Christmas in Lagos” movie) “this is a recipe for disaster!”
What you can eat instead is Brown rice like Ofada or reduce that mountain of pounded Yam that you plan to consume to smaller portions to avoid discomfort.
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Non-Veggies Jollof Rice
For those of you that don’t waste time to pick out the spring onions, sweet corn, carrot and other veggies in Jollof rice, stop it. You’re doing yourself more harm than good.
Apart from their rich nutritional values, these veggies also aid digestion. Now, asking you to steer clear of Jollof rice on New Year’s Day will seem like we’re trying to start another mission impossible franchise, so we wouldn’t do that.
Instead, try adding enough veggies to your jollof rice. This is because plain jollof lacks the fibre that your digestive system craves. So as much as possible, add diced carrots, peas, green beans and the likes to your jollof.
And let’s not even deny it, jollof rice tastes way nicer with veggies in it so this year, add eating veggies in jollof rice or any other rice to your New Year resolution.
Your gut will thank you.
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Moi Moi (in Excess)
Moi Moi is cool but when consumed in excess, then it’s a no-no as far as easy digestion is concerned. Afterall, too much of everything, even the healthiest meal, is bad.
Excess moi moi can cause bloating and digestive sluggishness, especially if it’s made with heavy palm oil.
So, as much as possible, limit your portion, and if you’re already pairing it with other carbs like rice, then consider skipping it altogether.
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Peppered Snails
Peppered Snails with freshly tapped palm wine slaps (the good slap, of course)!
But then, like Moi Moi, snails are not the easiest food for your digestive system to handle.
You might wonder why snails make this list despite their chewy nature but that is exactly what makes them difficult to break down, especially if you’re eating them with rich pepper sauce.
However, if you can’t resist eating snails, then reduce the pepper, chew them well before swallowing and drink plenty of water to aid digestion.
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White Bread
For a quick breakfast, you might want to enjoy bread with akara or other sweet combos. But then when it comes to constipation, white bread is a major culprit.
This is because it is made from refined flour, which has little to no fibre.
The best kind of bread to eat are whole wheat bread but if you can’t get that, then scrap bread out of the menu (at least give it a break on New Year’s Day) and enjoy a fruit-filled breakfast.
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Soft Drinks and Sugary Beverages
These are never lacking from Nigerian celebrations, from Fanta to Pepsi, Coke and even Malt (don’t even start with the “malt is not soda” talk).
Although these sugary beverages are made using water, they ironically dehydrate the body and this slows down digestion. Plus, too much sugar can lead to bloating.
Instead of sodas, drink plenty of water, watch YouTube videos to learn how to make smoothies or Zobo and drink those.
They’re way healthier and hydrating than sodas.
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Egusi Soup (Overloaded with Palm Oil)
We already talked about how eating Pounded yam might not be a good option and now even Egusi has made the list.
Too much palm oil in egusi soup could cause your arteries to become clogged. This high fat food could also show down digestion and leave you feeling heavy and constipated.
If you’ll be eating this soup on New Year’s Day, then go easy on the oil or choose light soups like vegetable or ogbono.
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Chin Chin
At this point it’s safe to say that fried meals are a no-no to your digestive system.
Chin chin is a light snack that’s easy to munch on until you lose count of how many have gone into your mouth. But that is only a ticket to feeling bloated because chin chin is also low in fibre.
You can eat roasted groundnuts or popcorn instead.
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Alcohol (Especially Dry Wine)
Too much alcohol can leave you feeling dehydrated and this is one of the main causes of constipation.
Put a rein on your alcohol consumption and drink plenty of water instead.
What You Can Eat On New Year’s Day To Prevent Constipation
Here are the alternative meals that you can eat instead to prevent constipation:
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Brown Rice like Ofada.
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Grilled Fish instead of red meat.
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Okra or ewedu soups.
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Fresh Fruits
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Smoothies, fruit juice or Zobo.
Final Thoughts
It’s going to be a New Year soon so why not start with a happy gut and a happy you.
The urge to eat and overeat will be there, but avoid meals low in fibre, filled with oil and carbs so that you don’t struggle with constipation after your celebration.
Also, remember to drink plenty of water and eat a lot of fruits to start the year healthy and confortable.
Elsie Udoh is an SEO content writer who specialises in writing engaging stories that resonates with diverse audiences. She studied mass communication at the Lagos State University.
