Various types of potatoes. A staple food, or simply a staple, is a food that is eaten routinely and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a standard diet for a given people, supplying a large fraction of energy needs and generally forming a significant proportion of the intake of other nutrients as well.
Constipation is defined medically as fewer than three stools per week and severe constipation as less than one stool per week. Constipation usually is caused by the slow movement of stool through the colon.
1 Constipation is a symptom of a disease or condition. 2  Cause of constipation range from not taking in enough liquids, over poor diet to mechanical issues such as an obstruction in the intestine. 3  Symptoms of constipation are infrequent bowl movement, lower abdominal pain and hard or small stools.