The Low-Carb Fruit Snack That Can Help You Poop Fast

No matter your age or gender, constipation affects everyone at some point in their life. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 16 out of every 100 people suffer from constipation, a number that jumps to 33 out of every 100 once people reach their 60s. Even people who eat well-rounded, healthy diets can end up being constipated due to factors like certain medications or health problems. So if you've never experienced constipation, it doesn't mean you never will.

Because constipation is so common, especially as we get older, knowing ways to make yourself poop fast should be something on everyone's list. While there are many foods that offer constipation relief, one delicious and surprising low-carb option is oven-dried strawberries. In fact, dried fruit in general delivers the antioxidants and fiber your body needs to stay regular, per the Times of India.

Like a lot of fruits and vegetables, strawberries contain sorbitol and insoluble fiber. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, sorbitol doesn't break down during digestion, which can prompt the body to want to move it along and out of the colon. When this happens, you'll feel the need to poop. Insoluble fiber also plays a role in having a bowel movement by bulking up the stool and helping it move through the digestive tract in a timely manner, per the Mayo Clinic. So, naturally, sorbitol and insoluble fiber working together is the winning ticket to pooping.

If you're wondering why dried fruit is better for this than fresh fruit, the answer is simple: concentrated fiber. When the fruit is dried out, the water is removed, but the fiber remains. While water consumption is also an important factor in preventing constipation, because the size of the fruit is condensed, it's basically more potent. According to Healthline, if you take the same weight of fresh fruit and compare it to dried fruit, you're going to get 3.5 times the amount of fiber and vitamins in the latter.

Making oven-dried strawberries is easy. You just need an oven and a few hours. First, preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, rinse your strawberries, then slice them lengthwise so they're about ¼ of an inch thick. After you line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, spread out the slices evenly, making sure none of them are overlapping. It will take around four hours before your strawberries reach complete dryness. You also want to be sure to flip them halfway through the baking process.

Once they're completely dry, give them about 15 to 20 minutes to cool. When you're sure they're not going to burn your tongue, dive in. You can eat your dried strawberries as is or put them in yogurt, cereal, granola, or wherever else you think they'll be most enjoyed. Dried strawberries are good for up to three months as long as they're kept in an airtight container. If moisture is able to creep its way in, it will destroy the batch.