What you can do to help your digestion

For most people, the natural time for evacuating the bowels is in the early morning. Support this by having breakfast regularly, because the intestinal motion is normally stimulated within an hour after eating. Do not suppress the urge to defecate and allow plenty of time on the toilet, even in stress situations.

Include roughage-rich products in your diet. For many people, simply switching over to plenty of wholemeal products, fruit and vegetables is enough to get the bowels moving again.

It also helps if you add swelling substances such as wheat bran or linseed to your normal food. This necessitates drinking much more liquid than usual to avoid clumping. For example, for one tablespoonful of wheat bran you should afterwards drink two glasses of water.

To keep the consistency of the stools soft, you should drink at least one and a half litres of liquid a day. The more you drink, all the better is the result. The most suitable liquid is mineral water. Make sure that you keep to a well-balanced and varied diet.

And do not forget to also take physical exercise. Movement is like a massage for the intestines. By going for walks, doing gymnastics, cycling and swimming you can help to keep your bowels fit.