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.
When the colon's muscle contractions are slow or sluggish, the stool moves through the colon too slowly, resulting in too much water being absorbed. Some of the most common causes of constipation include the following: Medications. Lack of exercise. Not enough liquids. Not enough fiber in the diet. Irritable bowel syndrome
Red, maroon or black, tarry stools that are caused by bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract (esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine) may have the accompanying symptoms: 1  Abdominal pain. 2  Nausea or vomiting of blood. 3  Diarrhea and cramping.4  Weakness, lightheadedness, and dizziness.halky, white or clay-colored stool: may indicate the absence of bile from the stool as a result of an obstruction of bile flow to the intestine. Obstruction of the bile duct may occur as a result of a medical condition called biliary obstruction or a tumor. This stool may look like a pale yellow, or off white.